We bought this lovely vintage gentleman’s valet stand last week.
The main structure is elm with some chrome & Formica detailing.
It incorporates both jacket & trouser hangers – over which ties, belts or braces can also be placed.
In addition, there are shoe rests and a small circular top shelf for wallet, watch, cufflinks etc.
The ‘atomic’ or ‘sputnik’ styling to the base gives it a real fifties look – perfect for all you Mad Men fans.
We bet Donald Draper has one of these!
These were an interesting little buy last week.
A group of three vintage handmade toy houses.
They’re constructed of ply around a solid block of wood – then painted.
We’re not sure when they date from, although they obviously have a bit of age – 1940s/50s probably.
We love these naive toys and folk art.
Probably made by dad or grandad for a young child… very sweet!
The kitchen is probably our favourite room in the house. We love spending time in here – cooking, chatting or having a big mug of tea after a long dog walk.
We have the main wall painted a zingy tangerine. It’s bright & lively in the summer but also gives a warm cosy feel when the nights draw in. We used to have it painted a fresh apple green but this felt a bit cold in the winter, so we had to get the brushes back out.
The orange also works well with the stainless steel and various shades within the stone tiled splash-back.
The centre of the room is filled with a large, old, beech baker’s table which serves as our main seating & eating area – also a very useful extra work surface.
On the opposite wall to the work units & cooker is a stone fireplace. This would once have housed the original kitchen range.
The chimney has not gone to waste however, with the cast iron stove chuffing away on chilly nights. On the ceiling above this stove we have a slatted drying rack – perfect for hanging washing on cold, rainy days.
The graphic 1960s street scene is by artist Ken Law… and on the stone ledge sit various vintage pottery plates including Poole and Royal Copenhagen. Mixing old & new is a recurring theme throughout our house.
We like the blend of rustic pieces such as the baker’s table, butcher’s block and spoon rack with the modern stainless steel and downlighting.
Both being former chefs, we like to fill the kitchen with practical (and preferably good looking) equipment.
Objects from the 1950s, 60s & 70s seem to fit in well, helping to tie it all together.
Vintage kitchen enamel and ceramics are a particular passion of ours – pots, pans, storage jars etc. Hornsea, Denby, Cathrineholm, Rorstrand, Figgjo Flint, Arabia, Dansk Designs, Le Creuset are just a few of the names we look for…
…and then there are the cookbooks – don’t get us started on those!
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