Unusual Chairs - Antique Italian Aesthetic Movement

I am thinking about these chairs.   I love chairs, have way too many.  But these are different.

Are they too different?

I am not sure that I like the angular look to the chair, it is somehow unsettling to me.  They are so unusual I have to consider them.

What do you think?  Too much?  I think maybe the griffons on the chair don't help me.  A little creepy.   I shall decide tomorrow.

Memorial Paintings and Needlepoint Samplers

A wonderful form of folk art, memorial pictures definitely assure that a loved one will be remembered.   Starting in the 1700's and continuing into the 1800's, memorial pictures tend to show grieving family around a tombstone underneath a weeping willow tree.   Most common are needlepoint samplers and watercolors.

Below are some examples.  I know once you see these you will recognize that you have seen them in antique shops and shows.

Of course there is a reason I am sharing this with you.  I recently found a watercolor commemorating a little 6 year old.  I believe she died in 1818 in a fire,as in the background you see part of a city burning (on the left).  It is actually a watercolor on silk, not paper.  It looks much better in person, but I wanted to share this with you anyway.   I am hunting for a spot to hang it, to be shared later.  

This picture has a mournful willow tree, which actually represents resurrection and rebirth.

Some people may think that these pictures are morbid, but at the time, they were considered an appropriate expression of a family's grief.  They were often done by schoolgirls and considered quite an achievement by the family.  However I have never been interested in things that include a person's hair, which was common in Victorian time.    I know many of you collect samplers.  Check to see which ones are actually commemorative samplers.

To Toile or Not, That is The Question!

I am trying to decide what to do with this bathroom.  I am thinking that perhaps I need some kind of toile wallcovering to go with the pink samplers and transferware.

Of course one day I will rip everything out and put in white marble, but now is not the time.  

My leftover pink towels set the color scheme.   The antique rug goes really well with the pink towels.  My chickenwire basket holds the extra towels and washcloths.  I have a bunch of these baskets, they are so versatile in keeping me organized.

I have some great German samplers that are red on white linen.  They are turn of the century and I totally love them!

Pink transferware and red and white samplers.   I like them.  I still need to work on the wall arrangement.   I'm thinking about it.  Maybe all the samplers in the center, and do all pink plates on each side?

Before I rip out the bathroom and put in my usual white marble, I am going to think about how to make this all work without a major remodel.   

I love toile bathrooms.  Here's one I did in black and white.  I laid the tile myself, popping out white and putting in black to create a border.

 Below is a pink bath by designer Lauren Ross.

Below is a paper I think Schumacher made.  It is after a Colonial Williamsburg design called Aviary.   I know that I saw it in an entryway in a Charles Faudree book.  ( I bought two scarves from Williamsburg for projects, yet to be done.)

Or do I go the cheap route that most designers recommend:  for fast dramatic results - PAINT!

I used Sherwin Williams Visualizer tool to come up with a paint color.  No if only there's a wallpaper visualizer tool!  

I have a great chippendale mirror I could hang over the sink and get rid of the wall of mirror.  I know the wall was expensive, and it is nice to get ready with all that mirror, but I think it has to go.   If I do wallpaper, it seems like I'd need to do some beadboard, and perhaps paint the cabinets.  What would you do?  No mirror?  Paint?  Toile?

Tell me what you would do!

Fall Festival in the Alps: Party Til The Cows Come Home

Have you ever seen the photographs of cows decorated with flowers?  I have, and did some research on it. The farmers take their cows to the upper valleys in the alps for the summer.  Then in the fall there is a festival to celebrate bringing the cows down from the alps back to their meadows in the valley.  The festival is called "Almabtrieb" in Austria and "Viehscheid" in Bavaria.   It does happen to be in September and October, but is different from Octoberfest.  There are over 190,000 cows taken to the upper meadows.  The festival we attended had 500 cows come down.

When I was planning a trip to Germany and Austria, I decided that I would try to find one.  Indeed I did!  The cows were wearing head-dresses of beautiful boughs decorated with flowers.   What an experience.

Waiting for the parade to start, the cows headed for the first available grass.  Look at all the beautiful wildflowers!

The children headed up to the fields last - so I caught a glimpse of some of them that were in the parade.

I'm not sure what the signs mean--but I think it has the farm name, and possibly milk production?

When the cows came down the road, everyone had to get out of the way!

 They carried sticks--to keep the cows in line.

As you can see, they tended to wander off.

Each family leads their own herd.

Aren't the kids wonderful in their lederhosen and dirndls!

I was delighted to see some goats and sheep.

This cow needed some extra coaxing.

However, you can see that cows are herd animals and seemed to do a great job just following the one in front.

Well, some liked to travel in packs.

Notice the lift runs year-round (above background).  These people take hiking very seriously.

 These were a little smaller, and had smaller head-dresses.

 Everyone knew each other, and clearly had a great time.

 I was on the other side of the railing, with a zoom lens.  Check out those eyelashes!

Now that's a big bell!

Of course there are beautifully embroidered bell collars too.

These guys had little bells.

These two had such huge bells they could barely move their neck!

Of course there was music.  The street was lined with people, restaurants spilling out onto the street, and in the town square, picnic tables were set up.

Yea we had the slappy dance later in the day.  Lots of accordian music.  There were booths with all kinds of  food, beer, vendors with crafts.  Be sure to stop and get your lederhosen and dirndls on the way to the festival.  Face it, you'll have a perfect costume back in the states.

When it was all over, we headed down the hill with the cows.

They were happy to get to the lower pastures where they could graze.

 We said good-bye to this beautiful countryside.  I still can't get over the beautiful flowers on the balconies.

The countryside is so beautiful!    I am so happy that I went to the festival.  If you ever come to Munich for Octoberfest, be sure to add an Almatreib festival to your trip.

I used this link to find one in the area I was traveling in. http://www.allgaeu-viehscheid.de/viehscheid-termine.html

Be sure to Google "Cattle Drive in the Alps" and you will get lots of them.  It is "Almabtrieb" in Austria and "Viehscheid" in Bavaria. I did not look to see what it is in Switzerland.

Below is a video on preparation for a drive from http://www.tyrol.com/cattle-drives.



Of course I also have one to share--so you can see how noisy all those bells are!

Chandelier Inspiration!

Antiques are great inspiration.  What better inspiration for a chandelier than the one below:

Notice the details of the plasterwork on the ceiling.

The one above looks so feminine and graceful to me.

The cobalt blue glass and gems adds some contrast to this slightly simpler chandelier.

The one above is amazing.  I love the shape.

What's not to like about this chandelier for a grand entrance?

A closeup shows the figures around the base.

And there's a matching wall sconce.

Of course you would need a half dozen of these chandeliers to make the right impression!

Here's another one in a bedroom.   How would one get up on that bed?  I don't see steps..

Here's another style, notice the swans below the candle cups.

Here's the perfect chandelier to put over a game table.

The one above is perfect to light up your painted ceiling!  Most of the chandeliers are empire style, which is a bit out of favor, but it never has been in my house.

Or if you can't afford a painted ceiling, you can always add some decoration to the ceiling.


Last week I was in Germany, and got to view some fabulous interiors in many palaces and castles.  Most of them don't allow interior photos, but a few did. Nymphenburg Palace and the Residence Palace in Munich did allow photos without flash.   As I walked through these magnificent structures, I thought how opulent they lived, and how easy it is for us to live with beautiful things as they did--without bankrupting a nation.

Above is a Julie Neill chandelier.  It has the same feel as the antique ones, don't you think?  I am always on the hunt for things with good lines.   Of course not having a chandelier in my dining room has had me on a quest.

More on my trip to Germany later.  In the mean time, visit Peonies and Orange Blossoms' blog to read about a great pumpkin festival in Germany!