Home Tones: Terracotta

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Armchair in front of a wood-burning stovecredit

This week’s Home Tone is terracotta. We’re sticking with the natural material for our images – whether it be floor tiles, brickwork or pots. This is our favourite use of the colour, particularly when it’s aged or weathered. The baked clay of terracotta comes in various shades from light & chalky to dark orange, but they all tend to have a warm, natural feel. It works really well with creams and greens – and other natural materials such as sea grass and cane – and pale woods such as light oak or beech.

Red brick garden shedcredit

terracotta feature wall and floor in a kitchencredit

Urban roof terrace with red brick feature wall and terracotta planterscredit

Blue painted fitted kitchen with red brick stove alcove and terracotta floorcredit

sitting room with light coloured terracotta floorcredit

fruit trees in giant terracotta pots on a patiocredit

dining room with red brick wall with large painting of wooden spoonscredit

Forthcoming Attractions: early June 2012

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selection of vintage garden items including canvas seated chair, terracotta pots, 3 large reels of jute twine, hand painted fish & chip shop signs and tin dolly tub and bath

We went to one of our ‘bygones’ auctions last weekend – so this Forthcoming Attractions post has a lovely, vintage, outdoors-y feel. The lots up for sale were gathered from farms, barns, yards, outbuildings & allotments.

tin dolly tub and bath from a selection of vintage garden items

We often come back with some galvanised metal containers – baths, dolly tubs and buckets. They’re ideal candidates for a bit of upcycling – functioning as planters, water butts or general storage containers.

tin dolly tub and buckets containing hostas large tin bath containing lavender shrubs

The price of dolly tubs in particular has increased quite markedly in recent years, although we can understand why. Not only do they look great with their ribbed, patterned sides – they’re multi-functional and there’s no chance of frost shattering. We’ve just put one in our Picture House Antiques pitch where we try to keep a corner that has a vintage cottage garden or wash house look.

stack of terracotta pots from a selection of vintage garden items

We bought a good quantity of terracotta pots. We’ll keep half as we’re running a bit short ourselves – the others will go into the shop. They have this lovely, aged colour – much paler than new terracotta – and are ideal for use inside or out.

three large reels of jute twine from a selection of vintage garden items

All our future twine needs have been satisfied with these huge rolls – probably used for bailing hay or straw in days gone by. It’s perfect for kitchen or garden use too. We’ve put a couple of large rolls in our shop – and have also broken one of them down into much smaller balls of twine which have been selling well already.

set of four wood and canvas camp chairs from a selection of vintage garden items

Next we have this excellent set of folding beech & striped canvas chairs. They’re perfect for picnics or camping – or they could be just the thing to keep in the summer house or shed – providing a welcome seat to rest those weary legs after a long day’s gardening – glass of something chilled in hand to admire your efforts!

two hand painted wooden fish and chip shop signs from a selection of vintage garden items

We’re happy with all the day’s purchases, but these vintage fish & chip shop signs might just be our favourite. We think they’re charming. We see them working really well as a quirky wall decoration in the kitchen, seaside chalet or even beach hut.

Fish & chips with tea, bread & butter for 2 shillings (or 10 new pence) – those were the days!