A Victorian Marble Topped Dresser

We’ve always had a thing for marble topped furniture.

So when an entire bed and breakfast full of antique furniture was closing a few blocks away we couldn’t resist bringing home a marble-topped dresser, as there were so many to choose from.

The heavy drawers with wonderful carved and inlayed wood detailing all stuck once filled with clothes, but after a little rubbing the bottom of the treads with a bar of soap they now open and close like new.

The entire mirror is easily removable if desired, but the molding around it has a bold almost baroque architectural influence that we played up by draping with antlers, one holding a charming vintage Bavarian boy’s hat.

On the smooth white marble top an unexpected pair of potted cactuses lend some texture and interest alongside a classical bust draped in beaded jewelry and a tiny antique child size shoe mold.

Photos and Styling by KS&D.

An Eclectic Country Bedroom

A bedroom vignette seemed long overdue, especially as we’ve yet to do one since moving to the country.


A private space like the bedroom is a wonderful opportunity to create a completely personal environment filled with ones favorite things. Here unique keepsakes and other pretty things, including an antique French candlestick, an inlayed wood cigarette box, and one of a pair of lions fill the side table.


Flowers are a welcomed addition to any bedroom. Just a few fresh hydrangea blooms tucked into porcelain bud vases lend a seasonal charm. Useful accessories such as the enameled brass bowl and art pottery trinket box are both handy and aesthetically pleasing.


The exposed hand hewn beams provide yet another display opportunity for favorite items, such as an antique silhouette, a small folk art print, and a carved gilt wood scroll molding propped against a butterfly display. Shimmering above the bed is an intricately hand embroidered Thai wall tapestry lavishly depicting the signs of the zodiac, while a sculptural pair of vintage moose antlers adds a dramatic crowning touch.

Photos and styling by KS&D.

Chic Eclectic

While somewhat less grand than the Sagredo room featured in a previous post this cozy bedroom corner exudes charm with just a touch of glamour.


There’s nothing homier than a quilt on the bed and this beautiful example in shades of cream and white was hand crafted by an Amish quilter in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The oversized preppy plaid pillows bring visual interest especially when placed beneath the abstract painting in corresponding hues. A pair of Italian crystal and gilt metal sconces and miniature still life paintings flank the main painting like elegant punctuation marks.


Next to the bed sits a green streaked 1940’s vintage desk paired with an antique caned bottom Baltimore chair, although the pieces are more than 100 years apart in age the painted finishes give a unity that works nicely. Painted furniture works especially well in bedrooms where formal stained wood can come off as too dark and heavy. The soft colors of the framed vintage print compliment the green nicely while the carved wood bracket holding an antique folk art elephant adds some ethnic texture to the mix.


The antique Italian lamp illuminating the vignette incorporates cut lead crystal, marble, and art glass elements as it casts a warm soft glow over the daisy filled Limoges jar, a gilt wood bracket turned upside down, and hand carved wood inlay trinket box. Our favorite nautical motifs are represented with a pair of ship models and a branch of artificial white coral, while Grandmother’s old leather bound copy of Gone With The Wind sits just awaiting the reader.

Photos and staging by KS&D.