Kitchen
Vintage Kitchen Additions
While we’re on the topic of kitchen-y updates, would you like to see our new-to-us dishes?
When my brother and his wife recently moved into their 100-yr-old home, they discovered this awesome vintage set of atomic dishes in a basement crawl space:
And when he asked if we wanted them, I jumped at it faster than a cat on a mouse! Our only dishes are a pricey set of Denby stoneware. Therefore I’d been glancing at thrift stores hoping to find a few inexpensive vintage plates for casual daily use.
These fit the bill almost perfectly. And after a smidgen of online research, I now know we obtained Salem China’s North Star pattern, made in the 1960′s. They seem pretty popular amongst mid-mod enthusiasts. I’m just not sure about two things.
1) I don’t like to save things I don’t need. And I certainly don’t need the teacups and saucers that came with the set. For nightly mugs of tea I prefer a large mug. For a morning coffee or post-dinner-party coffee I use my “good” stoneware teacups. Should I split up this vintage set and give away / sell the teacups and saucers? Or should I store them in a box in the basement, so that the whole set can remain together? As a vintage dish fan, I’m reluctant to split up a pristine set.
2) I have no idea if this stuff is microwave safe. Anyone have any idea?
Check out the sweet platter that was included. And from what I found on Atomic Inspired, there’s even more fun to be had with the matching teapot, cream and sugar set, and casserole dish. If Ryan approves, I may have to hunt those pieces down on Etsy and eBay.
But that’s not all the vintage goodness we received!
Also in the crawl space was this set of white stoneware, made in and shipped by Ceramano in West Germany (circa 19-??). Even better, most of the dishes were still in their crumbling original packaging. Never opened or used. Would I love to know the story behind that.
All in all, our set is comprised of 8 dinner plates, salad plates, pasta bowls, mugs, and 1 cream and sugar set.
How much fun is the recessed circular pattern? The only thing I can’t figure out is why there is a mismatched black stoneware lid for the sugar bowl. Information on this exact pattern seems to be lacking, though a similar pattern, Ceramano Omega, exists. If you know anything more about these dishes, or can point me in the right direction, I’d love to know!!
So now we have not two, but THREE sets of dishes. Oh dear. I’m absolutely keeping the Ceramano cream and sugar set, because I can’t wait to make some small flower arrangements in them. And the Ceramano pasta bowls are awesome – a cross between large bowls and small plates.
So back to my anti-hoarding tendencies. There’s NO REASON we need three sets of dishes. But I can’t decide if I want to break up the Ceramano set either. So I told Ryan that for now we’ll store the white plates and mugs, and the atomic teacups, in a box in the yet-unused attic. And I promise to make up my mind in a few months. Decisions about mint-condition sets of vintage dishware are not to be made lightly!
In case you haven’t yet noticed, I have a thing for vintage dinnerware, Pyrex, and barware. What’s your weakness when it comes to collecting?
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A Shady Solution
Remember when I told you I was making an effort to drastically reduce my heating bill and save some dough? Well, now that the balmy days of March are here, I finally whipped up a little insulated roman-esque shade for my drafty kitchen window. Better late than never.
I sewed it from a fabric remnant I’d been holding on to for years. The fresh green botanical print and my home’s spring green accents were a match made in decorating heaven. It even tied into the green flower pots on my homemade back door shelving. I think the blind adds a much-needed dose of classy cheer to an otherwise dreary and dingy back door.
Am I the only one whose cats see a DIY project in action and think “Project! Yay! Something to sit on!”
This was my first attempt at freehanding a roman-style blind, and I made some mistakes - and learned a lot – as I put it together. I’ll save the in-depth tutorial for next time, when it’s sure to go much more smoothly. In the mean time, here’s a quick recap:
With the help of my trusty feline sidekicks, I put together the blind from scratch. I hemmed the fabric, then added plastic loop tape to the back. (The loops wrangle the ribbons, allowing them to actually pull the shade up in a uniform fashion.)
I forgot to sew the insulating liner to the green fabric before adding the loop tape. Laziness prevailed, so I sewed the liner over the back of the blind, loops and all. Then I cut small slivers in the liner fabric and pulled the loops through. The back may not be the prettiest, but it’s completely functional. Problem solved.
I don’t have the numbers exactly, since I already had all the fabric and trimmings on hand, but I’d guesstimate that this project cost less than $10. While I can’t replace the ugly old back door, at least I can dress it up with some cheap and pretty “insulation.”
If you’re curious about those fabulous red stools, click here.
Shared at Kimba’s DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land as well as Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative.
Sweet Find: Stool Time
Ever since I sold the ugly dining table and converted the dining room into an office, my mother’s been freaking out because I didn’t have a dining table or bar stools. What can I say? I was waiting for the right vintage bar stools to find me. Frankly, most inexpensive modern bar stools are too large and overbearing for my small, lighthearted mid-century inspired space.
My mom can rest easy now: Last night, like love at first sight, these two cheerful mid-century bar stools found me. (Craigslist is like my eHarmony of furniture love.) Disaster averted.
I just love how cheerful the bright red looks against the granny apple green wall. I can’t get enough of this color combo lately, especially in this small room that doesn’t get much natural light.
I guess my love of the color combo accidentally carried over to the kitchen, where I whipped up a tasty and healthy meal for the 7th night of my 21-Day Cleanse diet: Basalmic grillled Portobellos topped with roasted red peppers, with rice and a brussel sprouts.
Aren’t the stools just the cutest? Bonus – An original label on the bottom of one stool says it was manufactured in 1954. Awesome!
And if you’re looking for some reasonably-priced mid-century furniture in the DC area, let me know. The man selling these stools was super nice, and he’s clearing a ton more mid-century stuff out of his storage unit.
Weekend Completion: A study in dining
Over a year ago I scored a sweet mid-century modern desk on Craigslist for only 40 bucks. Until this week, I never, ever sat at it. Why? I just can’t work at a desk that faces a wall. My desk drove me crazy, because there was no way to have it near the window in my guest room / office. So there sat my desk, lonely and neglected, and I worked at the coffee table or dining table or anywhere, really – because I have to have a window view.
See what it was like?
Finally, in a burst of inspiration I decided to I listened to my boyfriend and tried moving my “office” to an unexpected location: the dining room.
But let’s back up:
When I sold the hand-me-down dining room table and chairs on Craigslist, my mother was horrified. She couldn’t understand how I could survive without a dining table. I never really used it, though, because – like my office – I didn’t really like the vibe of my dining room. I hadn’t painted the room, I didn’t have furniture I loved, and try though I might, I could never make the octagonal table work right in the small space. So I decided to rethink the space and I cleared the clutter.
Before:
First I gave the walls a much-needed swabbing of paint. The creamy off-white color turned out a bit lighter than expected, but it was still much warmer than the previous stark white. Lazy painter that I am, I decided I could live with it. To add a burst of fun and color to the dining room, I accented the wall shared by the kitchen with Glidden’s Granny Apple Green. Yum!
The room sat there, freshly painted but devoid of furniture (except for the dog feeding bowls) for about a month. Last weekend I moved my desk in, setting it (finally!) in front of the window. But I thought the room still looked sad and lonely, so I brought in my two living room chairs and my mid-century record cabinet, placing them around the other window. Just like that, the room came together.
Voila, a dining room sitting room and office!
Just look at the light streaming through the windows (and this is on an overcast day)!
That Sunday, the boyfriend and I sat in the two white chairs, eating freshly baked popovers, drinking tea, and enjoying the breeze that blows through the windows. And I’ve been incredibly productive at that desk every day since the transformation.
With this shot you get a glimpse of my next dining room-turned-office project: I need to build a cute little feeding station to house the dog bowls. Then I need to find two bar stools. The kitty climber will have to stay until I find a home for the cute kittens.
I may also switch out what’s on the walls and find a mid-century floor lamp to add some cozy lighting. The light thrown by the ceiling fan is just downright abrasive.
So that’s the story of how four happy pieces of mid-century modern furniture (and one old Ikea chair) had happily joined forces with stunning results. Kind of like the Brady Bunch. Or at least like their furniture.
PS: Sharing this room makeover with Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Swing by there to see dozens of awesome transformations done by many talented ladies (and maybe a man or two).
Clutter Control: It’s in the pot
