If you’ve been here for a while you know that I really only decorate for Christmas but I am constantly tweaking things here and there.  As I get older I’m always thinking of ways to bring my things together so I don’t have to go downstairs to bring dishes up.  My dream to have all my kitchen and dining in one spot is just not ever going to be a possibility for me.

So, I was trying to figure out how to infuse a bit of spring into the living room which I have always viewed as just an extension of the kitchen.  Of course, the star of the show in the living room is the Welsh Cupboard so whenever I want a fresh look I start there.  

After much thought I decided to be easy on myself and to just try the Villeroy Boch Audun and Ferme dishes in the cupboard which were in the kitchen cubby, and to put the red ware from the cupboard into the cubby.

Problem, I knew I didn’t have quite enough of these dishes to fill the cabinet.  I have tried this before.  But I decided to persevere and just see what would happen.  My favorite styling of the cupboard will always be with the red ware, but for spring and summer it is a heavy look.  Last spring I used a mix of my wedding china and my moms Wedgewood and that look was fine but I was never quite satisfied with it.  Really it was just too pretty!

 This year I wanted to create a fresh spring/summer look that made me smile every time I walked down the hall.  So far, I have accomplished this.

In making this change it required thought for 3 different spaces.  The Welsh Cupboard, the Cubby, (Our kitchen builtin which divides the two spaces) and the pedestal on the kitchen table.

First what did I already have that could support these dishes?  I had my antique ironstone pieces with advertising. 

I was excited to see them in the cupboard but what about dishes.  I had some Mackenzie Childs Courtly Check, and I had some pewter plates that could be added to the mix.  The good thing about the Audun and Ferme is that they have grey accents so I thought I might be able to get away with the pewter.  But, would the pewter work with the Courtly Check.  I wasn’t sure but again I persevered.  The worst that could happen is I ended up putting everything back the way it was.

So, I started to strip the Welsh Cupboard and of course dusted everything well.  I do have a rule when styling other peoples stuff.  I won’t work with dusty or dirty stuff so it better be clean.  In my early days of design I don’t know how many days I spent at people sinks washing stuff.  Really I was nuts, you don’t pay me to do that.  Wash your stuff!!!  So I did.

With a clean slate I added the one platter that I have in the Ferme with 2 Courtly Check Chargers and the Audun plates in front.  Then I moved down to the next shelf only to discover that the dinner plates would not fit on that shelf.  They are about 1/4″ too big.  What to do?  This was when I went down for the Pewter.  I knew those dinner plates would fit on that shelf so that acted as the support for the Ferme Salad Plates and Courtly Check Cereal Bowls in front of them.  

A definite work in progress!  Pay attention because I really had to fool around with the placement of this mix of dishes.

Let me tell you it was any port in the storm!  I actually liked the depth the bowls brought to the vignette though.  Really surprised me.

To Break up all the round shapes I then added a pewter tray to the third shelf and came back in with 2 antique pewter plates off set with the Ferme (Grey) in front.  The off set was totally a happy accident, one of the plates had decided to shift and roll out of position leaving the pewter plate more exposed and I liked it so I left it and moved the other side to match.  The fourth shelf is always a bit of a struggle because there isn’t a lot of room.  I had 4 pewter plates that fit under there but of course I needed to bring the yellow down.  When I stepped back I realized I needed to bring down the Courtly Check too.  I only have 2 check saucers so I decided I needed 2 more.  A trip to Borsheims, our local “Posh” jewelry store who sells Mackenzie Childs, but no luck, no saucers.  They did have this darling for 297.00.  

Would love to have that but no way at that price.  Sure was cute though.

I decided to suck it up and not spend the money and just continue to work this out with what I had.  Sometimes I can be really silly.  Now for the supporting cast of characters, the ironstone.  Working on the cubbies on either side of the cupboard I started placing stuff generally working one shelf at a time until It’s done.  Stepping back a lot, sitting analyzing.  Your eye will tell you if something is not working.  For instance I had the Cutty Sark Ship pitcher with some heavy pewter brass and iron skewers in the top left cubby. 

 On the shelf right next to it I had placed a Dundee Marmalade Jar with Antique Pewter Spoons next to it.  This road for several minutes while I was placing other items until I realized that wasn’t going to work.  Yikes.  To much up and down and spindles right next to each other.  A crazy antique pickle jar that I liked for the kitchen years ago because I loved the label was the last antique my mom bought for me at 12.00!  

A reverse of those two items did the trick.  Another thing that bugged me was the platter was sitting lower than the chargers.  (I didn’t take a picture of that but trust me it was bad).  A trip to the easel stash took care of that problem but then I needed to camoflage the height so the lamb went in front of it.  That’s better. 

I liked the Spode pitcher with the crazy yellow flowers in it and I decided they were better sticking out of the cabinet rather than stuffed into the cabinet.  

It’s all about the details folks!  Loved the way my potted meats lid from Julia Butler at Ponder and Purchase in the UK snuggled into the cereal bowl on an easel.  

I added back in some of my books and my Doulton figurines with the lambs but didn’t like them with the Courtly Check.  I remembered I had a pair of Scottsmen in quilts and swapped those out and I think they are better.  

Some wonderful Florida Lichen on these twigs are just the right color!

Another thing that wasn’t working was my new to me antique mold with a recipe on it in the second right side cubby.  It was just to blocky.  (see above photo) I so wanted the writing to be exposed but at the end of the day I turned it so the inside of the mold was exposed.  

My French Postal Scale wasn’t working either in front of the pewter tray.  It was just getting lost so I brought back in my antique tin tole dome top painted box.  Love this thing.  Ah, that’s better!

I realized that these exercises are my artistic canvas.  I don’t paint but I do like eye candy and beautifully styled spaces so yeah this is how I paint!

The almost final edit.  Do you see the difference?  I switched the yellow dishes in the middle and the Courtly check to the sides.  Which do you like better?  Leave a comment.

 I hope this helps to give you some inspiration for spring and a lesson in working with what you have.  It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be you.

So what did I do with everything that was displaced?  That’s for another post.  Stay tuned. 

Thanks for stopping!

Shelley