The allure of Hotel Silver...

Hotel Silver...I am always looking for a piece to add to my collection...I have been collecting vintage hotel silver for twenty years...it is beautiful & rare..maybe that's why collectors are drawn to these wonderful objects from the past. For many enthusiasts the initial attraction is visual...others are drawn to the history of the pieces. Some collectors search for silver from hotels or restaurants that have a significant meaning for them. When I started collecting hotel silver, I  could easily find pieces in England & France...flatware, teapots, cream & sugars were everywhere...now it's a different story...all the older pieces are hard to find. The market is full of reproductions, which can be nicely done...unfortunately these pieces won't have the patina & weight of the earlier ones. Always check the marks...Silver tells us much of its history in the marks...Hotel Silver usually says silver soldered, the maker and the establishment on the bottom of the piece or on the front. I was fortunate to find two pieces from the Plaza Hotel at an estate sale...both are large pieces, a Samovar and a large domed footed serving stand...both were marked under the bottom Plaza Hotel...the seller never saw the marks & I wasn't certain until I cleaned the pieces & found them. Both are prized possessions, that would be hard to replace. Sharing with you some wonderful example of Hotel Silver...

A beautifully displayed collection of  vintage  hotel silver creamers & teapots

Fabulous silver flatware from The Fairmont Hotel

Plaza Hotel Samovar & Domed Serving stand from Rue 27 Maison

Antique & Vintage hotel silver & silver 

Vintage Hotel Silver at Rue 27 Maison

Beautiful patina on these French knives

English hotel silver teapots are usually easy to find...

Beautiful collection of hotel silver...artfully displayed

Vintage hotel silver teapots with monogram covered handles

The patina of Hotel Silver is the draw to collect for many...

Biltmore Hotel serving pieces

French Hotel Silver from Paris Hotel Boutique

Until next time...happy hunting...Cheers!

Collecting...European Candlesticks

Collecting....One of my fave collectibles is antique French & Italian Candlesticks, Altar Pricketts, Candle holders. I love to use them in every setting...they are wonderful for entertaining, holidays & daily use...they seem to draw me in...I love to see the flickering light bounce off the intricate prickett's base....love to imagine all the moments seen & times the item was used. While candlesticks have been used in some form for thousands of years, most early ones were made for royalty, churches & the wealthy...those are now in museums & are out of reach for most collectors. It was not until the 1700s that candlesticks became more common household items, these are the candle holders that are sought after today. Some collectors refer to candlesticks as "pricketts" because the very early ones had a prickett, a pointed spike,  to hold the candle. I am always on the hunt for the early ones from the mid to late 1800s...I find these are easier to find...I love the carved wood ones that are gilded, worn & show their patina. I also love the intricately designed tall French altar pricketts with porcelain flowers & leaves, these were "country" candle holders used in small chapels & country homes. I just unpacked a few for Rue 27 Maison....sharing with you a few of my faves...Happy hunting to all you collectors :)

Beautiful candle holders from Koektrommel...

Antique French country candle holder...

Antique French candle holders grace this painted chest...

Antique Italian & French silver gilded altar sticks...

New shipment at Rue 27 Maison...

A trio of antique pricketts...

Large pair of carved wood pricketts...

Fabulous patina on this grouping of altar sticks...

Antique pair country French candle holders from Rue 27 Maison

Until next time...Cheers!

J'adore the color....bleu

Ever since I can remember I have always been drawn to the color blue...the French say bleu...the Italians, blu...the Spanish, azul. The color blue seems to be a fave of many...I read this quote many years ago "Blue is the only color which maintains its own character in all tones"...from Raoul Duffy. Even though there are many shades...the integrity of the color remains. I can remember always going for the blue crayons first when drawing as a child...always wanted my room painted blue & loved my blue keds. Blue seems to be everywhere...the brilliant blue of the sky...in fashion, design, flowers, gemstones, nature...and to me nothing is as beautiful as a bluebird in flight. When I first visited Provence, I fell in love with the blues that seem to be everywhere ...in the architecture, the shutters, doors, gates, all seemed to show off their sun dappled blue...whether it was the golden light in Provence or just years of wear...the color you see there is like no other blue...truly beautiful...cool & warm at the same time. Sharing with you a few faves of mine...the color blue

Sun dappled blues in Provence...

Antique blues from Amy Howard

Blue delphiniums...antique blue fruit box & blue vintage African hand woven fabric at Rue 27 Maison

Antique blues with fabulous patina...

Beautiful & vibrant blues in Provence...

The blues at Rue 27 Maison...

Rare & gorgeous framed antique blue intaglio seals...

Blue & white vintage napkins & ironstone...

Antique blue & white faience..

Beautiful room in blue...

Antique blue Bohemian Cordials from Rue 27 Maison

Until next time....Cheers!

April Markets...

Besides being a perfectly beautiful month...April is a wonderful month for markets...antiques & vintage...flower & farmers markets here on the west coast. We went to four different markets last week...all filled with fresh antique & vintage finds...beautiful flowers...locally grown fruits & local artisan breads. The antique & vintage markets were both lined with tents and were very crowded...almost every buyer seemed to have a cart or wagon to carry their finds, the aisles were very full...it's always fun & interesting to see everyone's choices...everything from lucite chairs to 18th c gilded mirrors. I was very lucky to find a pair of very large vintage architectural metal crowns at my first stop...I love them...they are perfect for a project I am working on this month....I was stopped several times on my way out by buyers wanting to purchase...:)) On my second stop, I found an antique wood horse that had been in a family for generations...it is a beautiful piece of folk art...I have fotos of both the crowns & the horse below as well as other finds. At the flower & farmers market, I purchased several large bouquets, as many as I could carry, of Snowball flowers in a vibrant green...they are definitely a statement flower especially when used en masse...they were the focal point for a wine & cheese tasting at Rue 27 Maison this weekend. Sharing with you a few glimpses into my week & wishing each of you a beautiful coming week...

Wine & Cheese at Rue 27 Maison

Snowball flowers in the courtyard

Market shopping...

Antiquing...Cali style

Market carts in all shapes & sizes

My first purchases...

Lots of industrial & architectural

Charming British finds

Beautiful beads & fabrics from Malawi

Antique silver processional crosses...

Italian florentine

Spring flowers

Market finds at Rue 27 Maison

Architectural Clock from market

This week at Rue 27 Maison

Cheers to a new week...until next time!

Spring....flowers...antiques & lemon meringue pie :)

Before I lived in southern Cali...I had heard of the fabulous weather & enjoyed many visits here witnessing the seemingly endless gorgeous days...now I must say even though this is my fifth Spring here...I am still amazed at the flawless, beautiful days....brilliant blue skies & the sweet smells of Spring!  Flowers and butterflies seem to be everywhere now...where I live in Cali...there are a definite four seasons...each one delightful...each one tempting you to say...this is my fave time of year. This week I shopped for flowers for Rue 27 Maison....and as I do most weeks I went antiquing...finding several cloches, new & vintage ones...I was also inspired by fresh locally grown Meyer lemons to bake a lemon meringue pie...the pie was delicious with lots of meringue, a fave of my hubby...it even had what we call in the South..."sugar beads" on the meringue...:) It was a beautiful Spring week here...I hope it was for you as well...Sharing with you a few faves this week...

Rue 27 Maison

Many new cloches in this week...

French cream roses & blue hydrangeas...

A fave always...Iris

Vintage & new cloches in several sizes...

The piece de resistance...Lemon meringue pie

Until next time....Cheers!