Gold Gilt and Rusted Iron

Something about the rusted patina on this antique wrought iron candelabra and sconces perfectly compliments the golden oak of the old Mission furniture.

Religious art and artifacts also lend themselves well to the mix; especially the deep orange background of a Spanish Colonial style painting of the Madonna and Child and a gold gilt triptych icon depicting the same theme.

Beneath the triptych sits an elaborately painted Indian jewelry box atop an elegant antique Egyptian Revival casket.

Flanking the oil painting is a charming pair of Staffordshire style lions, as well as saint figures that include a colorful vintage plaster statue of Saint Jude.

The other antique saint figure is carved from wood with a romantically distressed finish that includes traces of the original gold gilt. At his feet sits another golden relic, this one a wingless Victorian cherub, behind which the bold architectural scrollwork of a fragment of hand carved wood Rococo molding makes a unique and interesting vertical element.

Crowning the vignette is a tiny antique Roe Deer antler trophy signed by the hunter in a scrawling hand and dated 1898.

 Styling and photos by KS&D.

Cuddling Money Bags

As promised in a previous post here’s a look at what we did with those old canvas bank bags.


Running them through the wash a few times softened the canvas enough that we decided to keep it simple and stitch the bags up into a set of fun throw pillows perfect for the outdoors. We made sure to stuff them firmly, after all who doesn’t prefer a plump money bag even if the filling is just feathers?


Don’t they look quite charming here on a weathered old chair in the sun with iced tea and a good book at the ready?

Photos and styling by KS&D.

Old Money Bags

When we came across these old canvas bank bags on a recent buying trip for our online emporium they were too much fun to pass up.


We’ve got a few ideas for these unique vintage finds, but you’ll have to check back next week to see what we come up with!

Whimsical Rustic Home

Mixing and matching art and accessories is the guiding principal of eclectic style and pairing the rustic with the whimsical always makes for a lively mix.


Here a domed wood and metal birdcage lends a whimsical air to trio of rustic pieces including a wonderful folk art Indian maiden statue, a primitive pottery jug, and a charming buttocks basket brimming with colorful gourds and corn. The stately brass barely twist candlesticks add a subtle metallic sparkle.


This festive scene is a riot of colorful whimsical pieces including a trio of richly costumed monkey musicians playing the cello, a violin, and even bagpipes. The Italian majolica pyramid of fruits and vegetables fits right in among gourds and pumpkins, as do a pair of colorful fruit bowls and the pitcher and creamer, all of hand painted Italian art pottery.


Adding a few extra boldly colored books around the carved Chinese chest ties the bottom in with the rest of the arrangement, we’ve also included a few at the top for good measure along with an unusual basket holding dried hydrangea seen fresh in a previous post.

Casual Layering

One of the best design features of this antique oak sideboard is the narrow shelf along the top ledge perfect for casually layering framed art works and a slender piece of Blanc de Chine.


Overlapping a large bird print with a small equestrian scene and a piece of Chinese silk embroidery takes the formal edge off the elaborate pair of brass rococo wall sconces flanking them. We’ve kept all frames the same shape for a sense of unity yet each has a different contrasting finish ranging from raw wood to gold gilt.


Using an old botanical shade on a marble pedestal lamp again mixes the formal with the casual for a light playful feel. Clustered around its base are an art glass ball with an antique French Gothic music box and a pair of Waterford crystal decanters in the Lismore and Glandore patterns. Dusty hued hydrangea fills a blown glass urn lending just the right dose of soft color and texture next to the pair of huge sang de boeuf porcelain jars.

Photos and home styling by Knickerbocker.

Serious Shabby Chic

Looking something like the setting for a modern day Charles Dickens novel, the drawing room of Crowsley Park in Oxfordshire, England as it appeared in a 1980’s edition of World of Interiors, is a wildly organic yet honest interpretation of the English shabby chic aesthetic.

This grand mansion, once in a state of near ruin, was let to a pair of architects free of charge on the condition they prevent further dilapidation. While the structure was stabilized and made habitable no cosmetic alterations were made; as evidenced by the un-patched nail holes in the eighteenth century paneling where previous layers of decoration were stripped away. The result is a raw yet imposing space that appears to have been filled over time with a mix of random vintage furnishings and found objects. A cozy wingchair, an old tufted sofa, and a textural wicker piece find themselves clustered around the grand marble mantle while a simple 1960’s paper lantern hangs from the incredible ceiling. Stacks of firewood, books, dried flowers, baskets, driftwood, and other seemingly random objects accessorize the room as an elegant pair of antique portraits flank the fireplace.

Though the space might seem wild and chaotic it certainly gives the sense of a well-used and well-loved room. I credit this hauntingly romantic image as the source of my habit of incorporating found objects into my own interiors. Out walking I often pick up twigs, moss, flowers, driftwood, shells, sea glass, or pebbles that catch my eye. You may have noticed many of the aforementioned elements in a previous post where I filled a hurricane glass with shells, seed pods, and sea glass, as well as utilizing a piece of driftwood and a few hydrangea blooms dried from last summer’s garden.
Photos by James Wedge