Rococo & Empire Pulls- House Of Antique Hardware

Most do-it-yourselfers know that adding new hardware to new or existing furniture or cabinetry is a great way to dress it up. These seemingly small touches make a huge impact on the overall appearance of a piece.

You can create the look you want. Hardware pieces are available in a variety of finishes, designs, and styles. You can walk into any local hardware store and find shiny chrome and brass knobs and handles as well as modern sleek knobs that have clean simple lines.

The only time there seems to be real problems finding the right hardware and accessories is if you want antique hardware. However, the Internet has made it easier to find what you are looking for; this article offers a list of the top five online resources for antique hardware. It’s a list you can refer to time and again.

Antique Hardware & More

Antique Hardware & More provides a great selection of knobs and pulls for all types of furniture and cabinetry. Whether you are looking for antique pulls or knobs to add an elegant touch to your dining room furniture or to bring out the charm on your kitchen cupboards, this place is worth checking out.

The site includes a search feature to make finding what you need easy. Antique Hardware & More also sells the tools and other supplies needed for restoration and antique refinishing projects.

House of Antique Hardware

House of Antique Hardware offers a comprehensive resource of reproduction hardware. You can shop according to type, such as door hardware or cabinet and furniture hardware, and you shop by style and special collections. This online store provides a phone number for questions and assistance. House of Antique Hardware accepts credit cards online, and it is accredited by the BBB.

Kennedy Hardware

With more than 25 years in the business, Kennedy Hardware must be doing something right. This shop offers wholesale prices on restoration hardware. You will find a huge selection of all types of hardware. This includes architectural hardware as well as hardware for furniture and cabinetry. This company can provide skeleton keys, glass knobs and handles, furniture casters, and much more. If you are into antique restoration, Kennedy Hardware is definitely a site you should check out.

Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation has everything from doorknobs to window hardware and light bulbs. Shoppers can search and browse according to category, by room, or style. Styles include such classifications as arts and crafts, colonial revival, deco, mid-century modern, period basics, and Victorian. Rejuvenation provides a phone number as well as a live chat for questions and assistance with orders.

Signature Hardware

Signature Hardware offers a large collection of hardware pieces in a variety of styles. Shoppers can browse according to departments, and the search can further be narrowed down according to specific categories. Signature Hardware offers an online signup for a free catalog and an email newsletter. The site accepts a variety of payment options including PayPal.

Final Thoughts

A replaced hinge and a new knob or handle is all it takes to make an old piece of furniture new again.

This list is not complete. There are other online resources that offer quality products at good prices. If you know about some of those resources, please share them.

Restoring furniture is a fun and cost-effective hobby. It is a way of preserving our heritage and passing on history. And many times, the simple addition of new hardware is the magic that brings furniture back alive again.

If you have an old piece of furniture hidden in the attic or basement, why not give it new life? Add some new hardware and let it live again.

Debbie Allen is an online marketer and professional writer.

House Of Antique Hardware – Swedish Styled Keyholes

A Swedish Gustavian chest of drawers veneered with elm, walnut and amaranth

Antique Hardware & More

Louis XVI Style Matte Black Cabinet Ring Pulls 12 Pulls For $24 Dollars

 

These beautiful paints  are the result of a recent collaboration between Fired Earth and the National Trust.

Founded in 1983 , Fired Earth began as a Terracotta supplier, and later expanded to offer bathroom and kitchen cabinetry, and hardware.  Although Fired Earth has a wide selection of house products, they are best known for their beautiful paints.

With their 30th Anniversary, they launched archive colours from their extensive library of paint pigments and featured six new colours named Delias Secret, Mad King George, Jazz Cafe, Hansel and Gretel, Eton Mess and Terracotta Warrior.

Fired Earth has also worked in collaboration with Kevin McCloud, a well known British designer and author and leading authority on colour.  Together, they created color formulas from carefully selected pigments, minerals and resins, chosen for their qualities of opacity, density, light fastness and durability. The paint was developed with minimal and low VOC’s.  These water-based paints are available in 120 colours in matte and eggshell finishes.

Kevin McCloud is best known in the UK as the color go to guy with a knowledge on every design style from historical to modern.  The Telegraph had an interesting article titled Are Posh Paints Really Worth It?they ask the question – Why spend the money, when you can get your local paint store to match the shade, and spend less? Here are a few interesting points from the Telegraph interview…..

McCloud, a self-confessed paint “anorak”, is unequivocal in his defence of posh paints. “Having used many, many different brands over the years, it is very clear to me that the more you pay, the better the paint,” he says. “Cheap paint has more water in it, less pigment and less binder.” Thus, as a rule, the more expensive paint covers better and lasts longer. It is also more environment-friendly, being lower in “Volatile Organic Compounds“.

“There is a place for cheap paint, and McCloud concedes he has painted his own kitchen in “bog ordinary trade white emulsion”, but the cheaper paints are made with synthetic pigments. And pigment, he explains, is what gives paint its quality and depth of colour. – “Traditional pigments tend to be made of rocks and minerals, earth and clay,” he says. “And consequently they are impure, and rather complex. The more complex the pigmentation, the more interesting the colour. It gives redolence and depth, and you get undertones – colours which subtly change in different lights.”

“One can say that this was a colour used in this particular house, on a certain day in, say, 1818, but the colour has probably faded, or gone darker, or yellowed. It’s very difficult to ascribe a particular nuance
of colour to a room for a particular date.”

The book ‘Choosing Colours’ by Kevin McCloud- Credit Nicola Holden Designs

Kevin McCloud’s Books

Choosing Colors: An Expert Choice of the Best Colors to Use in Your Home by Kevin McCloudAmazon

In this stunningly produced guide, internationally renowned interior designer Kevin McCloud puts together over 1,000 color chips arranged in over 80 palettes. Each palette—which includes anywhere from 6 to 16
color swatches—forms a blueprint for a unique decorative scheme. A palette based on old Chinese silk, for example, is seen reinterpreted in a contemporary New York apartment. Each palette features gorgeous photographs that bring the color scheme to life, along with invaluable advice and tips for using the colors to transform a room. This book provides manufacturers’ paint references and numbers, lists of suppliers, and much more.

Kevin McClouds Complete Book of Paint and Decorative Techniques by Kevin Mccloud- Amazon

From the earthy hues of Italian farmhouses to the cool elegance of Scandinavian interiors, color has always played a crucial role in decorative schemes. In the first section of the book a unique cut-out color selector illustrates the eight essential earth colors on the decorator’s palette and shows how to create and combine them successfully by clever intermixing of pigments. These essential colors, together with five secondary colors, are then used in the techniques throughout the book, so that all the stunning decorative effects can be easily recreated.

The techniques section that follows contains instructions and step-by-step photographs for more than 35 glorious decorative effects, plus countless variations. Each technique contains a list of essential ingredients, step-by-step photographs and a close-up of the finished surface or object.

Decorative Style: The Most Original and Comprehensive Sourcebook of Styles, Treatments, Techniques by Kevin Mccloud- Amazon

Using innovative, easy-to-master techniques and surprisingly inexpensive materials, Kevin McCloud — a brilliant young set designer turned interior decorator — shows you everything you need to know to design and create your own stunning adaptations of today’s most popular decorating styles.

There are forty styles in all — from Santa Fe, Shaker, Miami Deco, and Caribbean to Bauhaus, Biedermeier, Mackintosh, and French Country (to name just a few) — each designed and created especially by the author and stunningly photographed, with literally hundreds of styling options and color variations to choose from.

The decorative effects and other components of each style are analyzed, rephotographed with a full range of imaginative alternatives, and cross-referenced to all the techniques, tools, and materials needed to create each unique effect.

Kevin Mccloud’s Colour Now by Kevin McCloud- Amazon

Love blue but don’t know which shade to choose? In this dazzling new book, Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud has taken over 120 particular colours into 70 tried-and-tested palettes that are guaranteed to transform your home. A short introduction describes the history of colour and its replication, colour theory, how to combine colours into a palette and advice on how to use the book. Thereafter the bulk of the book is devoted to the colour palettes themselves – each made up of a collection of between 3 and 8 colour swatches and featuring an inspirational photograph demonstrating its possible use. Every palette is also introduced by a short piece of text describing its influences, potential and variety.

Choosing Colors: An Expert Choice Of The Best Colors To Use In Your Home by Kevin McCloudAmazon

This decorating guide explains techniques ranging from craquelure to marbling, colourwashing to liming wood, and provides information on tools and materials. The step-by-step photographs show exactly what to do, while the life-size details show the effect being aimed for.

Kevin McCloud’s Complete Decorator by Kevin McCloud- Amazon

This lovely 272 page book is filled with dozens of color photos showing many different decorating styles. It includes a unique cut-out graduated colour section, step-by-step instructions for a vast range of paint
techniques, easy colour mixing, working with different surfaces and objects and so much more.

Techniques of Decorating (Dk Living) by Kevin McCloudAmazon

Kevin McCloud is a leading influence in interior design. His unique and refreshing approach stems from a background in art history and the theatre. Using a repertoire of techniques ranging from the traditional to the self-invented, he offers an unsurpassed array of rich effects and a sure guide to effective styling. Each of the more than 30 creative effects – including gilding, verdigris, clair bois, stained glass and woodgrain – is explained in detail, while close-up, step-by-step photographs show exactly how to achieve it. A comprehensive section at the back of the book provides details of tools and materials needed and lists the addresses of suppliers.

‘Blue-ish greys are military and came into their own as World War I battleship camouflage. The really interesting greys, however, are those made with purple. They have a warm, brownish cast that flatters flesh tones and brings natural woodsy materials to life. They’re not popular, but they should be.’

‘Often the most stimulating colour combinations come from strong cultural influences – from the environment, from food or from nature. Here’s a pretty worldly palette: one of stone and sea and earth and sky.’

Principles Of Home by Kevin McCloudAmazon

On my list marked ‘fastidious obsessions’, getting the right fine old French grey comes pretty high on the list. If you were a colour expert, you could take some chalk-white casein distemper, add raw umber and a little raw siena and you’d be there. Note I didn’t mention black there – when you mix black and white the resulting colour is so cold you might as well call it blue. No, for a good grey, go greenish and go with earth colours. Fine complex colours are the tinctorial equivalent of a fine old French wine.’

“The hardest colours to get right are the four optical primaries: red, blue, yellow and green. The colours that will make your life a positive misery are tints of those colours. Most modern paints are coloured with a limited range of powerful synthetic dyes. The most interesting colours are those made with muddy, traditional earth pigments or complex arrangements of colourants.”

“The best pinks – those that change colour under different lighting conditions – are those on the cusp of red and purple, made with red oxide pigments. The best yellows or creams – those that can withstand bluish northern light and never look green – are made with yellow ochre.”

  Rococo Period Clock– The Dial Is Marked Stockholm.

Uppsala Auktionskammare is known to present some of the finest collections of antique furniture. Uppsala Auktionskammare has been known to feature exquisite collections of silver, furniture, and art from Swedish private homes at their auctions. In the spring of 2008, Sweden’s most expensive furniture ever was sold at Uppsala Auktionskammare, a unique bureau by Nils Dahlin for 18 million.

They carry a beautiful selection of European art; everything from the Renaissance until the late 19th century.  They are known to collect an array of antiques from mirrors, table clocks, chandeliers, table lamps, candlesticks,bronzes, figurines, and much more.

They are known to carry mirrors, candlesticks and bronzes by the following masters: Burchard Precht, Pierre-Philippe Thomire, Carl Henrik Brolin, Ehrhart Göbel, Johan Åkerblad, Fredrik Ludvig Rung, Niclas Meunier, and others.

Uppsala Auktionskammare features many prominent furniture designers such as Gottlieb Iwersson, George Haupt, Nils Dahlin, Christian Linning, Ephraim Ståhl, Jonas Hultstén, Anders Lundelius, Gustaf Foltiern.

They also are known to feature silver from Pehr Zethelius, Jonas T. Ronander, Petter Eneroth, Gustaf Stafhell, Arvid Floberg, Isak Sauer and Kilian Kelson

Check out some of Gustavian furniture and decorative collections from Uppsala Auktionskammare below…..

A Gustavian Chest of drawers, attributed to Jonas Hultstén.

A Swedish Gustavian Chest Of Drawers, by Nils Petter Stenström.

A Pair of Swedish Gustavian Armchairs.

If you have seen the previews for the movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it features a captivating estate many Nordic lovers would instantly recognize as Swedish.  This striking castle featured in the movie is “Yxtaholms Castle”, located on an island in Sörmland, just like it is seen in the movie.  Yxtaholms Castle was built in 1753 by Baron Gustaf N. Clodt.

Released in December 2011, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, tells a murder mystery family saga, a love story, and adds political intrigue to produce a multilayered story line.

The movie sets around a charactor- Harriet Vanger, whom is from one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, and had disappeared over forty years ago. Years later in the film, her aged uncle (billionaire Henrik Vanger), continues to seek the truth of her disappearance. He engages Mikael Blomkvist (a journalist ) into his quest to find the truth, by offering to financially back the struggling Millennium magazine if the journalist will solve the mystery.

The thriller, set in Sweden, shows the beauty of the Scandinavian cold winters and elegant interiors, which are highly contrasted by a pierced and tattooed punk Lisbeth Salander, who is a computer hacker with photographic memory.  She joins forces with Blomkvist to uncover the truth about the 40-year-old disappearance.

The Yxtaholms Castle Website tells us that the castle, stables and wings were built in 1753.   Yxtaholm  began to flourish in the 17th century and today it is a modern hotel, restaurant and conference centre.  Design Guy University Blog tells us that the castle is now owned by owned by female Polish millionaire Iwona de Jong who bought the property for $35M in 2010.  Today it functions as a hotel, and has been
updated.  The conference center is now located in the large stable building. Yztaholms castle has 79 rooms and is about an hour and a half drive from Stockholm.

Additional Pictures of Yxtahoms

-A picture of Yxtaholms Castle on Flicker

Design Guy University Blog– Historical Details on  Yxtaholms with great pictures!

Lovisas Guldkorn Blog– Showing pictures of the suite in one of the wings, and in the hall where an amazing wooden ceiling is painted.

-Another picture of Yztaholms Exterior- Flicker

-Another look at this hotel from John Haudi’s Flicker

-Another picture of Yztaholms Exterior Halsokallan.blogg

Yxtaholms Castle – www.svenskamoten.se

Gustavian Interiors- Swedish Tiled Stove From Michael Perlmutter Photography

These beautiful stoves were first designed in Sweden in the 18th century, as a result of an economic crisis that pushed Swedes to come up with a better way of extending the life of their firewood.  It was then that the famous Swedish stove “kakelugn” was born.

Early versions of the tile stove date back to the Middle Ages, however, two clever Swedes created smoke channels beneath the tile, that held the heat for an extended amount of time.  They  introduced vents that controlled the burn speed, giving an additional 24 hours of comfortable radiant warmth. With the heat-retaining cast iron core and long multi channel flues, the kakelugns were able to retain heat, keeping rooms warm up to a whole day after the fire is out.

These antique stoves vary in shape.  They are often seen round, rectangular, or columnar, and positioned in a a corner or against a wall.  Heights range from about 5 feet 10 inches up to 9 and 10 feet tall.

In an article written by Stone Mason, they describe these amazing stoves:

“The period between 1500 and 1800 was known as ‘Europe’s little ice age’. In Sweden, where it was even colder than it is nowadays, it was clear that the constant use of fireplaces from morning till night would eventually lead to the total depletion of the nation’s forests. It was most fortunate, then, that in 1776 Adolf Frederik, the King of Sweden, commissioned Carl Johan Cronstedt to develop a stove that would make better usage of the country’s timber resources.”

“Cronstedt, an Earl, architect, inventor and scientist, was given the tall order of producing a design that would use much less wood while still heating Swedish homes efficiently. An interesting side effect of this commission was that not only was a model developed that accomplished the King’s request, but it turned out to have other unforeseen environmental benefits.”

“Very little smoke is seen coming out of a chimney where these stoves are being used. In the course of the year, a kakelugn regularly used will burn the wood of one medium sized tree”

“One main advantage of the kakelugn is that it burns very hot, typically 1110-1200 C, whereas a standard iron stove burns at around 650-700 C. However, you can safely touch it and feel only warmth”

Stockholms Lans Museum provides us additional information on these stoves:

“The decoration was initially cobalt blue but later extended with yellow, green and brown violet. First with the new colors were Rörstrand factory and from 1758 dominated the all colors. But it was rare for more than three patterns of colors in the same oven.”

“In the mid-1700s it was not unusual for dinnerware pattern was used for The Fireplace tiles. The tiles were decorated with repeating patterns where palm branches, Chinese patterns and blomrankor were common motifs. The designs were painted by hand on each tile, always against a white background. ”

“Gradually began to Swedish architects interested in the design of the stove. The workshops were to start from pattern drawings made by Swedish architects rather than making use of foreign models. Fireplace Manufacturing became a domestic crafts.”

“These fine stoves occurred only in castles, mansions and wealthy burgher.  But even in these environments were those in the representative areas, the easier rooms put you in the cheaper and plain tile usually green or yellow.”

This pretty mirror is listed by Junkteer On Ebay

Period 18th Century Danish or Swedish Mid-18th Century Pier Mirror

A small Swedish Gustavian giltwood mirror, Late 18th Century

Swedish mirrors have undergone a number of styles since they were introduced in the country in the 1600s.

German glass makers helped to lead the way, and they created mirrors in the baroque style of their home country. This included carved frames and a single pane of glass. Carvings could be simple or ornate, and frames could be square or rectangle, as seen in this mirror From Cupboards and Roses

Mirrors could also be made more ornate by hanging a curtain over them. This added a bit of flair and formality to the mirror.

A century or so later, more people began acquiring mirrors and the style switched to that of Swedish Rococo. This style featured carvings of shells or arabesques, and the frames were gilded and asymmetrical.

Shortly thereafter, another style evolved. The Gustavian style saw mirrors that were influenced by neoclassical aesthetics. Frames were richly carved and featured intricate leaves, ribbons and crests.

These neoclassical mirrors feature a pair of sphinxes on each mirror on either side of a fruit-bearing
pedestal. 

By the early 19th century, the aesthetic was changing again. Roman and Egyptian influences made themselves known, and mirrors featured carvings of things such as lions, sphinxes, and griffins. The frames also took on a distinctive shape, with semi-circular domes at the top and straight edges along the bottom.

This Swedish pier mirror, shows neoclassical details inspired by Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign.

By the middle of the century, mirrors became much more common in everyday households, and production methods became more base. Decoupaged frames became common, or they were veneered.

The style evolution of Swedish antique furniture mirrors was influenced by a number of factors, and it produced some gorgeous mirrors that make excellent collector’s items now.

What is your favorite style of Swedish antique furniture mirror? Share your thoughts or your finds in the comments!

About the Author:

Alexis Bonari writes for one of the largest open databases of college funding opportunities. Specific topics like scholarships for cosmetology school are described in detail to provide multiple resources for students.

Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design

Swedish Transition Rococo/ Gustavian Mirror

Gustavian Mirror

Turn Of The Century Apartment In Sweden- Interior Design Files

This fine Swedish Adolf Fredrik period rococo gilt wood mirror has carved C-scrolls and foliate motifs.

Swedish Rococo Mirror with gold leaf on wood carved frame and a mirrored
inner frame. Stamped NM (Niklas Meunier), active between 1754-1797.