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Decorating Your Kitchen With Antique Plates

Antique plates can add whimsy and interest to your decor. Many people hang them right on the walls for a unique look.

You can hang them up on special holders made just for this or use ribbons to hold them and hang from fancy hooks.

Learning how to arrange your plates so that they look best is key to making them a successful part of your wall dcor.

Lets say you have a beautiful antique platter that will go perfect in your kitchen. You run out to the store and get a hanging bracket, insert the plate and hang it on the wall over the server. Instant charm!

Pleased with your accomplishemnt you stand back. You tip your head to one side and then the other. Squinting, you take another look at the plate. Something doesn’t look right.

If you have ever found yourself dissatisfied with the appearance of the decorations on your walls you are not alone.

Many people make the same common mistakes that the eye can read as awkward but the individual does not know how to fix.

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when arranging your plates as well decor:

Hanging Large Platters:

Large platters or chargers can be the focus of your dcor so you must make sure you hang them in a spot that is appropriate for the size and focus.

Where do larger pieces look the best?

Try above the server or dry sink, over a couch, behind the dining set, over a fireplace or on a feature wall.

A feature wall is where the placement of furniture or the layout of the home naturally guides the eye to a wall – a great place to feature your antique platters.

Hanging Small Plates:

Grouping smaller plates together in one area can add interest and keep them from getting ‘lost’. Use a common theme like, color, pattern or style to pull them together.

Hang a single smaller piece low on the wall and as close to the furniture as possible, otherwise it will seem to be floating.

Grouping Plates:

The key to grouping pieces together is to space them properly. Each item should be spaced about 3 inches away from the items on either side. Try positioning them on the floor or a table to get a pleasing arrangement before placing the nails and measure carefully before making any holes.

Height:

Plates should be hung with the center of the plate at eye level. That means the center should be about 60 to 66 inches from the floor. If you’ve visited a gallery you will see that the frames are not lined up by their top or bottom edges but that the pictures are all centered at the same height.

If the platter or plates will be viewed from a sitting position – like from the dining table, you should hang at the eye level of the sitter.

If you are hanging it behind the dry sink or server, make sure it is no more than 10′ above the back.

Using these tips you can transform your bare kitchen walls into a designer showcase with a unique focus on antique plates!

Author: Lee Dobbins

Lee Dobbins write for A Kitchen Decorating Idea Guide where you can find out more about decorating your kitchen. Don’t forget to visit the article database for more decorating ideas.

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Collecting and History of Blue Willow China List

THE HISTORY OF BLUE WILLOW

I have seen credit given for the willow china pattern given to at least two different people. One would be Thomas Turner who is said to have introduced the famous design in about 1780.

The original copper plate for his design was engraved by Thomas Minton and is still preserved at Coalport China.

The most reported story says that the willow design was the creation of Josiah Spode, a derivation of an original Chinese pattern called Mandarin. Spode developed his willow pattern sometime around 1790.

The traditional willow design always features a large beautiful Chinese home with a willow tree, small bridge with 3 figures, a humble servants house at the foot of the bridge, a small Chinese boat & of course the famous love birds above the willow tree.

The romantic lore of the design could have added to it’s popularity over the years.

The story goes something like this…….

Long ago, in the days when China was ruled by emperors, a Chinese mandarin, Tso Ling, lived in the magnificent pagoda under the branches of the apple tree on the right of the bridge, over which droops the famous willow tree, and in front of which is seen the graceful lines of the fence.

Tso Ling was the father of a beautiful girl, Kwang-se, who was the promised bride of an old but wealthy merchant.

The girl, however, fell in love with Chang, her father’s clerk. The lovers eloped across the sea to the cottage on the island.

The mandarin pursued and caught the lovers and was about to have them killed when the gods transformed them into a pair of turtle doves.

These are seen gazing into each other’s eyes at the top of the design.

A lengthy and old Staffordshire poem of the pattern concludes with the verse: "In the oft quoted plate two birds are perceived, High in the heaven above: These are the spirits of Chang and Kwang-se, A twin pair of ever in love".

Companies That Produce Willow China

Due to Spode’s obvious success with the Blue Willow design, many, many pottery & china companies went on to produce some version of it. Here is a list of manufacturers that I am familiar with that produced or still do produce Blue Willow.

Adams Adderly Alfred Meakin Allerton Barratt Booths Buffalo (restaurantware & hotelware) Burslem Churchill Coalport Cuthbertson Homer Laughlin John Maddox & Sons Johnson Brothers McCoy Pottery Myott Made in China Made in Holland Made in Japan Maruta Moriyama Pottery (Japan) Norcrest Ridgeway Royal China Royal Doulton Royal Wessex Scio Pottery (Ohio) Spode Staffordshire Syracuse China(Restaurantware & Hotelware) Wedgewood Wood & Sons

VARIETY OF WILLOW ITEMS

As the popularity of Blue Willow grew & grew over the years many companies begin to make a variety of merchandise to coordinate with the customer’s china pieces.

You can find just about anything in Blue Willow including but not limited to: glassware, wallpaper, linens , tablecloths & towels, flatware & cutlery, picture frames, piggy banks, cookware, enamelware, fabric, tins, needlepoint pillows & kits, planters, candles, switchplates, items for bed & bath, soap dishes, even paper products including paper plated & napkins!

Besides numerous price guides written to aid collectors, there is a child’s story book entitled BLUE WILLOW by Doris Gates. You might enjoy recipes from The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking.

In 2005 there was even an animated short movie made in New Zealand that tells Blue Willow’s story of love & family betrayal.

The willow design is also made in red (sometimes called red transferware, or pink willow), green, brown & multicolored.

There are many Blue Willow pieces now being made in China. These are nice pieces to fill in your collection with & much more reasonable than antique or vintage pieces.

There are sellers however that try to pass these newly produced items off as vintage or antique.

Be sure you are buying from a reputable sellers.Also be sure what you are buying is actually blue willow. I have seen Flow Blue, Blue Onion, Blue Calico & other Blue Transferware advertised as Blue Willow.

The most valuable Blue Willow items are the early English, Staffordshire & Spode pieces. The Mid Century Made in Japan pieces are growing in popularity as well & can command a good price on unusual styles.

 There are quite a few restaurantware collectors out there too, so the heavy restaurant weight china usually does well.

I hope this has given you a little insight into collecting Blue Willow China ~ Have Fun!

http://www.nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com/

Author: Luanne Oda

Luanne R Oda aka NANALULU nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com

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Porcelain Restoration Can Be Difficult But Don’t

Family heirlooms are important to the entire family and it is critical to keep these pieces in the best possible shape.

Even if you take care of your heirloom by keeping them safe, accidents can happen and time itself can be a problem.

Keeping antiques and heirlooms in impeccable shape can be difficult because of the expertise needed to correct the problems and because often the tools and materials needed to fix the problem are no longer available or are hard to come by.

You could try to fix the problem yourself but frequently this makes the problem worse and can require more time and money later on.

Many heirlooms are very delicate and rarely receive the treatment that they require.

Porcelain restoration is often one of the toughest types of restoration because of its fine nature. Chips and cracks can occur easily with such a delicate constitution and are often ugly and prominent.

The substance is white and therefore hard to keep clean. If handled improperly the porcelain can chip and crack leaving noticeable damage.

If these chips and cracks are repaired by someone who doesn’t have the experience then it could make the damage even worse. This is particularly a problem if you plan to sell your heirloom as an antique.

Damages must be restored properly or they can affect the resale value of your item. Often this means that the item must be restored by an expert who has the experience and tools to do the job properly.

The cracks or chips in porcelain can go deeper than the surface and it is necessary they are repaired correctly.

Experts will often use glues that dry invisibly to correct chips or cracks; they will often be able to recreate the intricate patterns on plates or dishes. The restoration process is delicate and complex.

One example of the delicate nature of porcelain can be found in antique porcelain dolls. Antique dolls often had hands and faces made of the delicate ceramic. This type of doll is still made today but is often used as decoration or memory. These delicate dolls used to be toys for young girls to play with.

If you had a traditional doll that was passed down through your family it would definitely have some wear and tear. These dolls are so fine and delicate that it would be extremely difficult to repair.

Just like plates, tiles and other items made of porcelain the dolls face can become cracked and chipped. This must be repaired thoroughly because the dolls face is often the center of focus.

Porcelain restoration is the answer to this problem. Experts will completely repair the cracks and chips in the dolls face and any other problem areas. They will carefully examine the doll and make sure that it is in the best shape that it has been in years.

After your porcelain is repaired, be it an antique dish or doll; be sure to take the proper precautions.

You always want to keep your porcelain in a safe place and although it is made to be used you should reduce the amount of times you use the piece to lower the risk of breaking it again. Precious antiques and heirlooms should be kept in a safe environment to be admired.

Author: Andrew Stratton

Antiques that are delicate and need to be repaired with care. China repair and porcelain repair can fix the chips or cracks found in antiques. However it is important to get them repaired by professionals. To know more about restoration, visit http://www.luelstudio.com/.

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