Decorating with Houseplants

The pair of unexpected cacti in our last post got us thinking about houseplants and how much life and interest they bring to a room, especially when paired with antique and vintage pieces.

 

The big marble coffee table in our loft is styled with a trio of Phalaenopsis or Moth Orchids potted in Spanish moss, bringing some much needed height and vertical drama to the otherwise horizontal display of trinket boxes, small porcelain accessories, books, and sculpture scattered around them.

A column makes for a chic and elegant plant stand that can fit just about anywhere. The fluffy looking plant happily perched near this sunny window is known as a Ming fern, though oddly enough it's a relative of the asparagus and not a fern at all, while the vintage birdcage on the windowsill keeps company with a sweet African violet cheerfully basking in the sun.

The little sunroom through the French doors to the left is packed to bursting with all kinds of plants, palms, and vines. This tiny high ceilinged glass room could be thought of as sort of giant walk-in terrarium, but its come to be called simply the plant room, as it’s proved a perfect spot to winter palms or rebud orchids, including the pink and white ones in the first shot.

Antique Baltimore chairs flank a juniper bonsai tree atop on a Moroccan style accent table in this eclectic vignette. Produced mainly in Baltimore from 1820 to 1840, this style of chair incorporates Classical influences, like the curved back of the ancient Greek klismos chair as seen on the left, and elaborate hand painted and gold gilt details that result in a fantasy of the ancient Greco-Roman world by way of early American folk art. In its more heavily distressed condition, the chair holding the mandolin harp with its elegant deer-like legs and graceful gold gilt details almost resembles a relic from ancient Rome.

Many of the plants featured here including the orchids, Ming fern, and even the cactus that got this whole topic started have been purchase over the last few years from the Parkside Orchid Nursery in nearby Upper Bucks County, our favorite source for orchids that often carries other interesting houseplants as well, and definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

Styling and photos by KS&D.

Shop the newest items and many of the ones pictured  here in our online shop.

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.

Shop New Spring Inventory Now!

With the spring antiquing season in full swing we are pleased to offer an amazing selection of eclectic antique and vintage finds while they last.

Shop HERE now for a carefully curated selection of unique and one-of-a-kind curiosities and works of art from industrial and religious artifacts to elegant salvaged architectural fragments and primitive folk art. Let us help you find the perfect accessories to add to your home décor be it traditional, rustic country, romantic Victorian, Mid-Century retro, or shabby Bohemian chic.

Photo and styling by KS&D

A Cabinet of Vintage Glassware

The vintage glasses and cut crystal in our recent post on setting a bar inspired these shots of some more of our antique and vintage inventory.

 

Unique vintage glassware is among the fastest moving categories in our online shop, the more unusual the better.

 

Like these unusually shaped vintage dessert glasses surrounding the cut glass compote that would be a stylish way to serve an elegant sorbet or a simple ice cream.

 

Hand blown Murano glass goblets and an antique cut crystal decanter fill the top shelf with fun retro vintage glassware and a cut crystal bowl below.

Just a sample of the ever-changing inventory at Knickerbocker Antiques and Vintage.

Photos by KS&D.

Abstract Modern Art in a Traditional Eclectic Room

Mixing and matching periods, styles, materials, and textures is essential to the eclectic aesthetic and adds much interest and life to a space.

This mainly traditional living room furnished with a bohemian mix of antique and vintage pieces is centered around a large contemporary abstract oil painting with calming almost impressionist style colors and brushwork that blends beautifully with the eclectic mix of art, accessories, and textiles.

The constellation of rustic metal barn stars mounted on the wall above once decorated the exterior of our carriage house in rural Bucks County. The play of primitive folk art against modern art makes for an interesting juxtaposition, while the colors of the rusted metal and patinated copper pick up the same hues in the painting.

The pair of large oxblood red Chinese ginger jars also compliment the hues in the painting and match the color of the rusted stars above while providing an elegant foil to their rustic texture and perfect companions for the small classical sculpture that adds a final grace note to the vignette.

 

The neutral fabrics in the room let the art and accessories take center stage but still keep the eclectic theme by contrasting a simple white Belgian linen slipcover with a luxurious cut silk velvet throw blanket and a vintage tapestry pillow.

Click HERE to shop the newest arrivals in eclectic antique and vintage accessories and fine art in our online boutique Knickerbocker Antiques and Vintage!

Styling and photos by KS&D.

A Chic & Stylish Home Bar

It doesn’t have to be the holiday season to merit setting up a chic little bar at home, in fact what better way to beat the winter blues than a nice cocktail served up in fun vintage glassware.

If you don’t have the space for a cart you can easily create a stylish bar on a small table or even atop a dresser. This antique oak sideboard makes for an ideal bar with the mirrored backsplash and convenient drawers perfect for storing barware utensils and cocktail napkins.

 

We’ve used an antique oval mirror as a tray to protect the sideboard while mixing drinks and brought out a vintage cut crystal bowl to serve as an elegant ice bucket. Be sure to have a few fresh lemons or limes on hand and a mixer or two.

Now just add your favorite spirits, which can simply be set out in their bottles or transferred to crystal or glass decanters for a more formal touch. 

Styling and photos by KS&D.

Astor's Animals

When we first posted about acquiring a dog portrait from Brooke Astor’s famous collection we hinted it wasn’t the only one of her animal treasures to find a home with us.

Among our favorite acquisitions from the Stair Galleries sale was a charming collection of frog figures including these carved malachite, jade, and cloisonné enamel pieces happily clustered here atop a green marble topped table between a pair of nautilus shells, one clad in sterling silver by legendary jeweler Verdura. The vintage green and white porcelain vase turned table lamp makes for a nice alternative to the traditional blue and white china while lending the green themed vignette a dose of Chinoiserie.

Birds were another animal beloved by Mrs. Astor, and we were pleased to procure a number of her bird figures in porcelain and stone, especially a beautiful carved pair of lapis lazuli bluebirds perched atop pertrified wood, which are now the centerpiece of the mineral collection in our eclectic cabinet of curiosities. On the shelf above between a collection of Asian ceramics and carved wooden folk art figures sit two of Mrs. Astor’s Vista Allegra porcelain bird figures flanking the laughing Buddha statue, before which sits an antique Royal Vienna tea bowl also from the Astor estate.

Here in a shot from the Sotheby’s auction catalogue is the same Vista Allegra owl pair seen on Mrs. Astor’s red lacquer table next to a gilt-metal Tiffany & Co. tortoise clock.

We also acquired a large lot of small English and Continental European porcelain articles including the lovely antique Meissen bird dish seen keeping company with our floral Chinese famille rose vase and a turquoise bird on a giltwood base also from Astor’s bird collection.

The main reason we purchased this lot was the four, though the catalogue only claimed two, leaf dishes by Herend. Included among them was the one seen here in the intricately hand painted Rothschild Bird pattern, first created in the 1860’s for a Rothschild Baroness after she lost her pearls in the garden only to have the gardener discover birds playing with them in a tree.

Here the same Rothschild Bird dish can be seen in another shot from the Sotheby’s catalogue, atop Astor’s Louis XV bureau plat, along with a smaller Herend leaf dish we displayed among the frogs in the first image. Brooke Astor truly was a great animal lover as evidenced not only by the things she chose to collect but also by her Statement of Faith,

“I want the creatures, the animals, and the birds to be a little less afraid of human beings because I have blessed them and loved them, and far from doing them any harm, I have done them good.”

*While the Astor estate pieces are not currently for sale much of the surrounding decor and accessories are available for purchase HERE in our online shop.

Photos 1, 2, 4, & 5 by KS&D.

Photos 3 & 6 via Sotheby's.

Antique & Vintage Treasure Boxes

Since we regard our hand selected shop inventory as a personal treasure trove it should come as no surprise that we’ve a weakness for the treasure chest in all its forms.

Whether crafted of wood, lacquer and brass, studded leather, silks and needlepoint, or even painted tin, these intriguing containers come in as varied materials as the treasures they held.

Could it be the mystery of what they once contained that make these antique and vintage jewelry and sewing boxes, and trucks and chest into alluring home accessories?

Treasure after all comes in endless varieties, be it a jewel or artifact, once even precious teas were kept locked away.

Click HERE to shop the latest in our collection of unique antique and vintage boxes ranging from trinket box to treasure chest.

Photos by KS&D.

Brooke Astor's Collections at Auction

When we first moved to the loft and found ourselves really considering what went into designing a great gallery wall along a staircase, there was one example we returned to time and again…

Brooke Astor’s famous collection of dog paintings seen above and below marching up the elegant floating staircase of her country estate Holly Hilly overlooking the Hudson River, before being auctioned September 24^th and 25^th at Sotheby’s along with the rest of Mrs. Astor’s estate in a media frenzied sale that more than doubled high estimates and totaled nearly $19 million.

Of course even though it was stretched over two days, Sotheby’s couldn’t possibly divest the entire contents of both Holly Hilly as well her Park Avenue duplex decorated by Sister Parrish and Albert Hadley. The remaining mementos of Mrs. Astor’s privileged life turned up at auction October 5th at Stair Galleries of Hudson, New York in an anonymous sale simply titled “Property of a Lady”. A close inspection of the contents clearly identified the anonymous ‘Lady’ as none other than Brooke Astor, and while the sale received little media attention was written up by must-read style blogger and Architectural Digest contributor Mitchell Owens on the magazine’s blog.

Anyone with the time and inclination could easily peruse the catalogue and recognize several pieces from photographed interiors of the country estate and Park Avenue duplex. For example a quick Google images search for Brooke Astor’s Holly Hilly will most likely turn up the image of the curving staircase at the beginning of this post as taken by Sotheby’s. Those with a keen eye might notice the oval portrait in the lower left corner just behind the wrought iron railing as similar to one we’ve added to our own staircase gallery wall above. Those with an especially keen eye might even recognize the wooden farm basket Mrs. Astor used to hold books under her stairs as identical to the one seen above under our own far humbler flight.

It is in fact Mrs. Astor’s dog group portrait, or 20^th Century School: “The Hunt Dogs” formerly Lot 251 of Stair Galleries Property of a Lady sale. While the bulk of Astor’s antique dog paintings went for nearly a million dollars in the Sotheby’s auction this piece being a newer reproduction was sent to the anonymous sale where we were delighted to acquire it at an exceptional price especially given the exceptional provenance. Legendary philanthropist and socialite Roberta Brooke Russell Kuser Marshall Astor who died in 2007 at the age of 105 was the widow of Vincent Astor, the last heir to the great Astor fortune who’s father John Jacob Astor IV went down in history as the richest man to die in the sinking of the Titanic and who’s grandmother Caroline literally defined American High Society in the Gilded Age.

While Brooke Astor was regarded as the defacto Queen of New York during her lifetime she was more than a last living bridge to the Gilded Age, spending half her life giving nearly $200 million of the Astor fortune back to the city that had created it. Aside from her philanthropic works and glittering social life Mrs. Astor had an eye for beauty and design working at House and Garden and as well as a stint with Dorothy Draper before becoming Mrs. Astor, and in 1982 writing a lovely piece on collecting for Architectural Digest discussing her dog portraits as well as the illusive subject of taste. At the end the author ponders her collection hitting the auction block hoping one day they’ll be loved as much as she’s loved them. Brooke Astor clearly loved this charming pack of pups enough to not only mix with her antique originals but to give such prominent placement, and we'd gladly assure her they’ve found a very loving home along with some of her other animal collections, but we’ll have to save those treasures for a future post.

Click HERE to read the next post on the Astor auction!

*While “The Hunt Dogs” are not for sale many of the surrounding art and accessories are available for purchase HERE in our online boutique Knickerbocker Antiques and Vintage.

Photos 1 & 2 via Sotheby's and photos 3 - 5 by KS&D.

A New Look For The Old Cabinet

Regular visitors to our blog might remember this three arch cabinet from last year when we curtained the windows to mask inventory for our online antique shop.

While the curtains were a good quick fix they weren’t exactly the most interesting things to look at.

Inspired by the tradition of decoupage furniture we decided to create a series of collage panels to display behind the arched glass doors that could be easily removed when desired.

After considering a variety of themes and materials like sheet music or playing cards we found the remains of a damaged 1870’s art book that still contained hundreds of random pages filled with illustrations.

The subjects include many famous works throughout art history and examples of decorative arts, as well as highlights in contemporary fine art of the 1870’s.

Even the fancifully decorated letters were carefully clipped and arranged like scrabble tiles to spell out words and phrases.

Here gothic letters arranged to spelling out “The Mad Poet” are used to frame an engraving titled ‘Milton Dictating Paradise Lost to His Daughters’.

The Victorian period art book was perfect for this project, as not only was decoupage a popular Victorian folk art, but the cabinet sits in a loft in a Victorian era opera house that was in it’s heyday when the book was originally published.

Since the illustrations are all black and white engravings, the finished collages have a neutral pattern-like appearance that makes a richly detailed backdrop for this colorful orchid and a selection of antique and vintage accessories.

Click HERE to see what’s hidden inside the cabinet as well as the newest arrivals in our online design boutique Knickerbocker Antiques and Vintage!

Photos and styling by KS&D.

Summer Slipcovers

In the previous post on our mid-century vintage Hollywood Regency sofa we told you it had another trick up its sleeve.

While we love the original orange silk damask upholstery we also love the fact that this bold statement sofa came ready with a custom tailored slipcover in crisp white Irish linen, perfect for a cooler more casual summer look. The large tapestry pillow was swapped for a small one in pale gray blue stripped silk that better shows the cushions along the back, now looking prim and proper in their individual slipcovers complete with welting detail. 

The antique bead board cabinet was reworked to include a set of eighteenth century books held by a striking pair of vintage brass bookends designed as armillary sundials. The collection of minerals and nature specimens continues to grow, including a pair of antique roe deer antlers signed and dated 1898.

In the end we just couldn’t resist the urge to include a hint of orange and a pair of vintage Hermes boxes do the job quite nicely, while a hand carved folk art elephant stool adds a fun ethnic vibe, and a rustic wood treasure chest lends some texture to the mix. As you can see the pup is especially pleased with the new linen slipcovers as the easy to wash fabric means it’s not the worst thing if she makes herself at home for a little nap when no one’s looking.

Click here to shop the latest arrivals at Knickerbocker Antiques and Vintage!

Photos and styling by KS&D.

Vintage Hollywood Regency Lux

When we saw the Hermes orange hued silk damask covering the sensuous lines of this vintage Hollywood Regency sofa it seems we’d yet again found ourselves unable to resist temptation.

We’ve always had a thing for orange accessories from various throw pillows to an dusty orange velvet X-frame stool, but this conversation piece is the ultimate in vintage orange chic. The original 1960’s silk upholstery is in excellent condition and adds a major dose of that “Mad Men” inspired glamour so influential in design right now. The sexy rolled curve of the back is piled with cushions while the single cushion seat makes this showstopper as comfortable as a cloud.

Such an extravagant sofa called for a coffee table that could really hold its own and the eclectic vibe of this vintage Chinoiserie brass tray table featuring a bamboo detailed gallery along the edge seemed to fit the bill. More vintage brass, Italian Murano art glass, and gold gilt accessories increase the vignette’s warm golden glow. The oversized pillow is crafted from an antique tapestry depicting a flowering urn that echoes the urn pattern in the damask while the smaller accent pillow is striped silk taffeta, both are trimmed with a playful looped fringe passementerie.

Even the cabinet of curiosities seemed due for dressing up, now sporting a lavish bouquet of peacock feathers. The sofa does have one other trick up it’s sleeve but you’ll just have to check back soon to see for yourself!

Styling and photos by KS&D.

Designing A Staircase Gallery Wall

Creating a well-balanced gallery wall can be challenging but putting the display on the diagonal is an entirely different story.


This staircase is lined with a dramatic display of classical prints mixed with Mid-Century Modern art that forms an eclectic backdrop for a small sitting area.


The orderly composition is centered on a large print depicting ruins of the Roman Forum flanked by antique Italian reverse hand painted art glass wall panels of delicate classical design.


The traditional brown leather rolled arm sofa is dressed up with a trio of throw pillows in orange, teal, and yellow Chinese silk, a fun spring/ summer color scheme that adds a dose of 60’s chic. In another nod to Mid-Century style a collection of vintage Murano art glass bowls pop on the cocktail table like blossoms of color, while antique and vintage brass accessories lend a metallic note to the end tables.

Vignette photos and staging by KS&D.

Art and accessories available HERE.