I thought this would be a fun new series for 2025 where I show you 'stuff' around my house. Who doesn't want to take a peek into how everyone else's lives? We will start with the dining room. It's mainly used for holidays and family gatherings and during the winter, Middle Child and I use the table to do our 2000-piece jigsaw puzzles.
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| On one wall, I have a plate collection. It began with just the middle plates, but when my husband's family sold their childhood home in 2016, he took some of the plates that no one else wanted. My in-laws traveled all over Europe in their later years and brought back some of these plates from Spain, Germany, Italy, and Croatia. Two of the other plates were from my paternal grandmother. The green rimmed one in the center pictures the orphanage where she lived from the age of 3 to 16, after her father died and her mother could no longer care for the children. The green and white one in the lower right is from the Akron Sesquicentennial (1825-1975) and is special to me as that is where I was born and raised. The colorful Christmas plate in the middle was from a class that my husband took Middle Child to for some father/daughter time. |
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| I use this piece of furniture as a 'buffet/sideboard' that holds my china, serving trays, tablecloths, and assorted knick knacks. It originally belonged to my paternal grandparents and I believe it was used as a bedroom dresser from the 1930's. It had a separate wood framed mirror that stood on top and attached to the back, but that was destroyed in one of our many basement floods in our previous home (we had never used it and were just storing it down there). Though the drawers don't slide that well, it's still in great shape and I love the hardware, which I was able to polish to a sheen. |
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On top of the buffet, I change out the decor with the seasons. For January/February, I go with a Chinese New Year theme with pieces I've cobbled together from various sources. The black lacquered tray was a wedding gift from my husband's aunt. The teacups were a gift from that same aunt to my mother-in-law, who regifted them to me about 20 years ago when she no longer wanted them. The teapot was my paternal grandmother's. I wish I could say I remember her using it, but I do not. The markings on the bottom say Gibsons England. I found many others like it online, but they are not worth much, probably because they are so abundant. The chopsticks in the cute, embroidered holders on the sides of the tray were a favor from a wedding my husband and I attended of a friend's son who married a young lady from China whom he met in college.That's it for the first round. I hope you enjoyed it! Do you have any family heirlooms and know the history behind them? Do you change your decor with the seasons? Happy Weekend! |
First, in the photo of the plates (which are so beautiful and different) I LOVE the marble-looking wallpaper! I've never seen wallpaper like that!
ReplyDeleteAnd you're so right, that buffet/sideboard is in great shape. Love the tassels! And I noticed in that photo you have exposed hardwood floors in that room. You rarely see those anymore. I have them in my apartment building too, which was originally a hotel, built in 1929.
" For January/February, I go with a Chinese New Year theme with pieces I've cobbled together from various sources."
As you know, I love all things Asian, so that tea setting is exquisite! I also love those oriental cloths mats.
FUN post, my friend! And yes, I very much enjoyed it.
Happy Weekend! X
-No, I don't have any family heirlooms except for a box of vintage family photographs, which I have framed some and placed around my apartment. And the only time I change decor would be during the Christmas holidays.
Good morning and thank you! Yes, that’s the only wallpaper we kept in the house. I actually despise wallpaper, but that one didn’t bother me and it went with our furniture for that room when we moved in.
DeleteI really like many elements of Asian decor and we have also received some nice things from our daughter-in-law and her parents. I’ll show one of the items in another post. I love that you’ve framed vintage family photos. I want to do that, once I organize all the ones I took from my parents’ condo. I think I remember you posting your Christmas decor one year! Have a safe and peaceful weekend, Ron!
That's a wonderful collection of plates. We also have a few unusual plates, but not hanging on the wall. Jenny has a few family heirlooms like teapots and paintings and some fancy china teasets. Personally I've never been interested in heirlooms. There's enough clutter around the place as it is!
ReplyDeleteI could do without some of the stuff we’ve accumulated, but I do appreciate the memories behind some of it and how the item was once important to a loved one who has passed.
DeleteI have many family heirlooms and most of them have a story behind them. I love your teacups and saucers. My mother collected those and we'd have tea parties using them.
ReplyDeleteIt’s nice to have a story behind the heirlooms. I never had a tea party until I had daughters of my own.
DeleteI keep saying I'm going to organize a blogging Parade of Homes, because I love seeing how my blogging friends live. Thanks for sharing! I've got an antique dumpling maker passed down from my grandmother, and a set of Pyrex mixing bowls (also courtesy of grandma). The bowls are for display only, but the dumpling maker gets a workout every January when Tara makes chicken paprikas – my dad's annual birthday dinner.
ReplyDeleteA blogging Parade of Homes is a FABULOUS idea!!!! That's cool to have the antique dumpling maker! My son took my grandma's antique ricer. He loves to cook and I had no use for it, so I was glad someone wanted it. I'd like to see the Pyrex bowls. There are so many different sets and they are all so recognizable because everyone's family had some.
DeleteI enjoyed hearing about the backstories of your plate collection. My dad had a similar experience to your grandmother. His mother died when he was 14, and his father couldn’t take care of 12 children, so they were fostered by the church in their community rather than being placed with children’s services.
ReplyDeleteI love your buffet/sideboard—it’s gorgeous! I have a glass pitcher in my possession that was handed down to me from my dad’s foster dad (see above). It was used for weddings in his family for a very long time, and it was an honor that it was passed down to someone outside the bloodline. I want to write about it sometime...
Oh, wow! That's crazy that your father and my grandmother had similar experiences. My grandmother was in a Lutheran orphanage in Altoona, PA. Last year, going through photos, I found that she had attended the orphanage's 50th anniversary, which I assume is when she acquired that plate. She kept many of the friends she grew up with there, even though she moved away (to Akron) when her mother remarried a man who got a job at BF Goodrich. All roads led to the tire industry for any Akron native, like me!
DeleteYou should definitely write about that pitcher!
That tea pot and cups are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary. I enjoy seeing them whenever I go into the dining room.
DeleteAs I do like my cup of tea I did enjoy seeing the tea pot and cups ... lovely.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a good weekend ahead.
All the best Jan
Thank you so much! Tea is good on a cold winter night.
DeleteIt sounds like you have a lot of precious items from your grandparents. I think that’s really special. It is sad about my grandmother, but it was 1906 and my great grandmother had 3 kids under the age of 6 without an income, so it must have been the best alternative. From what I could discover from the census, she went to live with her brother. I do know my grandma received a very good education, played an instrument, and made lifelong friends at the orphanage, so it wasn’t all bad.
ReplyDeleteI thought most people changed out decor with the seasons, but I guess not. I’m lucky that this house has great storage, so I quickly get stuff put away. I think I’d lose my mind if I saw Christmas cards in February 🤣
Nice collection of stuff! I have several family heirlooms and I think I've done various posts on them through the years. I only decorate for Christmas regularly and sometimes decorate for Fall/Thanksgiving if I can get in the mood!
ReplyDeleteI’m surprised most people don’t decorate for other seasons. I do winter, Valentine’s, spring, Easter, summer, fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! Not a lot of stuff by any means, but still different.
DeleteMy daughter has one of those skinny Christmas trees that she keeps up all year long and decorates for different holidays! I thought of maybe doing that!
DeleteI like that! I get out a mini tree and decorate it for Easter.
DeleteI love this post and can't wait to see more in this series. The story behind the plates is awesome and I LOVE your buffet/dresser. It is gorgeous. If the drawers are sticking a bit, I've heard that rubbing a wax candle along the edges helps. I haven't tried it though. I do have a number of items from family. I have my grandmothers rocking chair, a gorgeous round table with claw feet, her Lane ceder chest and many more items from others. They are all very special to me. Have a great weekend!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori. That’s a good idea with the wax. I suspect that I’ve filled the drawers too much and it’s the weight that’s the issue though. I also have my grandmother’s cedar chest! I’m trying to get warm this weekend. Have a good one.
DeleteThanks, Bijoux, this was a great post idea to share views of favorite things in your home. I have my mother's silverware in the original wood chest . It was only used it for family birthdays and get togethers and then it would be cleared and put away. I have yet to use it myself. I also have two cruets and candle holders, but can;t recall seeing these used in my parent's home.
ReplyDeleteI also have a silverware set which I’ve never used, I don’t think it’s dishwasher safe, so that’s my excuse. Candle holders are useful and very decorative as well.
DeleteI really enjoyed you sharing. The plate holders were quite unique too. I have a few items from my parents. They traveled this life a bit light so there was not much. I treasure the coins my father collected & a special set of dishes I remember my family using growing up.
ReplyDeleteThose sound like great family heirlooms. Thank you so much for visiting. If you have a blog, please share the link with me.
DeleteLOVE the pretty plates and the fact that you know the stories behind them. They're quite colorful. I used to have teacup collection, but tired of it. Now you're making me wish I still had it. I've never seen plate holders like yours, they've very interesting. I've seen plate holders that stand upright where you can put 1 single plate, and I seen wall holders with springs, but again they only hold 1 plate and aren't the list bit attractive. Yes we have some heirloom pieces. Since we're still wintering out of Ohio, I can't take photo's to share; but am making a mental note to do that on return. Fun idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. I’ve had the middle plate holder forever, so I don’t remember where I obtained it. The outer ones, I ordered from Touch of Class catalog. I was so fortunate to find ones that matched the one I already had. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
DeleteThose plates are beautiful and I really like the buffet/sideboard. And the seasonal display is cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much on decorating, but I enjoy seeing other people's creativity. Maybe one of these days I'll go to town on my apartment.
Thanks so much for showing the stuff around your house!
I don’t suppose many men are into decorating, unless you’re an interior designer. I hope you will enjoy the series this year, nonetheless!
DeleteDownsizing right before my parents death has limited what I could take (and too much of what we brought from Savannah are still in boxes 4 1/2 years later). I do like nice plates and china. My grandmother gave me a lot of such pieces (along with a 12 place china setting because she thought I needed it).
ReplyDeleteIt can be difficult to go through those boxes. I get it! I was lucky that my son took so much of the stuff we weren't sure what to do with - like my dad's grandfather clock that he received from his company after 40 years of service.
DeleteI love this post because yes, we all love to see how others live in their homes!
ReplyDeleteI had so many plates from family, but sadly, I donated a lot of them because I didn't know the history of each piece.
I love that you've saved so many and display them so prettily. Your paternal grandma must have had quite the storied life; losing her dad, her mom couldn't care for her and she grew up in an orphanage. She must have overcame so much in her life; did she share stories with you?
The tea set is very pretty too.
Yes, I change out my decor with the seasons, if you can decipher our seasons that is--so really, just holidays!
That dresser/buffet is absolute perfection! I love it too and I can see why you would always want to keep it in the family.
Looking forward to more of these.
Oh, I saw that you don't care for wallpaper. I'm working on a post dedicated to wallpaper in our new house---some good, some horrid! HA
Yes, I donated quite a bit of 'stuff' from my mom's house, but the majority was stuff that she bought off of QVC. Not kidding! My grandmother didn't talk a lot about her childhood and she passed away when I was 19, so I wasn't really mature enough to ask her many questions. She did have quite an interesting life, though. Went to Hawaii twice with friends in the 1960's!!! How crazy is that? I remember being a very young girl and being in the airport seeing her get off the plane. I still have the muu muu that she gave me!
DeleteI look forward to reading about wallpaper. I only hate it because our previous home had so much of the 'country' 80's wallpaper and it was a nightmare to remove.
What a delightful peek into your dining room! I love how you've combined family history with personal touches. It’s fascinating to hear about the plates and their stories, especially the one from your grandmother. It must hold so much meaning for you, reflecting her childhood experiences.
ReplyDeleteYour buffet/sideboard sounds like a treasure itself! It’s great that you’ve been able to keep it in good shape despite its history with floods. I think it’s wonderful how you change the decor with the seasons—those little touches can really bring warmth and joy to a space.
As for family heirlooms, I have a few special items passed down through generations, each with its own unique story. It’s amazing how objects can carry so much memory and significance!
Thanks for sharing this lovely glimpse into your home. I can’t wait to see more of your “stuff” in the future! Happy weekend to you too!
If you’re interested, feel free to check out my latest blog post: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2025/02/our-pre-valentine-visit-to-pitlochry.html
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Melody. I hope you enjoy future posts like this. Family heirlooms are such a treasure. I hope you are having a great week.
DeleteEnjoyed the first round and a look into the Bijoux household. Mrs. Shife just got done swapping out the winter decor for spring stuff. I helped by staying out of her way.
ReplyDeleteWow! She’s on top of things. I will do Spring in a week or two. You sound very wise 🤣
DeleteThat's a great series idea! I love seeing into other bloggers' homes. :-) I love your plate collection and your seasonal decor.
ReplyDeleteI'm not good at decorating, so I mostly stick with seasonal wreaths.
Have you tried candle wax on the slider parts of the dresser drawers? I have an old chest of drawers that periodically needs to have the sliders waxed. A tea light works well.
Someone else mentioned the wax so I will give that a try. Thanks, Danielle!
DeleteThat's a fun collection of plates! I am a sucker for cute tea sets and have 4 or 5 myself, though I never use them. I don't know why I collect them, but they make me happy. I used to change out the dining room buffet with the holiday changes, but since my girls have grown and moved away, I don't have the desire to swap it out and decorate anymore. I actually just gave half of my holiday decor to our local thrift shop last week. Maybe some day I'll have the desire to do it again, but right now I'm just tired and don't need another monthly task to deal with.
ReplyDeleteI understand not wanting to change out decor. It’s a bit of a hassle. I think I do it now for my grandkids, but I do enjoy seeing treasured items that I can’t have out all at once.
DeleteAwesome collection! I've been trying to collect some things too to decorate next to my new cabinet painting. This gives me some ideas! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou’re welcome.
DeleteDefinitely enjoyed this. I can just imagine the history of these items.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lux!
DeleteWow. Nice stuff, Bijoux. I like the yellow tassels, too. :) ~Betsy
ReplyDelete