Using Vintage Silver in Country French Décor

I’m excited to once again join the Country French Design group for our monthly share…this time focusing on silver! I have to say this is one of my favorite topics because I adore vintage silver…especially antique silverplate! And it doesn’t have to be from France to add that wonderful Country French look to your home!



There is just something frenchy about a footed tray!

The beautiful vintage pattern of tiny grapes and delicate tendrils gracing a fork just says France to me!

I love the patina of vintage silverplate flatware with those fabulous blunt blade knives…

…and the way old silverplate trays reflect everything around them!

But I think my favorite thing about vintage silverplate is the wonderful array of pieces whose use is sometimes a mystery…although years ago everyone would have known instantly that this is a roll top butter dish!

And, of course, to go with it, there must be butter knives in a variety of patterns! You may have already guessed my favorite…the one in the foreground with the grape motif and that unusual twist handle!

But best of all is antique quadruple silverplate! Once you learn to spot it, you will know instantly that the piece you have in your hands is over 100 years old since it wasn’t manufactured after 1900! And here’s where things become a really interesting guessing game. It’s pretty easy to figure out that this antique castor set with its shakers and cruets was used for seasoning the dishes at the table.

And this must be a sugar bowl…made of quadruple silverplate that has not fared very well…

…and has the most wonderful whimsical duck head holding the handle in its mouth!

But now it’s getting a little harder! Do you know what these are? They have entirely disappeared from modern use, but would have been on every well-dressed table a century ago! They are master sugar spooners, the one on the left having lost its lid long ago. I adore the little bird on the lid of the other!

It's a demi-tasse spooner, a petite version of its lidless big brother. I love the way it adds elegance to afternoon tea!

And here’s a piece of quadruple silverplate whose use has definitely fallen out of favor. Baby Kitty wants to know if you can guess what it is!

Here’s a closer look after it was all polished up…funny little legs, intricate flower and ribbon trim and a carnation engraved in the center.  Any guesses?

It’s an antique calling card holder…playing a very important role in society a century ago! But today, it’s serving as a little tray to hold my earrings at bedtime.

My favorite thing to do with old silverplate is to use it in an unexpected way! Soooo…the lidless spooner becomes a little vase on my bedside table.

A  baby porringer can be repurposed to hold lemons for tea.

  Or a vintage coffee carafe…
  …can double as a pitcher for serving lemon water!

One of my favorites…pop a violet into a creamer for an elegant little planter!

And finally, add vintage flatware in unexpected places to add interest and a frenchy touch to your home. A candle wrapped in Provençal ribbon and decorated with old forks…left tarnished for a rustic touch…greets my guests when they enter!
And there you have it...some fun with one of my favorites! And just in case you missed any of my posts on previous topics in our Country French Design series, here they are…

My Favorite Tips for Adding Country French Style

Collecting…Country French Style

Country French Style…My Vintage French Favorites

Dining Outdoors…French Style

Decorating with Country French Fabrics

Please be sure to head over to visit my fellow Francophiles to see how they use silver to add a Country French touch in their homes!






Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed seeing my vintage silver! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants. 

Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for the Show and Share Party , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday, Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays ,   French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday , Common Ground for Be Inspired on Fridays , The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday

See you next time! À la prochaine!

Also find me at…

 

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Restoration Hardware Inspired Vintage Book Bundle

I am excited to share my latest project with you because it meets my two favorite DIY requirements…it’s a very cheap inexpensive copy of a much more expensive item and it’s frenchy! I love the look of vintage books, but they can be very costly!



So when I saw the Grand Tomes set at Restoration Hardware, I fell in love. They are intended to be copies of the books produced in France in the late 1700s with couvertures muettes…blank covers…to disguise books that were banned.  Only one problem for me…they cost $195! Whaaaat?

So I mulled over the best way to create something similar and, with Baby Kitty’s help, I came up with a plan!
Here’s what you will need:

• Large size paperback books…Mine are 6” x 9” and came from Goodwill at $2.00 each
• Jute twine
• Elmer’s glue
• Muslin fabric, cut to cover the books
• Mod Podge
• Small flat paint brush
• Wax paper
• Gesso
• Black craft paint
• Wet tea bag
• Print out of graphics below:

Graphic for the front cover

Graphic for the spine

 And here’s what you will do:
1. Wipe the books to be sure they are free of dust and dirt.
2. Cut two small pieces of twine for each book and glue them to the spine, using Elmer’s glue, and let them dry.
3. Place a large sheet of wax paper between the cover and the pages to protect them. Brush on a generous layer of Mod Podge.
4. Smooth the muslin fabric onto the books. You may make a few small cuts on the fabric at the base of the spine if you wish to resemble wear and tear. Let it dry a little, pull out the wax paper and then let it finish drying.


5. Once it is dry, add more cuts along the length of the spine with a razor blade if you wish.
6. Mix the Gesso with one or two drops of the black craft paint and stir well, adding more if you wish one drop at a time, until you achieve the shade of grey that you desire. Once again, place a large sheet of wax paper between the cover and the pages to protect them and paint the muslin. Let it dry a little, then pull out the wax paper and let it finish drying.
7. Brush a generous amount of Mod Podge on the back of the smaller graphic and smooth it onto the spine.
8. Brush a generous amount of Mod Podge on the back of the larger graphic and smooth it onto the cover.

And…taaa daaa!…here they are! You can dab the edges of the pages with a warm damp tea bag to loosen them up and darken them if you like. Tie the books together with jute twine for an added vintage look.

I love the frenchy, vintage-y look that they will add to my décor and they only cost $6.00 for the books since I already had everything else that I needed! That’s waaaay better than their $195, huh?

And just in case you are in the mood for even more book bundles, here is my vintage book bundle with antique Paris postcards for you to copy…another Restoration Hardware inspired project!

Or how about my vintage Eiffel Tower book bundle that spreads a vintage post card photo across all of the spines. Of course, you could use any photo that you like for this one!
And that’s it! Now I hope you are just about ready for fall because after Labor Day I am declaring it unofficially here and I will be sharing some fun fall projects with you! Soooo…stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed seeing my vintage book bundle! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants. 

Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for the Show and Share Party , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday, Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays ,   French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday , Common Ground for Be Inspired on Fridays , The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday

See you next time! À la prochaine!

Also find me at…

 

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Please Join Me for The Scoop #133

Hi everyone! It's time for another edition of The Scoop! I hope you are all having a wonderful unofficial end of summer as Labor Day approaches! Here...I am squeezing in a last few wonderful minutes with the grands as school starts back.

And on the blog, I have shared a few behind-the-scenes peeks into how things work here at the Plate Addicts! I hope you will hop on over here and check it out!

And now, let's see what you have been up to and get this party started!

Welcome back to The Scoop...

The weekly party that features the best from around the web!

We are

ANITA FROM CEDAR HILL FARMHOUSE

DEBBIE FROM CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT

YVONNE FROM STONEGABLE

AND SUZY FROM WORTHING COURT

Our host this week is Yvonne at StoneGable!

 

Last week I shared an early FALL TOUR of my farmhouse kitchen. You might still be dipping your toes into the pool or sand but I'm thinking Fall! Here's a little fall inspiration to start you thinking about cooler weather and beautiful fall colors...

Now let's look at some posts that inspired me this week!

Barbara from 21 Rosemary Lane shared this adorable, UNDER THE SEA MARSHMALLOW POPS! What a cute idea for a Labor Day or end of summer bash!

Aren't these ICE CREAM CHAIRS too cute! I love the French stripes!!! Terry from Forever Decorating shared her fabulous chair transformation!

I love love love this BLACK AND GREY PAINTED DRESSER! Kimberly from Serendipity Refined shared this great makeover!

Heather from Setting For Four showed us how easy it is to display our instagram pictures with PAINTED INSTAGRAM HOLDER. What a great idea!

Sweet Rachel from Maison De Pax is wise beyond her decorating years! Her post HOW TO (RE)DECORATE A HOUSE is so informative and true!

And now…I can’t wait to see what you’ve got to share!

Thank you for linking up, friends!

Please read the guidelines before participating:

• Follow and/or subscribe to your host blog.
• Be sure to include THE SCOOP button or text link to in your linked post…mandatory to be featured!
• By linking up you are agreeing that the photos are yours or that you have permission to use them, that we may use those photos to feature your project on a blog post, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter with a link back to your blog, of course.
• Please go to the source of a photo to pin it to Pinterest so that the originator of the post gets the credit.

Also find me at…

 

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