Decorating Your Vintage Cottage Kitchen In French Blue And White

A Charming Cottage Style Kitchen

Blue and White are kitchen colors which to me are timeless. The French blue painted walls and white cabinets and appliances are simply delicious together. Blue and white dinner plates, platters and accessories are mounted on the walls and filled in the open cabinets. Here is where a collection of Flow Blue collectibles is a wonderful addition.And notice the touch of red in the flowers on the table to give the look an extra special zing!
See more at: http://titdilapa.blogspot.com

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.comVisit my website, CDianneZweig.comDianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe Society of Professional Journalists

Kitsch n Sink Idea: Collecting Vintage Wooden Ring Holders

Today's Kitsch n Sink Retro Find: A Vintage Wooden Ring Holder: Don't Lose Your Ring Down The Drain

If you really want to be a terrific retro housewife, than you need to find a vintage wooden ring holder to place next to your sink to hold your rings. This way your rings will never go down the drain when you are washing dishes.

Reminders On Some Ring Holders

Often in the shape of a coffee or tea pot , the one shown here has a dutch boy and girl decal on a glossy wooden novelty coffee pot. It is three inches tall. Other similar ring holders might be painted a solid color with a little label or sign which might read:


"Let me hold your
rings for you
while dishes or
washing you do"

Lift The Lid Off To Reveal The Wooden Ring Spindle

The lid would lift off to reveal a wooden spindle inside the "coffee pot" which would hold your ring(s) in place.


These photos are from the wonderful collection of
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetcottagedreams

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Decorating Your Retro Kitchen With Yellow Kitchen Housewares And Collectibles

Yellow Kitchen Kitsch For Retro Style Homes

Yellow kitchen kitsch is favored by many collectors of vintage and retro kitchen collectibles.
While red and white kitchen collectibles get scooped up very quickly, "yellow" is also a hot color. Yellow is known as a primary color and was quite popular in 1940s and 1950s kitchens. Often dubbed The Colorful decades yellow was a common color for kitchen cabinets, counter tops appliances and kitchen sets. With yellow as the foundation color in Postwar kitchens, manufacturers produced coordinated housewares and decor.

Retro Housewives Love Yellow Because It Is A Cheerful And Sunny Color

Cheerful and sunny, yellow is a perfect color to make any retro housewife happy and content. You will find plenty of yellow vintage kitchenwares available because it has always been a best seller.

What Are Kitchen Collectors Buying?

Collectors look for glassware, mixing bowls, canisters, bread boxes yellow handled kitchen tools, vases, pitchers, dish towels, doilies, salt aad pepper shakers, tablecloths etc.

Different Kinds Of Yellow

It's great to try to keep in the same color family of yellow.

There are many different kinds of yellow, such as buttery yellow, sunflower lemon, lemon yellow etc. Deeper yellows look great in retro kitchens, while pale yellows work well in Cottage style kitchens, especially mixed with aqua.

Pairing Other Colors With Yellow Collectibles

Yellow is an easy color to pair with other colors. It's almost like a neutral. You can have so much fun adding other colors to a primarily yellow palette. I adore yellow and black housewares. Another fab combo is yellow and green. In these photos, a yellow checked tablecloth is used and is just darling. Yellow and white offer a country crisp feeling and gingham creates a warm and cozy setting.

Photos are the courtesy of Retro Revival on Etsy.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Kitchen Makeovers Using Vintage Tables and Chairs

It seems that everyone I talk to these days is focused on kitchen makeovers. Some folks have older kitchens that they want to preserve but “fresh-up” while others have newer kitchens that they want to keep but “warm up” with antiques and collectibles.

In either case, selecting vintage kitchen furnishings may solve your decorating blues without too much expense or hassle.

Using original vintage tables and chairs from earlier generations or transforming existing furniture is very popular today. There are many different styles you can choose from such as "cottage", "retro", "country" "Bohemian" and more.

Whether you fall in love with a quirky painted table, a re-purposed cottage style table, a Formica top retro table, a forties enamel top table or a distressed wooden farm table, all of these looks can bring warmth and creativity back into the kitchen.

Many home owners are discovering that buying "vintage" is paying off and can often be a terrific alternative to purchasing higher priced newer manufactured table and chairs.
So where can you find these wonderful relics of past generations? If you want painted cottage style tables, there are numerous antique dealers who have on-line stores that feature older tables which have been repainted in white or pastel cottage colors. In fact there is a "cottage industry "of cottage themed shops.

In my book "Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes" you will find many dealers who specialize in cottage style furniture. Also visit http://iantiqueonline.ning.com and check out the exciting "Vintage Cottage Group" you will find listed as well as many other resource groups on furnishings, retro and salvage you will discover at this new and exciting website community.


Farm tables will show up in the antique shops in "the country" and off the beaten path. Many of the dealers listed on my website links page are also fine sources for "country". http://www.cdiannezweig.com/pgs/links.html

Perhaps you already own a very functional kitchen table that you acquired a long time ago and now you are tired of it. Or suppose you inherited a family member's table years ago and now you wonder if it still "matches" your new kitchen. Wait, don't call your neighborhood thrift shop just yet..."shabby-tize it! "

In other words, change the character of your current kitchen table and chairs by changing the color, stain, fabric or even style. For example, brighten up a dark table and chairs by painting it white or another light color. Another idea is to consider keeping your original table but adding interesting vintage chairs. Mixing and matching periods is very "in" right now. Or make adjustments to the style of chairs by replacing the seat cushions or seat covers with updated fabrics. Even vintage chairs can look amazingly "modern" or "Urban Chic" with a funky geometric patterned fabric used on the seat cover.

If you have a large family and require a lot of seating than you may find that an oversized Farm table is just what your room needs. Add some old Country style benches with comfortable cushions to match your color scheme and you are on our way to warming up your kitchen.

Another great way to bring charm into today's "contemporary" kitchens is to accessorize your kitchen with a unique piece of vintage furniture such as an old Hoosier cabinet. which was used as a baking cupboard in the early 1900's

Photo Credits: http://www.pinkpigwestport.com/http://www.terrysenchantedcottage.com/
Farm table and chairs from the collection of Ed Friedman who designs and builds his own furniture from reclaimed wood.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Using Vintage Shelf Edging & Tablecloth "Cutters" to Decorate Kitchen Shelves, Cabinets & Cupboards

One of the best ways to create the feeling of a vintage kitchen is to use original shelving paper, trim, wallpaper and textiles in the colors, patterns and themes which prevailed during different eras. During the Colorful eras of the 40s and , 50s kitchen accessories were bold and often whimsical. It was common to see curtains, tablecloths, appliance covers, oil cloth and shelving paper with images of fruit, flowers, kitchen wares, teapots, Mexicana, roosters, poodles, Scotties, dots, stripes and plaids.


Finding Vintage Shelving Paper in the Original Box

Today you can still find original packages of shelf paper and borders although you may pay a premium price for these adorable treasures of the past ($12.00-18.00 or more). Back in the day, homemakers would cover kitchen shelves with this shelf lining paper which would be folded down to show a decorative border; or, a separate scalloped trim could be applied to the shelf edge with thumbtacks. The Royal Lace Paper Works Company in Brooklyn, New York, marketed these products under the name Royledge.

Using Vintage Tablecloth Cutters as Shelf Liners

Even if you are lucky to find original boxes of trim or sheets of shelving paper, you generally never find enough of a pattern to cover the needs of today's larger kitchens. What you might consider doing to create the look of a retro kitchen is to use material from older tablecloths or dish towels. Damaged tablecloths are called "cutters" and as the name implies these dry goods can be used to cut apart and use as edging or shelf coverings.









Being True to Your Era

Vintage kitchen housewares and cooking accessories such as batter bowls, pitchers, decorative plates, juice glasses, Pyrex etc. look so much sweeter when they are sitting atop a shelf which is covered with a charming remnant in colors and themes consistent of the time period you are after. In the 1940s, you would generally find surfaces, furnishings and kitchen-wares in reds, yellows, blues and greens. The fifties brought pastel colors into the kitchens and textiles, tables and housewares were made in aqua, pinks and soft yellows.

How To Fasten Down Vintage Shelf Paper

If your shelves are wood, it is easy to fasten down fabric or remnants of tablecloths and dish towels with thumb tacks or even a staple gun. It's always nice to position the fabric so that the whimsical designs are showing. For example, fold an older tablecloth remnant in such a way as to allow an edge of strawberries, or flowers or whatever to drape over the edge of the shelf just a bit. Often you need to experiment with your choice of materials. Choosing colors and patterns which are complimentary to the objects you want to place on the shelf will help with the overall appearance.

The Role of Color in Arranging Objects

When you have predominately blue objects or collectibles to sit on a shelf, try using a piece of a vintage tablecloth or fabric which is mostly yellow or red perhaps. Patterned cloths are fine as long as they are not too busy to showcase your collectibles or objects. Using blue with blue may result in a boring presentation. On the other hand if your objects are dark blue, a predominately light blue tablecloth or fabric remnant might just work.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.