K is for…

"K is for... key" blog post banner

group of antique keys spelling out the word "key"

A good few years ago when we lived in Brighton, we saw an advert in the local paper… box of old keys for sale – £15.

pile of antique keys

We were quite curious so drove over… and were very pleased we did.

pile of antique keys row of antique keys

A large box of lovely old keys – hundreds of them – all sizes, shapes and uses.

detail of a pile of antique keys

Made from iron & steel, some have got real age to them – two or three hundred years!!

group of antique keys spelling out the word "key"

We think they’re quite beautiful to look at. They’re not the easiest thing to display – one day we’ll get round to hanging them on one wall with lots of little nails…

…or perhaps you’ve got other display ideas?

J is for… jug

"J is for... jug" blog post banner

trio of vintage milk jugs

Here’s a little blog in praise of the humble jug.

mosaic of four vintage jugs

An essential part of domestic life over thousands of years – we use jugs for carrying water, pouring milk, washing & bathing, displaying flowers – the list is endless.

trio of handmade salt glaze jugs by Damian Keefe

Justin’s brother is a potter  and we have some of his jugs dotted around the house. We love the salt glazed ones above which he makes. They’re quite timeless – you can imagine the one on the right filled with ale in a Pieter Bruegal village scene. The simple thumb detailing around the base is lovely. We need some bowls to match if you’re reading this Damian!!

trio of handmade slipware jugs by Hannah McAndrew

And, as if we didn’t have enough jugs, we bought 3 more at last October’s Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair. We couldn’t resist Hannah McAndrew‘s wares for a second year – her traditional slipware pottery drawing on medieval influences. They look perfect set upon antique wooden furniture  – but would look equally fantastic as stand alone pieces in a very contemporary modern space.

Here are a few more favourites that have recently passed through our hands.

mosaic of four vintage jugs

vintage Figgjo Flint pottery jug

bright green vintage vacuum flask

mosaic of four vintage jugs

A well designed & attractive jug will give you a little bit of pleasure every time you use it!

I is for… Ireland

'I is for... Ireland' blog post banner

detail of vintage book cover, 'This is Ireland' by Miroslav Sasek | H is for Home

detail of vintage book cover, 'This is Ireland' by Miroslav Sasek | H is for Home

It’s been a while since we’ve done one of our alphabet blog posts – but the arrival of this book fitted in nicely with where we left off… so, I is for Ireland.

page from vintage book, 'This is Ireland' by Miroslav Sasek featuring Irish green double-decker buses | H is for Home

The book is from the This is… series by Miroslav Sasek.

page from vintage book, "This is Ireland" by Miroslav Sasek featuring Irish pub interior

We’ve mentioned him quite a few times in blogs but, any excuse!!

page from vintage book, "This is Ireland" by Miroslav Sasek featuring rolling green fields and sheep

We absolutely adore his stuff!

page from vintage book, "This is Ireland" by Miroslav Sasek featuring shop frontage of Patrick O'Brien general store

This is Ireland, published in 1964, is no exception. He captured the quiet countryside and the hustle & bustle of town life with equal charm – the scenery, buildings, characters – day to day life.

page from vintage book, "This is Ireland" by Miroslav Sasek featuring the busy main thoroughfare, O'Donnell Street

It’s been added to our ever growing pile of Sasek books – a pile that shows no sign of abating. Each new book is greeted with the same excited anticipation.

collection of vintage books by Miroslav Sasek | H is for Home

There were two more arrivals this week – This is Israel and This is New York.

pair of vintage books, "This is Isreal" and "This is New York" by Miroslav Sasek | H is for Home

They’re both very welcome additions to our collection…

page from vintage book, "This is New York" by Miroslav Sasek featuring skyscrapers and pink stretch Cadillac | H is for Home

New York in particular lends itself to his stylised characters and distortions of scale – just wonderful! Page after page of classic illustrations. The accompanying words are very sweet too.

page from vintage book, "This is New York" by Miroslav Sasek featuring an all American diner | H is for Home

We’ll post more illustrations from this particular book – they deserve a post of their own!

H is for… Holiday

"H is for Holiday" blog post banner

funky vintage armchairs in our sunny garden

We’re in the middle of a long, dry, sunny spell … by Pennine standards at least!

vintage orange sun lounger

And here’s the ideal thing for this perfect summer holiday weather.

vintage collapsible picnic table & chairs

This fantastic, French 1950s picnic table & chairs has just gone into our pitch at Picture House Antiques.

vintage collapsible picnic table & chairsvintage collapsible picnic table & chairs
vintage collapsible picnic table & chairsvintage collapsible picnic table & chairs

The wooden table collapses to form a carry case – and the metal & canvas chairs fold up inside – great for picnics, camping or in the garden.

And of course you’ll also need picnic blankets, coolers, baskets, indestructible crockery, sun loungers and stuff for the beach.

Check out the Great Outdoors section in our H is for Home web shop for similar stuff.