Yesterday I went to the Lauritzen Gardens Antique Show at our local botanical gardens in Omaha, NE. This is the 14th year for this show, that sponsors dealers from all over the country. If you love 18th Century it is worth the trip to Omaha in September to experience the best of the best.

My intention is always to spend the day and savor all this show has to offer.

I arrived at 8:30 am because there was a designer training I wanted to attend. I couldn’t remember the time and I wanted to make sure I was there on time. If I was early, I would get rock star parking and there was always beautiful surroundings to enjoy. Oh well!

Having about 1-1/2 hours to kill, I decided to take a stroll. Wearing silk and freshly styled hair I set out with the hummingbirds, to watch the early morning light play across the gardens. A surprise at every turn, a new path to be explored. It was a wonderful way to start a day that would be filled with inspiration and education. My hair didn’t fair quite so well!

I later met up with a couple of friends to go to the luncheon with Mark D Sikes, designer extraordinaire. He spoke about his design business and how he got started. What inspires him and just “what works”. His love of Blue and White, checks, stripes, Ikat and wicker. The midwestern born designer has a way of creating rooms that are exciting, lovely, and approachable. In this minimal and hard edge time we are currently experiencing in the design world, it is refreshing to see a young designer who is embracing the artistry of design. Many of us in the design world are applauding you Mark. Hats off!

This antique show has so much to offer beyond designer training and fabulous lunches. There is the designers walk, which is a guided tour of the show with a local designer. The antique university, sponsored by various antique dealers, who will educate you on what they are offering in their booth. There are floral arranging demonstrations, as well as, cooking and even a mixology demonstration. All presented in stunning surroundings with vendors who have brought some of the most beautiful examples of 18th Century tables, cupboards, chests and chairs. Paintings, maps, and posters, oriental rugs, porcelain and sterling silver. Large, tiny, and everything in between. Oh, and the gardens themselves. There is truly something for everyone.

What makes this show different? The Garden Show is for the serious collector. The connoisseur who wants to take the responsibility of caring for a truly fine antique, for the time it is in their possession, for the investors of fine art. Prices are high but reflective of the superb quality. When you consider how hard it is to find pieces like this, this is truly what one of a kind means. It is such a rare opportunity to see pieces like this, let alone acquire one. Many of these pieces are museum worthy, made all by human hands, 200 hundred years ago.

I may not be able to invest $45,000.00 on a cupboard but I can often find something to tickle my fancy.

This English Doulton Lambeth Pitcher Circa 1880 did just that. It came to Omaha via a dealer in Florida. I love the beauty of it’s shape, the softness of the glazes and the incredible detail of the cameos done in relief.

You can even see the veil over the woman’s face! I also love the contradiction of the saying around each cameo which is also in relief. “He that buys land buys stones. He that buys flesh buys bones. He that buys eggs buys many shells. He that buys good ale buys nothing else.”

This clearly was a piece beloved by all it’s previous owners because it is in mint condition. Such fun.

I may not always come home with a treasure, but I never want to miss the experience of seeing these rare finds.

Tomorrow I will post about Shopping an Antique Show. Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping!

Shelley