Hand made, hand painted, and of course, hand selected..Did somebody say heirloom?

We can't help but fall in love with pieces that are hand made and hand painted! Often, clients will ask us to sift through their kitchen dishes and their fine china cabinets in search of what we call priceless heirloom pieces. Now, you might be reading this and saying.. I have nothing of the sort. I only ever shopped at IKEA for my dishes and nothing has ever been passed down to me! And although, we might want to challenge you there (because we ALWAYS find a piece or two in each of our clients homes even with the most unknowing and weary!) we won't, and we will assure you that these types of pieces can still be found and collected today.

We recommend searching local antique stores, estate sales/auctions and flea markets when trying to build your collection of heirloom pieces. At first, it may seem tricky and hard to identify what you are looking for. And for us, there are a few simple steps that if followed make the entire process less intimidating.

First and foremost, we look for item's we love - that includes colors we find dreamy (the above is such a pretty in pink collection and it really happens to be one of our favorites) or designs we admire (we love floral patterns in just about everything.. pillows, bedding and here! why not!) and of course, a detail that elevates the entire piece (here the gold detailing makes these pieces appear regal, and abundantly rich (just the way we like it!).

Second, we recommend flipping the piece over and looking for a stamp or a trademark. Often vintage pieces have this and although, you may not know what it means at the time it does add to the authenticity of the piece - and it can even help date the piece for you. Sometimes, if you are looking at a pricey piece that you just fell in love with unexpectedly, you can take a picture of the bottom of the piece and go home to google what you can about it. This can often help with decisions when it comes to whether it is worth the investment or not. Keep in mind, our golden rule is that more money doesn't mean more valuable and it certainly, doesn't mean more beautiful. The beauty of these pieces really is in the eye of the beholder.. so don't be fooled. If you aren't drawn to it, that piece isn't for you - regardless of how valuable someone claims it to be. And most importantly, you don't have to spend a fortune to collect these types of pieces. If you are fortunate enough to travel, spend the time roaming the streets to find little hidden antique stores. Or go to flea markets (these are especially wonderful in Europe - Paris and London have several) and they are such gems. You can barter, and you can spend hours upon hours looking for pieces that appease you and your collection! Is this heaven?! We think so!!

As always, we our attracted to the details on these pieces. The more details the better. And perhaps the most fascinating thing about these items is that they are hand painted. Some pieces you can run your hand over and you can truly feel where the gold detailing has been outlined over each flower. Others, you may have to look closely to see the fine paint work being completed. The general rule is that if there is a piece with an elaborate design, a machine wouldn't be able to paint it with such precision and attention to detail. If the piece you are looking at is vintage and has lots of fine detailing - you almost always have nothing to worry about. Machines were mass produced to do this type of work (almost recently - if you really look at how old the world is and how old some of this pieces are, 'recently' does appear to be the most appropriate word choice!)

Once you start collecting, you will identify some of your favorite repeat brands, or your favorite patters and details. And soon enough, you may even stop flipping the piece over to see what is on the bottom of it! Because at some point, you just start buying and collecting what you love - regardless of its so-called value. And that itself is the secret ingredient to life, surrounding yourself with people and pieces you just cannot live without!

Xoxo

Crystal & glass lovers - such a no brainer!

Glass has been admired by cultures for thousands of years and some of the earliest examples come from 3500 B.C.E. Now, we love anything old, antique, vintage, call it what you will – if it is dusty and has a story, we are in love.

The Egyptions are credited with some of the earliest examples of glassware. They invented the blowpipe and that was quickly adopted by the Romans who used it to create glass that was both utilitarian and decorative. Glass was viewed as an inexpensive option compared to other competitive pottery channels. Clear glass was discovered around 100 C.E. leading to a use of glass for architectural purposes – our favorite use yet!

Glassware translated to Venice, Italy in the 13th century. Murano was born and became the choice for artists to express their techniques, designs and materials that are still used and admired today. You probably have pieces of Murano in your home that were purchased without you giving it much thought – they are regular highlights at your local Homesense. And as they should be, it is a wonderful piece of craftsmanship that elevates your homes interior.

By 1600, French and German production of glass and crystal was well underway. And this perhaps is our favorite kind of crystal! The English soon followed adding lead oxide, creating what we recognize as traditional crystal with its key character traits of sparkle, weight and ring..just to name a few of our favorite things!

We have featured our favorite crystal here from Tiffany & Co, the Lily of the Valley collection. The crystal glasses are from a local antique store that we couldn't resist!

Now, we are such a believer that you should buy what you love. Regardless, of if it is glass or crystal but we often get asked how do you know the difference? And we agree.. it can be tricky! So we've got you covered. Here are a few pointers on how to tell the difference..

Hold up a glass to the light. If the glass acts as a prism and you see a   rainbow you are holding crystal. If not, it is just plain glass.

When struck, crystal produces a musical ring. Glass does not.

If you wet your finger and run it around the rim of a crystal glass it will also produce a musical tone.

Crystal can be worked thinner than glass, so if the rim of a piece is exceptionally thin it's probably crystal.

If you compare two glasses of the same size, the crystal glass will be heavier.

Glass typically has sharp cuts, while crystal will have clean, rounded cuts.

We love to enjoy all of the pieces that we surround ourselves with. And its important for us to note, that unlike plain glass, crystal contains lead. When lead is added to glass it gives the glass more weight, increases its resilience, and adds a brilliant sparkle. The addition of lead oxide to glass also makes it easier for blowers to manipulate without reheating and makes the material better suited for molds, leading to more dynamic designs. Full lead crystal can only be labeled as such if it contains at least 24 percent lead oxide. So read your labels carefully, those checks and balances aren't just for the grocery store anymore!

Due to concern that the lead in crystal could cause health problems, many manufactures are now promoting non-lead crystal. Both types of crystal are made with sand, soda ash, and limestone with barium oxide in place of lead.

Both lead and barium give the glass an extra brilliance and clarity not found in plain glass. Though it can look similar, lead crystal is the only true crystal while non-lead crystal is a brilliant form of glass. So there you have it, you can obtain the beauty in your space while keeping it healthy for your loved ones! We are fans of all of that.

The most important takeaway here is that find pieces you adore and surround yourself with them. Whether they are from a luxury retailer or a small antique store from around the corner - if they mean something to you, if they make you feel something, get them! Trust us, you won't regret it.

We have this thing for blue and white..

Sometimes you fall in love and you fall hard. That is how I feel about my obsession with all things blue and white. Like all collections, it started out small and used to occupy a corner in my home. Now it doesn't matter where you look, every corner of your eye can catch something with my favorite color combination.

The colors themselves, blue and white, are calming, majestic, bold and royal. In some cultures, these colors signify immortality, prosperity, and even colors associated with the heavenly gods. They represent both a richness and a lightness in there presentation. This color palette is also pleasing to the eye because it can be found in nature - perhaps, the most inspirational aspect of our lives.

Now, like most collectors I do have my preferences. I love to find the deepest blue hues and the most radiant of whites in combination. My personal favorite, is to find a Delft Blue piece at an antique store, or a local garage sale. However, believe me, I don't discriminate when it comes to my passion for blue and white items. In fact, I look for all shades, and I have learned over the years that each piece has something the other does not that you as the beholder can value. Perhaps the most important rule for what to look for when it comes to a "passion" or a "collection" is to immediately go to pieces you are drawn to. Now, you also want to have a certain level of depth in collection, and I must admit not everyone is like me. And that is a-okay! I believe more is more and I LOVE to layer. Not everyone does, and sometimes it takes only two or three special pieces on a sparse blank white shelf to add a meaningful, final touch to your room.

And that is the greatest beauty of any collection - it is a reflection of the collector themselves.