This Article "Inside Sweden's Manor Houses" Published Nov/Dec-2002 By Dan Hofstadter in Departures

In a small rural province called Scania, three country estates define classic Swedish style.

It never occurred to me when I was living in [...]]]>

Krapperup Castle Built in 1570 over the ruins of a 13th century stronghold; near Molle, Sweden From Larry Myhre's Photstream

This Article "Inside Sweden's Manor Houses" Published Nov/Dec-2002 By Dan Hofstadter in Departures

In a small rural province called Scania, three country estates define classic Swedish style.

It never occurred to me when I was living in Sweden, in the 1970s, that "Swedish style"—in furniture, interiors, and fabrics—might one day become popular in America. Swedish design, like Swedish humor, has a certain restraint, a quiet wit, that I would have thought lost on outsiders.

Yet classic Swedish design—and I don't mean the 1950s masterpieces of Gunnar Asplund and Carl Malmsten or the Ikea explosion of the '90s, but the checked-fabric side chairs and spindle-backed settees of 250 years ago—is experiencing a great deal of international attention these days. Shops showcasing Swedish antiques have recently opened in London, Paris, and New York, and decorating magazines seem obsessed with Swedish furnishings. The most obvious explanation is that 18th- and early-19th-century Swedish furniture, in its spareness and rectilinearity, fits in quite well with modern furniture; but there's certainly more to it than that.

There is, I think, a real similarity between 18th-century Swedish and contemporary American taste, a psychological affinity that transcends history and geography and owes much, I would argue, to the ancestral Protestant craving for paring down, for simplicity. Many of America's foremost furniture creators, from the Shakers through Gustave Stickley and the Eameses, have stressed economy, availability, and clean, well-defined lines. As it happens, these are also typical features of the Swedish interior.

Classic Swedish design reaches its apogee in the royal palaces and aristocratic country houses of Sweden. As late as the 17th and 18th centuries, Sweden was a very poor country whose noble families were often hard-pressed to maintain even the barest semblance of elegance. Many of the landed gentry were really glorified farmers who kept a sharp eye on expenses and shunned ostentation as wasteful and irreligious. Yet these families also wanted to enhance their status, and as they enlarged and improved their arable acreage, as revenues expanded and their tastes grew more refined, they began to remodel and embellish their houses. Toward the late 18th century, a style of design appeared that was simple enough to be affordable and also fashionable enough to give tone to a country seat. This was the Neoclassical style, and its chief exponent was King Gustav III, who ruled from 1771 to 1792. Because he offered so much patronage to builders and designers, he, in effect, created a revolution in taste.

High-strung and aloof, reserving his deepest affection for the theater, Gustav wrote full-length dramas of his own, shocked the court by performing onstage, and built himself a superb little theater in Gripsholm Castle, near Stockholm; some of his courtiers complained he was confusing statecraft with stagecraft. Having made a trip to Paris as crown prince, he was also keenly interested in Neoclassical art and design; in 1883 he traveled to Italy, where he visited Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Paestum. From France and Italy Gustav brought back drawings, paintings, statues, models, and a highly trained painter-architect named Louis Jean Desprez. The so-called Gustavian Style, still greatly admired by art-conscious Swedes, is in fact the Swedish naturalization of what we call the Louis Seize Style.

Gustav commissioned many grand interiors for royal palaces in the Stockholm area, but his subjects couldn't follow his example to the letter. Too expensive for most of the Swedish nobility, his preferences were translated into a simpler, more provincial visual syntax. What emerged was the intimate, companionable, and at times rather countrified look of Swedish style.

Read More of This Article "Inside Sweden's Manor Houses" Published Nov/Dec-2002 By Dan Hofstadter in Departures

Wrams Gunnarstorp Castle From ZTaxi On Flicker

Övedskloster Hakan Dahlstrbm's Photostream

Krageholm Sweden Built 1720

There are very few Gustavian styled homes photographed that are truly ALL Swedish inspired.  After looking at thousands of photographs, I KNOW it is rare to come across a home that is decorated or renovated to look like it is out of the 17th or 18th [...]]]>

Martha Stewart's Creative Director- Erik Pike's Gustavian Townhouse In New York

There are very few Gustavian styled homes photographed that are truly ALL Swedish inspired.  After looking at thousands of photographs, I KNOW it is rare to come across a home that is decorated or renovated to look like it is out of the 17th or 18th century. Even if a home isn't decorated to look centuries old, I find it rare to come across a person passionate for a particular period design that is pigeon-holed into a particular category.  It is thrilling to say the least to see a home that is based entirely around a theme, such as Georgian, Egyptian, Early American, or my favorite  Gustavian.  When a designer sticks to a particular style of antiques, and thinks through the architectural elements and paint colors carefully, a story emerges that allows you to walk back in time.

Decorating is an objective art.  It is up for interpretation within the eye of the beholder.  While some people like one style, others prefer something different.  The excitement of decorating ones home is that everyone is allowed to be right in their own home.

Not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on antiques, or money to change the architecture, flooring, cabinetry or fixtures, so many of us have to start somewhere with one bench here, and a chair there.  Building up a home that is entirely from one period and time frame can be incredibly exhilarating, and also quite expensive, but it doesn't have to be.   You don't need to have ALL genuine antiques to get the Gustavian appearance in your home.  In this blog, I have put together dozens of posts with decor and furniture that look Swedish and aren't.  Some are costly, and others aren't.  My own home is filled with a ton of vintage furniture that is made over to look Gustavian. Incorporating a few genuine pieces sure help! Your home should be what makes you happy, and not what a blog or a magazine tells you it should be.

It is truly rare to come across a home that is based entirely around the Gustavian look, and not exist in Sweden, and that is the case with Martha Stewart's creative director Eric Pike.  His townhouse in downtown NYC is one of these rare homes where the entire house is designed around a Gustavian palette.

Eric Pike And Stefan Steil's New York Gustavian Styled Townhouse- Photo Credit An Afternoon With Blog

Eric Pike And Stefan Steil's New York Gustavian Styled Townhouse- Photo Credit An Afternoon With Blog

Eric Pike And Stefan Steil's New York Gustavian Styled Townhouse- Photo Credit An Afternoon With Blog

The Blog,.....  An Afternoon With posted some incredible pictures of the home giving you extra ordinary angles that allowed you a better glimpse into the rooms.

In one of the pictures a stunning oil painting hangs in the bedroom of Daniel Webster, a Massachusetts senator in the mid-1800s and an ancestor of Eric's.

While the whole townhouse looks like it is within one color, several tones are used.  In the bedroom, and the office, the ceiling is a light blue.  A light beige is used in the office with storage in a coordinating color.  Vibrant colors are used in the closets, keeping the overall palette neutral.

Martha Stewart's Creative Director- Erik Pike's Gustavian Townhouse In New York Part 1

Pike tells Martha Stewart Magazine that he faced a challenge that we all face: the need to maximize storage. He sacrificed a few feet in every room to allow for deep doorways that contain hidden, paneled closets, each devoted to specific belongings. "I've been collecting for years, and I've made everything work in this space," he says.

Many Gustavian styled homes aren't cluttered, and here you will see an excellent example of a paired down look. Collectibles are grouped together much like the closet featuring Pikes tableware and silver urns, or grouped on side tables. The look is very much clean and organized.

Look at the impressive storage in the above three photos.  Boxes are used in closets for odds and ends keeping everything in place.  In any home, there needs to be a lot of attention paid to storage if you want an uncluttered appearance.  This is especially true for smaller sized apartments.  For my own home, I have used the over-sized boxes that come with Crate and Barrel for my blankets which sit in the closet.  When I go into my closets, they look clean and organized even if they are in boxes.

In this post I show where you can buy large boxes with lids for as little as $3  Paint the boxes with flat paint, and customize your closets by painting the interior and the boxes so both match.  If you have a home that is based around gray, white or beige, consider doing something extra special for the closets.  In my storage room in my garage, I am going with a Alpine green with boxes to match.  Why not!  Consider a bold blue or even a baby blue for your closets.  Pantry and linen closets can be one of the most creative areas to experiment with color.

The settee, chest, and rounded-back chair in this photo are genuine Swedish antiques.  Eric purchased the other chair at auction and had it copied for the dining room. The tables in the room are vintage, which he painted himself.  Look at the three color combinations on the [...]]]>

Martha Stewart's Creative Director- Erik Pike's Gustavian Townhouse In New York

The settee, chest, and rounded-back chair in this photo are genuine Swedish antiques.  Eric purchased the other chair at auction and had it copied for the dining room. The tables in the room are vintage, which he painted himself.  Look at the three color combinations on the walls.  It appears that the wall color, crown molding and ceiling colors are slightly different tones.  With the painted antiques, and color of upholstery, this room is rich with detail. 

Martha Stewart's Creative Director- Erik Pike's Gustavian Townhouse In New York

The sitting area above lacks the height compared to the rest of the apartment, so a skylight was introduced into the space.  Support beams are concealed yet present a dramatic look to this room.  Eric sought a square pedestal table to complete this room; finding none, he designed one with architect Richard Perry.

Martha Stewart's Creative Director- Erik Pike's Gustavian Townhouse In New York

Martha Stewart's Creative Director- Erik Pike's Gustavian Townhouse In New York

You would never know a television hangs over the living room mantel because an antiqued mirror lifts to reveal it. Look at this photo of the kitchen where one wall houses a refrigerator and washer and dryer behind cabinet doors.  A toaster and coffeemaker are housed in an appliance "garage" on a tray that pulls out so you can pour in water.  The bathroom is designed just right to make it appear bigger with glass shower doors.  The bedroom and the bathroom are the most modern rooms in the home.

The gray wood flooring doesn't go unnoticed, tying together the various rooms in his home.  The wide planks were bleached, then stained a neutral gray.  He decided to upholster all of the living room furniture in a single gray linen, allowing individual antiques to be unified as a set.  Hints of silver are found in the candlesticks, light fixtures, and hardware and have always been a classic Gustavian element found in Swedish style.

The house originally appeared in Martha Stewart's September issue way back in 2005. "I wasn't going to buy until I could find the right place," he tells Martha Stewart Living Magazine. He ended up renting a small one-bedroom apartment for sixteen years until the perfect place showed itself to him. The 1840s Federal-style townhouse on a historic block had all the right bones for what he always had in mind.

In this photo from Marthas website, a decorative box houses some objects he used for inspiration.  If you look closely, you can see two pictures of the townhouse before renovations.  New York City architect Richard Perry, Pike set out to make the apartment his own.

"I like the neoclassical forms and the sculptural lines combined with rustic painted finishes," Pike says. "They have no unnecessary embellishment -- there's a purity in that."

I have loved his townhouse for years.  I hope you find as much inspiration from his home as I did.

See Martha Stewart For More Information

Swedish Gustavian Decorating Ideas- Mikasa Antique White Dinnerware Sets

Mikasa produces a "Antique White" set that has all the looks of antique Swedish dinnerware. Collect all the pieces and display them on your walls or in your cabinets for a look that is distinctively Swedish.

Remodelista snapped some incredible shots of the set of the Martha Stewart Show showing a fabulous kitchen modeled after her her very own kitchen in Bedford, New York.

Open shelving displays an amazing collection of all white tableware.  If you look closely, in the back of the cabinets, risers were painted and [...]]]>

Martha Stewart Kitchen's Set On Her Show

Remodelista snapped some incredible shots of the set of the Martha Stewart Show showing a fabulous kitchen modeled after her her very own kitchen in Bedford, New York.

Open shelving displays an amazing collection of all white tableware.  If you look closely, in the back of the cabinets, risers were painted and hide lighting that illuminates the collection of plates and teacups.  Vintage pitchers are used for utensil storage and grouped in a set of three.  Look how she seperates the wood from the metal.  Look at the additional picture Remodelista shows for how Martha displays her vintage rolling pins as decor on the wall.

The cabinet paint is Mourning Dove Gray (MS 151) and the wall paint is Evening Moth (MS 173), both from the  Martha Stewart Colors line.  Brass is commonly used by Martha on gray cabinetry, which dresses up the cabinets quite nicely.  Marble countertops also give the kitchen an upscale elegance.

Martha's Gray Kitchen

Martha Stewart's Grey Kitchen Showing Off Her Espresso Maker

Gray Painted Cabinets With White Dinnerware Displayed

Watch Jeffree Turney of Lone Ranger Antiques on Martha Stewart

Jeffree Turney from Lone Ranger is one biggest dealers who specialize in Gustavian antiques, and also happened to be on [...]]]>

Look How This Mora Clock Is Painted The Same Color As The Wall- A Gray And White Combination -Clock From Jeffree Turney of Lone Ranger Antiques

Watch Jeffree Turney of Lone Ranger Antiques on Martha Stewart

Jeffree Turney from Lone Ranger is one biggest dealers who specialize in Gustavian antiques, and also happened to be on Martha Stewart and revealed some of his  refinishing secrets.  He recommends after initially painting and distressing your piece using milk paint, mixing 20 percent "Howard's Feed 'n' Wax" furniture wax to 80 percent "Dark Walnut" Minwax. Wearing latex or rubber gloves covered with socks, apply wax, and use a paint brush for tight spots. Rub off excess wax immediately with a long plastic-bristled scrub brush.  The overall faux finish gives you an antique effect.

I always found this picture from Martha Stewart captivating. Matching furniture up with the wall color is a very interesting design concept. Adding a dark wax to your piece will allow your furniture to stand out from your wall color.

Here are some unique examples:

In this kids room wall storage is painted a bright red.  The design look appears minimal.

This room is painted a vibrant teal blue.  Wall letters on the wall and furniture is painted in the same paint color.

A matching set of Swedish chests are placed in a room where the wall color and drapes are designed to match.

In one of my favorite pictures a kitchen is painted in a mute blue.  The walls and the kitchen island and cabinets are painted in almost the exact shades.   The walls are 5 shades lighter and brighter than the cabinets.  It is one of the best kitchens I have seen.

Gustavian Designed Interior From Swedishinteriordesign.co.uk

Gustavian Decorating - Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart always seems to get color right. I believe she has an eye for historical colors palettes. In this photo we see a console table that is matched up to the wall color. The look is absolute perfection. See additional Martha Stewart interiors based on Gustavian influences.

Gray Paint Tones

A series of gray tones are paired together in this dark interior.  The bar table is painted in a lighter shade of gray with glass cloche's are paired together.  Limed wood add to the gray appearance without loosing the detail of the wood.  Stainless steel also works with the gray interiors like no other metal.  The metal adds a richness and some light to dark room.  If you love this appearance, but find it too dark, consider the same elements with lighter paint tones.

Matching Wall Paint and Furniture

This photo takes the concept to the extreme, where everything is painted in the same shade except for the stool, and the accessories.  Furniture that may be an eyesore, could be given a face lift using this concept.  It allows the furniture to disappear into the room, giving other pieces the spot light.  This concept also gives a minimal look to a room, allowing a busy room to appear less cluttered.

Matching Wall Paint Up With Furniture

In this photo, we see a very interesting effect using two paint colors instead of one shade for the entire room.  We see a chair rail used to divide the wall.  A brighter paint color is used on the bottom of the wall, and the furniture is painted in the exact same color.  Using this idea, adding a brown glaze to the furniture which can be painted on and wiped off would give the furniture a bit of a distinction and less of a newly painted appearance.

How To Get This Look

-Use the same shade as your wall color on your furniture.  After your piece has been distressed (and dried), consider painting a thin coat of brown glaze to give it an antique appearance.  Ralph Lauren glaze works terrific.  You simply mix one third paint to glaze, or half glaze/ half paint in a cup. (The glaze is white, but dries clear with what ever paint you mix with it) Add brown paint to your glaze, and simply paint a thin coat on to your furniture.  You can either paint on a thin coat, and call it done, or you can wipe off some of the glaze with a rag leaving some of the glaze behind.  I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have discovered this secret for brighter paint colors.  Brighter paint colors automatically look antique when a translucent brown is added.  Bright blues become muted, everything looks better.

-Heavily distress your furniture to give your furniture more depth.  The natural wood will give more warmth in your room, and add to the overall look of the furniture.

- Add furniture ornaments to your furniture painted in white or in gold to add some detail to your painted furniture.  Cake molds often have beautiful designs that would look just as beautiful on furniture.  These designs can be made easily with plaster, concrete, or resin inexpensively.

Andrew Gn's Parisian apartment is a perfect mix of 17th and 18th century interior design.  In my previous posts, here and here, you can see the vibrant color choices Gn makes for his 2,000-square-foot flat.  Every square inch of space is designed to be unique and personalized.  In the room above, we [...]]]>

Fashion Designer Andrew Gn’s Apartment

Andrew Gn's Parisian apartment is a perfect mix of 17th and 18th century interior design.  In my previous posts, here and here, you can see the vibrant color choices Gn makes for his 2,000-square-foot flat.  Every square inch of space is designed to be unique and personalized.  In the room above, we see a Gustavian interpretation.  Raw herringbone floors bring warmth into this room that is based around grays.  Louis XVI chairs line the wall, and a cartel clock gives this room a distinct Swedish feel.

The house is adorned with endless ceramics and china, which he tells Elle Decor is a bit of an obsession. Augustus, the king of Poland at the turn of the 18th century, amassed more than 24,000 pieces of china. Gn says he shares the same love. He bought his first piece at age 16 and the endless fascination has never subdued. The walls in his home serve to display his vast collection, although he admits that thousands more pieces are sitting in storage.

Gn decorated the apartment himself without a designer. Every room is well thought out with precision. Vermilion red is used in one room exclusively. Shelves of blue-and-white chinoiserie contrasts against the red quite nicely. Vermilion red has been found in ancient China, Egypt, Greece, Peru, and other areas of the world. In the middle ages Vermilion was used to line early music staves.

Ideas For Your Home

-54'' Wide Ticking Stripe Black/Ivory Fabric By The Yard $7

-Blue Rose Chintz 11-Piece Tea Service $55

-Red Poppy Porcelain 3-Piece Tea Time Set with Gold Trim $51

-Gracie China Red Poppy Porcelain Tea Cup and Saucer Set of 4 $44

-Red Toile Farm Scene Individual Casserole with Liner Tray $23

-Corner Cabinet in Bright Red $365

-Spode Blue Italian 12 Piece Set $129

-Gracie China Gold Trimmed Porcelain 15-Inch Tea Set Tray $28

-Blue Willow Plate Set of 6 $78

-AA Importing Three Drawer Cabinet in Red $635

-AA Importing One Drawer Cabinet in Antique Red $424

-Classical Solid Wood Wall Shelf with Brackets White $25

Fashion Designer Andrew Gn’s Apartment

Fashion Designer Andrew Gn’s Apartment

An 18th Century Copenhagen Apartment

An 18th Century Copenhagen Apartment shows off great looking Swedish style.  Decorating with copper can be just the touch you need in your home.  Martha Stewart is famous for collecting dozens of copper molds which hang on her kitchen wall.  Here are 20 of the most [...]]]>

An 18th Century Copenhagen Apartment

An 18th Century Copenhagen Apartment

An 18th Century Copenhagen Apartment shows off great looking Swedish style.  Decorating with copper can be just the touch you need in your home.  Martha Stewart is famous for collecting dozens of copper molds which hang on her kitchen wall.  Here are 20 of the most interesting copper kitchenware that would look fabulous in your home.

Swedish Gustavian Decorating: The Nicest Copper Products For Decorating

Copper Plated Oval Tub $58, 17.75 x 11 Round Tub $79 22.5 x 13.25 x11.25 Oval Tub 11 Gal. $114

1.  Cuisinart 33-Inch Bar-Style Wall-Mount Pot Rack, Polished Copper $40

2. Cuisinart Half-Circle Wall-Mount Pot Rack, Polished Copper $60

3.Extra Polished Copper Pot Rack Hooks Set of 6 $33

4.Old Dutch Round Dome Pot Rack, Copper $112

5. 48 x 18 Oval Satin Copper Pot Rack w/16 Hooks $171

6. Old Dutch 2 Quart Solid Copper Zabaglione Pan $34

7. Mauviel M'Passion Copper 15-Quart Jam Pan with Bronze Handles $290

8. Mauviel M'Heritage 3-1/2-Inch Butter Warme with Bronze Handle $77

9. Mauviel M'Passion Copper 3-1/2-Quart Zabaglione Pan $155

10.22 1/2 x 11 1/4 x 11 1/2 Satin Copper Pot Rack w/Grid & 12 Hooks $60

11. Old Dutch International 4¼ Inch Solid Copper Stovetop Salt & Pepper Set $18

12.Old Dutch  Copper Clad Stainless Steel Hammered Canister, Set of 4 $61

13. Olde Thompson Columbia Copper Peppermill & Salt Shaker Set $25

14. Wright's Copper Cream Polish, 8-oz $7

15. Cover that Microwave, or Dishwasher front. Metal FX Brushed Copper Contact Paper, 18" x 6' $12.

16. Pepper Mill Imports Atlas Pepper Mill, Copper, 9" $56

17.Old Dutch 9-Inch Pedestal Colander, Copper $28

18. Old Dutch Solid Copper 4-Quart Beating Bowl $40

19. Old Dutch Solid Copper and Brass Antique Reproduction 13 1/2" tray $20

20. Waring MBB520 Bar Blender, Bright Copper $91

21. Rumford Gardener Copper Thermometer Outdoor Clock $76

22. Good Directions Large Oil Lamp $72

23.Hanging 2 Tier J-Arms Antique Copper 12 Candelabra Sockets $626

24. 8" Solid Copper Wall Tile with Rose Design , Dogwood Flower- Polished Copper $25

25. Copperplated Revere Bowl, 10 $53

(The Bobkona Jaden Collection Vanity Set comes with the vanity table, one bench and a mirror Click on the picture to take you to the image from Amazon.  I altered the picture to show how this desk could look terrific with Louis XVI pulls and possibly some ormolu [...]]]>

Desk Vanity Or Sideboard- Swedish Looking Furniture

(The Bobkona Jaden Collection Vanity Set comes with the vanity table, one bench and a mirror Click on the picture to take you to the image from Amazon.  I altered the picture to show how this desk could look terrific with Louis XVI pulls and possibly some ormolu for the legs. 

Consider painting the entire desk a matte gray and the area under the table top a shade lighter than the paint color shade you decide upon.  Add two Louis XVI pulls to the drawer, and a Swedish styled keyholes.   

Dress up the stool with some ormolu to make this set appear more luxurious  Paint it gray and distress it for a classic Swedish look.  Not bad for $178!)

Amazon sells a terrific table set that is labeled as the "Jaden" vanity set.  The set has such a wonderful design that doesn't make it only functional as a vanity.  The desk itself has beautiful features that can double as furniture anywhere in the home.  Consider it as an entry way table, or an accent piece in the living room.  Get two sets for around $350 and use them under a pair of windows in the room, and use the pair of benches at the end of your bed.

The mirror comes off which allows you to pair it with a gilt wall mirror, for the use of a vanity, or a painting or a relief that could be hung on the wall with the table.  The bench is quite attractive and could be paired with a living room chair, or a bedroom chair that needs a stool for your feet.  This set is quite lovely, and is priced at $178. with free shipping.

Other Additional Sets :

-Purchase the Bobkona set in Cherry , and paint it gray, blue or red and heavily distress the paint finish showing the wood underneath. $135

-The same set in Black $160- Heavily distress the finish showing more of an aged look

-Great looking Padded Vanity Footstool $17

-Bobkona St. Croix Collection Vanity Set with Stool, White $221

-Bobkona St. Croix Collection Vanity Set with Stool, Walnut $304

Get The Swedish Appearance With This Stool

Again, look how great double stools would look at the end of the bed or in the living room across from a sofa or paired with a tall table in front of a settee- Note that the vanity set comes with one stool, not two

Swedish Looking Vanity Set OR USE it as a Desk With With A BONUS Round Gustavian Stool

The "St. Croix" set includes five-drawers for storage and a matching stool covered in a lavish plush fabric. The set also includes a mirror that is not featured in the photo.  This vanity table could be also used as a desk.  Although it is unclear if a regular chair could be paired with this table.  Consider adding wheels to the bottom of the legs to heighten the table.  Use this set as a classic vanity or break the set up for office use, or an entry table with the stool paired with a living room set.  This set sells for $217 and even has the classic round Louis XVI pulls.

The White Founder Wooden Vanity Set is a steal of a deal! The whole set which includes a table, a mirror and a bench are $58 dollars! COMMON!

The White Founder Wooden Vanity Set is a steal of a deal!  The whole set which includes a table, a mirror and a bench are $58 dollars!  COMMON!

I think I found a great set for my wrap around patio, and at this price I can get a table for each one of my windows, and use the benches to pair with my existing tapered chairs for my outdoor patio set.

The tables themselves would look amazing under windows, even paired with the stools.  Ditch the mirror stand, and use the mirrors themselves for your walls.  Attach candle holders to the mirror, and add a bow to the top of the frame and you have yourself a Gustavian mirror for your walls.

28" Wide x 16" Deep x 50.5" Tall (to top of mirror) Bench - 18" x 14" x 17" Tall

In this photo Designer Mary McDonald in her Interiors The Allure of Style  book shows a lovely bedroom based around pink color tones and exceptional furniture.  An Italian chair is painted in dark salmon and finished off with red detailing around the frame.  Red and pink work wonderfully together, and this combination [...]]]>

Mary McDonald Interiors The Allure of Style

In this photo Designer Mary McDonald in her Interiors The Allure of Style  book shows a lovely bedroom based around pink color tones and exceptional furniture.  An Italian chair is painted in dark salmon and finished off with red detailing around the frame.  Red and pink work wonderfully together, and this combination shows how wonderful a coral or salmon looks with red painted details.  The sideboard has a paneled table cloth with square nail-head brass tacks that nicely finish off the top.  Beautiful carved gilt wood fluted stools upholstered in a rose velvet steal the attention in this photo.  Consider buying a Gustavian styled stool, either antique or a reproduction to finish off your living room set, or for the bedroom.  Upholster them in a coordinating fabric to finish off the look.

Mary McDonald Interiors The Allure of Style Close Up Of The Gustavian Stools

Swedish Gustavian Stool

Gustavian 1775-1810- A unusually shaped Gustavian stool in gilt wood. Carved
friezes standing on tapered and fluted legs.

Gustavian Antique Stools & Benches

Magnus Lundgren's Home With His Gray Cat

Magnus Lundgren's Home With His Gray Cat sitting on a fluted leg Gustavian stool

Swedish Gustavian Bench- Kristian Double Bench With Storage

Swedish Gustavian Bench- Kristian Double Bench With Storage

Swedish Gustavian Stools

Everyone knows Rachel Ashwell for her french country "shabby chic" approach to decorating.  Rachels new book The Shabby Chic Home by Rachel Ashwell will be released on Jun 5, 2012.  I had no idea she was releasing a new book, and along the way of looking into what has been up with Rachel, [...]]]>

Rachel Ashwell Demilune Table

Everyone knows Rachel Ashwell for her french country "shabby chic" approach to decorating.  Rachels new book The Shabby Chic Home by Rachel Ashwell will be released on Jun 5, 2012.  I had no idea she was releasing a new book, and along the way of looking into what has been up with Rachel, I learned that she produced a Swedish inspired line for the mega department store Target.  Why did  I never see this before?  Perhaps this is REALLY old news, but I cannot help to show you the handful of pieces that she produced.  The collection isn't sold in stores,  but rather online at Target.  The collection was inspired after Gustavian Swedish furniture, which makes it really exciting to see styles that are offered at exceptionally low prices.

Her line has a number of bedding, and textiles and a handful of furniture pieces.  The most interesting in the collection are these 5 pieces:

(If the item is not in stock, after phoning Target, they do re-stock the furniture, it just may take a month)

Simply Shabby Chic® Swedish Style Classic 3-Drawer Chest - Sour Cream $329

Shabby Chic Nightstand- Swedish Gustavian Style $179 Target

Simply Shabby Chic® Fluted Leg Demilune Table Target $144

Gustavian Fluted Leg Stool Target $45

Fluted Leg Computer Desk Target $289

The pieces don't compare in quality to the Chelsea Textiles Gustavian line of furniture.  Their Swedish Bureau is made of solid wood, and the tapered legs line up with slanted frame of the chest.  Chelsea asks $1,500 for their chest which is very reasonable because it is made of genuine wood and the paint finish is much like a genuine Gustavian antique.

Rachel Ashwell Nightstand

Simply Shabby Chic Classic 3-Drawer Chest Rachel Ashwell For Target

Rachel Ashwells Gustavian Chest........

After seeing Rachel's line, she sells both a nightstand ($144) and a chest ($389)for fractions of the price of a real antique. Of course, a real antique is created from hand, and has the details and paint of the period in which it is made from.  If you fall in love with a period antique, I would highly suggest buying the real thing.

Although the beauty of Rachel's line is the looks of Gustavian furniture are affordable enough to get you started collecting Gustavian styled furniture without the hefty price points of genuine antiques.

It is easy for people who live in Sweden to come across Swedish antiques and pay a decent price for them, but those around the world don't have access to these styles, the styles can range in the thousands for just one dresser or console table.

The shape of Rachel's chest is wonderful.  The framed drawer fronts show the extra detail that many Swedish pieces have.   Paint the frame gray and highlight the details of the drawer frames in a whiter gray tone.  Many of the pieces even have some extra decorative detail around the chest that appear Scandinavian in style.  Consider gold leafing these details.

Rachel's furniture collection for Target are made from composite woods much like all the other furniture target carries.  Target carries inexpensive furniture at low price points, so their collections of furniture rarely are made from solid wood unless it is a dining table.  Composite woods are inexpensive for companies to work with.  The draw back is they can be damaged easily compared to solid wood.

You couldn't strip the finish off this furniture, but you could re-paint the pieces in a classic gray, red, or blue.  Consider giving these pieces several layers of paint which you can then lightly distress.

I have worked with Coverstain in the past, and have been extremely happy with the results.  Coverstain can be tinted almost any color except black.  In the past I have mixed in other darker based oil paints into Coverstain to make the colors darker.  Dark gray would be an excellent color for a bottom coat on this dresser.  Then re-paint it in a light beige gray and slightly wipe off the paint around the details before the paint dries.

An alternative idea is to paint an undercoat of lighter muted orange, which you could use a gray over top.  Let the orange paint dry over night, and with your second coat being gray, blue or red, before the paint is dry, wipe off with a low grit sponge sander some of the paint. You would never know the orange on this chair is not wood, but rather paint.  Coverstain is formulated for sanding, which makes it much different than any other oil based paint.  Oil based paint is more durable than any other paint, and exactly the reason why I tend to prefer it.

To go a step further you could buy tapered legs to replace the fluted ones, and angle them like original Gustavian chests.

Is this chest really worth it at close to $400 dollars, compared to Chelseas Swedish Bureau is made of solid wood,..............??  The decision is yours.

Some Customer Reviews:

After Two Years Held Up Well- I purchased two of these dressers. One for my room: I painted my room a pale pink and added bead board to the bottom half, with a chair rail to finish the look. Hardwood floors and a neutral rug w/floral trim balances the white. The second went into the guest bedroom, which is painted a lavender shade. Just waiting for my Modern Home Purple Flocked Comforter to ship! The dressers were easy to put together, I reinforced w/glue. The drawers glide easily, and they've held up well. For the money th … see moreis set is a fabulous buy.

Shabby Chic Fan- I absolutely fell in love with this furniture.  It is a great set. They are very heavy because of the great wood quality and  have a charming design. It comes with two sets of knob designs and I mixed it up  and used both, the metal and glass, knobs. It really looked cute. The only reason why I gave this product 4 stars is because it scratches easily. You have to be careful about what you place on top of the dresser and nightstand. I know most people have bought this furniture for their nursery or … see morekid's room. However, I'm 26 years old and bought the set  for my room and I couldn't be happier. I was able to put it together myself  within an hour or two and it wasn't too terribly hard. You have to watch out  when putting the drawers together because I kept making the mistake of placing pieces upside down haha. Also, attaching the back of the dresser was a bit  tricky. But I promise that you won't be sorry. They are really pretty and worth
the money.

T. Sawyer- We bought this chest 5 years ago for my daughter. It seemed heavy duty and good quality. When our second daughter needed a dresser we again purchased this chest since my children share a room. What a mistake! Quality between the two chests is night and day. The older one is really nice. The drawers on this new one are flimsy and do not work well. It definitely and says made in China all over it.
The colors between the older version and this new style do not match and are slightly different in height size. I am really disappointed.

Michelle-My sister bought this dresser 5 years ago. I thought I was buying the same piece when I purchased it a few weeks ago, but the quality has taken a dive since the time she purchased hers. The drawers are no longer inset and have cheap short runners instead of nice ball-bearing glides like they used to have. This causes a lot of lateral movement as it slides in and out. The drawers are also 8 inches shorter than the actual depth of the piece, so there is a lot of wasted space behind them. The … see moredetail work around the top is not as precise as it used to be and the knobs have less facets. The shade of white is quite a bit warmer as well. I still think the dresser is adorable and worth the price when it goes on sale. Shipping is reasonable and fast

Jamie- Just received this dresser. It took me about two hours to get it together by myself. I expected the wood to be low quality. It had some knicks, splinter parts in the wood and a few other flaws. The dresser is heavy! Overall, the wood quality is better than I expected. The draws stick when sliding and feel like the might fall out. For this reason, it's probably not great for kids. Also, the dresser doesn't hold as much as I thought it would, so really evaluate how much you need to store before b … see moreuying. It's adorable. It really livens up my new NYC apartment and the dresser knobs are so chic. I'd recommend this to someone, but I do think the value isn't so great. [$] is a lot for a Target dresser. Overall I think you're paying for a stylish piece that isn't necessarily the most practical choice.

MrsWalibug- I purchased this dresser in 2006, 5 years ago, while I was a college student. I have moved several times since then, and this dresser has held up EXCEPTIONALLY well:) The only issue I have had is that the drawers on my dresser are very difficult to slide in and out. They tend to stick and have to be worked and  jiggled back into the dresser. With that said, I still love it, and feel it has  a ton of character and decorative detail. I am now married and am planning on  using the dresser for storage and a changing table in my child's nursery. Don't  hesitate, this dresser is built for the long haul!

Here are the additional fluted desk sold by Rachel Ashwell, and the fluted stool.  Both having amazing style!  Paint these pieces up and get the Gustavian look for less! 

Rachel Ashwell Fluted Table

Rachel Ashwell Fluted Gustavian Stool

Decorating with colors can be really enjoyable, especially when you are working with the color shades that most appeal to your sense of style.  My husband and I recently purchased our new home, and we seem to have placed all [...]]]>

My Home Projects- Updated Yellow Lamp, Working Neoclassical Lamps, Modge Podge Dresser With Lamps To Match

Decorating with colors can be really enjoyable, especially when you are working with the color shades that most appeal to your sense of style.  My husband and I recently purchased our new home, and we seem to have placed all the furniture in the different rooms where they will fit, now it is just working with deciding on the color of the walls, and matching up the upholstery for the different chairs and accessories.  I cannot tell you how much fun I am having, as I decorate the rooms in the Gustavian style.

The upstairs of our home is going to be based around blue.  I always have decorated with gray and beige, but I am starting to venture into color, and I am really enjoying combining different colors with the various schemes. Faux painting the walls, either with stenciling, or plastered finishes can really transform a room like no other.  As beautiful as some magazine photos look, achieving the old world faux finishes is time consuming but worth it!!

The living room has blue and white checked fabrics, gray and blue painted furniture, and the bedroom is in linen and a green.  The down stairs is based around the lemon and light yellows.  I figure why leave the garage plain and boring?  Our garage is going to be painted mint, and all the storage boxes on the shelves are going to be painted in Kelly Green with brass hardware.

Our new home sits out in the countryside, so there isn't a craft store that I can run to in a half an hours drive, which makes Amazon and ebay the commonly visited stores from home.  Free shipping sure helps out a lot!  You would be amazed how many more products are available on Amazon and ebay, and the prices seem to stay more competitive than the local stores.  As a bonus, you support small businesses than large chain department stores.

Some time before we moved, I purchased some lamp shades from the local IKEA where we lived.  The shades actually have a box pleat in the design which matches perfectly with the fluted lamp base we have in a pair.  Because of the nice design of the fabric, I am not wanting to recover them, just alter the color from white to a light blue tone.  Then I hope to paint the base to match the shade.  In our living room, the walls are going to be painted in a shade of gray that borders on light blue.  It would be ideal to match the walls up with the lampshades and the demi-lune tables that they sit on.

Neoclassical lamps are ideal to decorate with, because the structure allows you to paint them gold, white or any shade of your interior nicely.  Paint the base, and allow the rest of the lamp to be painted in gray.  Accent it in gold and dress up the shade and you have a piece of art.

In the past I have spray painted lamp shades with normal spray paint, and they turned out horrible.  The spray paint looked ok on the frames until you turned on the light, and saw specks of the spray paint illuminated all over the fabric.  Ideally spraying lamp shades that have no fabric can turn out nice.  The only draw back is that the shade no longer illuminates, because a layer of paint now forces the light from the top and the bottom.  After learning this lesson I thought I would experiment with dying the fabric which leaves the fabric transparent when light is behind it.

Dylon has a number of stunning shades of fabric dye to pick from compared to Rit dye.  The color I was most attracted to was China Blue.

Other Dylon Shades:

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Amazon Green

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Goldfish Orange

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Tropical Green

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Navy

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Olive

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Poppy Red

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Ocean Blue

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Sunflower Yellow

Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye Turqouise

I took a 5 gallon plastic bucket and filled it up with 2 packages of China Blue and the color turned out fabulous.  Where I stumbled into problems is where I needed more dye. As I reached the last lampshade it was significantly lighter in color than the first two shades.  So instead of ordering in more dye, or making the long drive to the craft store, I used some Rid dye that I had, and painted the dye on to the shades.  The previously nice shade was destroyed, and worse off, the shades now have speckles from painting on the dye than submerging it into the pail of water.  More about this project later.................

A Couple Things I have Learned From Dying Clothing.......

- Dying large pieces of fabric can work out nicely in the washing machine.  A girlfriend of mine alters large scale drop cloths with a tint of green /gray dye in the washing machine and uses them for her upholstery.  In fact, I have used drop cloths as drapes, as they are heavy and thick.  Add a nice pinched pleat at the top and you have a nice heavy drape.  Now that we have a front loader, this option no longer works.  When hand dying fabric , you want your fabric to have the freedom to move around in the water, and the washing machine on, moving the fabric around gives an even finish.  

-After using the washing machine for dying fabric, be sure to run a load with bleach.  The last thing you want is your husband to come down with a load of whites afterwards.

- Dying fabric by hand can be tricky.  You need a large container which your fabrics can be turned in.  Less fabrics in the tub the better.  Folds happen when your fabric doesn't have enough room to move around in the water.  A lampshade that has the fabric adjusted to the sides can sit in a pail for hours, but clothing or loose fabric cannot.  I have learned over the years with dying fabric, that you need to be there turning and stirring the fabric until the color sets, otherwise, the overall dye will be blotchy.

- Warm water works the best.  I really don't know why it is, but it sets the dye nicer than cold water.  When I first stumbled upon this fact, I figured if I used the stove and made the water boiling, it would set up faster.  In fact, it only scorched the fabric with lots of the dye in areas that were submerged first, than evenly all over.  You have no idea how many pieces of fabric I have thrown away! 

- Forget about dying Jeans.  I love how dark jeans can look, and in the past I have taken my old jeans hoping to darken them up.  Some pairs of jeans turned a horrible blue, while others didn't make one bit of difference.  In our old condo, I laid saturated dyed jeans in our sun room for days hoping to get the color darker, with no luck.  Spend the 40 or what ever dollars on the right pair, than fixing up old jeans.  Cotton on the other hand dyes nicely.  I have learned though, that dying fabric can be fun, but so very tricky to work with also. 

- Melting salt with boiling water first in a glass container can really set the dye in your fabrics.  Be sure all the salt is melted before pouring into the container full of dye.  This is the same with dye.  The crystals in Rit dye, or any dye for that matter need to be melted in boiling water first.  Stir the dye around in a glass before pouring it into your container.  In the past, many items would come out with specks because I simply didn't know.

- As careful as you are opening up a package of Rit Dye, the air fragments are going to get everywhere.  This has stained my tub in the past, and counter tops.  Open it up outside into a measuring cup of boiling water.  Be sure to walk carefully with it.  The crystals will fall on the ground than everywhere in your house.  Be sure to wear gloves.  Elbow high gloves that you clean your oven with work fantastic. 

-Don't even think about dying fabric in your bathroom tub!  This worked the first time in a rental, but it may permanently stain your tub if the enamel has been worn away.  Purchase a large container  that can be used over and over again.  I cringe to think of the many times I have taken AJAX to the tub frantically scrubbing.  I was sooo young then!!  It simply isn't worth it.  Spend the money on a tub.  Paint the outside a shade of blue and hang it on the wall in the garage for a primitive look.    

- With each fabric that you submerge, the overall color in the tub will set less saturated.  You may start out with a cobalt blue, and end up with a sky blue after several fabrics have been in the water. Keep this in mind. 

- In the past if I was dying multiple items, I would have a washing machine filled up with cold water which my rinsed fabrics could sit in until the whole load of fabrics were complete.  The last thing you want to do is finish dying a fabric, and then lay it crumpled in a ball.  Any left over dye that isn't rinsed will create fold lines.  I found using a washing machine filled and standing is the best way to store fabrics until the entire lot is completed.

- If a piece of fabric was dyed badly, don't fret, running it through a cycle of bleach will even out the dye on the fabric.  It will be a lighter shade, but it allows you a workable canvas to re-dye or leave as a lighter tone.

Currently I am removing the color from my lampshades.  Bleach works wonders, and almost all the color has been removed, and the shades are ready for a new shade of dye or paint.  I can either order in another couple packages of the china blue or turquoise shade or look to fabric paint.

It seems like a heck of a lot of work to go through just for a color shade, doesn't it?

In the past, I have wrote about Upholstery Fabric Paint, which brand to buy, and which brands to stay away from.  Ideally with fabric SPRAY paint, the color of the paint you intend to dye should be close to the upholstery color.  Fabric paint is meant for upholstery.  Originally these paints were created for cars.  Car upholstery can get very pricy, and for someone who wants a quick update, fabric paint can go a long way than the cost of having custom covers made.  Going from white to red, may take a lot of paint, and ideally the fabric should be soft to the touch.

In the past instead of going to the labour of recovering a wing chair, I decided to spray on regular watered down paint.  The chair still sits in my garage waiting to be upholstered, because the whole project turned out to be a disaster.  The chairs were a navy and I was hoping to paint them sand.

Three things went wrong with this project:

1.  The problem with this project was the fabric I wanted to paint was thick upholstery fabric.  Thinner fabric is easier for the paint to penetrate.

2.  Again, colors close in hues are easier to paint.  Lighter blue fabric, and navy dye, light cream fabric and sand paint, gray upholstery and black paint ect.

3.  I didn't use upholstery paint.  Upholstery paint contains a nice mixture of dye, and paint.  Regular paint is formulated for wood, and other specific surfaces, not fabric.

A chair is something that you will sit upon, and touch.  You want the fabric to soft and cleanable.

Upholstery is time consuming.  If you have a regular job, kids and commitments, upholstery paint can give you a quick transformation over night, until you get around to upholstery.

With moving, I wanted to feature a set of Louis XVI chairs in my living room right away.  I was sick of seeing too many unfinished projects in the garage.  They were originally covered with ivory fabric, and I wanted a sand tone.  I worked with Dupli Upholstery Paint in Sand, and it turned out terrific.  In fact, you would never know they were painted.  The paint soaked into the fabric, and left it soft to the touch.

Read more about the tips for Upholstery Fabric Paint

Cameo Fabric Paints - DIY Projects

Paintable Fabric Paint

The other alternative is Paint-able Fabric Paint. Rather than spraying on, it is applied with a brush.  I have never tried paintable fabric paint so I thought I would give it a try on my lamp shades.  Crafting with Yvonne on ebay has all 113 colors each priced at only $3.19.  Shipping totals $2.50 with .15 cents for additional items.  She offers a better deal than Amazon. I ordered the 180-Blue Ice for my shades, and 189-Pale Aqua for a set of chairs that might go into the garage.

Consider stenciling a plain rug, or painting a large canvas as drapes or a room divider.  Stencil plain outdoor fabric or cushions, throw pillows or plain lamp shades.

Check out these projects:

-Can you believe the fabulous wall art that the Real Housewives of Bucks County created from TAR PAPER

-Michelle and Ike at Decor and the Dog did a great powder bath renovation using Royal Design Stencils stencils.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Floral Wall Damask Stencil -Royal Design Stencils

Sandra Flower Leaf - Blue Door

Check out this stunning Chinoiserie door Melanie Royals created for Peacock Pavilions in Marrakesh.

My Favorite!- Phoebe's Tulip Allover Floral -Royal Design Stencils

Allover Indian Floral -Royal Design Stencils

Feathered Damask Allover Stencil-Royal Design Stencils- Look at one transformation using this stencil

Suzani Large Allover Stencil -Royal Design Stencils

Swedish Floral Allover Stencil -Royal Design Stencils

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint has over 113 paint colors to pick from.  Several of my favorite Gustavian colors are:

Yellow Tones:

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 102-Lemon

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 158-Yellow Ochure

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 198-Ivory

Red Tones:

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 175-Brick Red

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 169 Burnt Orange

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 174-Light Orange

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 106 Coral

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 113 Rust

Ginger's ameo Fabric Paint 196-Terracotta

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 155-Country Pink

Green Tones:

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 121-Green

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 119-Sage

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 145-Misty Green

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 189-Pale Aqua

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 181-Camelot Green

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 193-Light Sage

Blue Tones:

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 153-Country Blue

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 159-Blue Spruce

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 180-Blue Ice

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 124-Light Blue

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 152-Light Country Blue

Gray Tones:

Ginger's Cameo Fabric Paint 302-Raw Umber

Loveday Antiques

3 Things You Should Know About Gustavian Style

The most famous form of vintage Swedish furniture is that of the Gustavian style. It was named after Gustav III, who was the King of Sweden from 1771 until he was assassinated in 1792. The style of Gustavian furniture began a decade before [...]]]>

Swedish Architectural Buildings

Loveday Antiques

3 Things You Should Know About Gustavian Style

The most famous form of vintage Swedish furniture is that of the Gustavian style. It was named after Gustav III, who was the King of Sweden from 1771 until he was assassinated in 1792. The style of Gustavian furniture began a decade before his reign but reached its peak whilst Gustav was King. He has been given credit for expanding the Gustavian style and spreading it throughout his country, eager to share his knowledge of foreign styles.

1. Influences

During the 17th and 18th centuries, styles were taken from various European countries including France, England and Italy, by the Swedish aristocracy. It is claimed that when Gustav returned from France to become King, that he brought with him certain French influences that affected his thinking. The King’s trips to France and Italy opened his eyes to different styles and on his return; he was keen to spread his ideas throughout the country.

He was particularly fond of the furniture shapes in the style of Louis XV and Louis XVI, whilst studying in France. He was also influenced by his trips to the excavated site of Pompeii and Herculaneum. As a young man experiencing the world, he absorbed several styles and on his return to Sweden, he was eager to show what he had learnt by furnishing the royal properties.

2. Style

The style of Gustavian antique furniture has often been described as simple yet elegant. In comparison to the French Louis XVI style of furniture, it is less exuberant but can be claimed to be largely influenced by the French style. Swedish furniture designers in the past have added their own mixture of ideas along with what was imported from abroad.

The elegant lines are a strong feature with Gustavian vintage furniture and experts say that they became more geometric under the guidance of Gustavian designers. The colours used were generally soft greys and creams with an overall emphasis placed on symmetry and balance. There was also a focus of a minimalist nature; the items produced had little exquisite accessories and tall windows had minimal coverings.

3. Modern Day Appreciation

Nowadays, Gustavian furniture is very highly sought after with people paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for an elegant chair or bench. Chests of drawers designed by Gottlieb Iwerson and Georg Haupt demand significant prices at auctions when available. It seems as though 18th century Gustavian antique furniture is very much in demand with enthusiasts willing to pay incredible prices for a piece of history.

As the world becomes more and more modernised, antique furniture will simply become more popular. It is a natural reaction to the mass production of similar styles with people yearning for something more unique. Many turn to the past for inspiration with Gustavian furniture emerging as a popular choice for those looking for a contemporary and elegant style. There are many lessons to be learnt from the past and style is only one of them.

William Robinson is an antique enthusiast and spends much of his time researching historical periods that interest him. He currently works for Loveday Antiques.

Links:

Antique Furniture At Loveday Antiques

Loveday Antiques London
Alexander has two shops in London, The Furniture Caves in Kings Road, Chelsea and The Furniture Vault in Camden Passage, Islington. Loveday Antiques provides a complete end to end service consisting of an advisory service through to arranging shipping and transport throughout the world. Loveday Antiques makes the pleasure of buying antiques an easy and enjoyable process taking the hard work away from knowing what to buy.

Loveday Antiques
1st Floor Furniture Caves
533 Kings Road
Chelsea
London
SW10 OTZ
Tel: 0207 352 1100

Loveday Antiques
Furniture Vault
50 Camden Passage
Islington
London
N1 8EA
Tel: 0207 352 1100

Pair of Swedish Baroque Commodes created in the 1850s- Source Unknown

Pair of Swedish Baroque Commodes created in the 1850s. 

Painted Dough Box Chest Sold By Linda Rosen Antiques

Linda Rosen Antiques is selling this rare dough box chest in it's original [...]]]>

Swedish Painted Grandfather Clock Talisman London

Pair of Swedish Baroque Commodes created in the 1850s- Source Unknown

Pair of Swedish Baroque Commodes created in the 1850s. 

Painted Dough Box Chest Sold By Linda Rosen Antiques

Linda Rosen Antiques is selling this rare dough box chest in it's original salmon paint. The chest has a lift top to a storage well and two doors below. Makes a great server or sideboard. This lovely chest is selling for $7,900

This Swedish Gustavian interior from Huset shows how marvelous a striped painted wall can transform a room from an ordinary room to an interior with a distinct Scandinavian flavor. 

Swedish Decorating Ideas- Octagonal Floral Paintable Wallpaper

Swedish Wallpaper Decorating Ideas

Paintable Wallpaper Border Ideas From Borders To Go, Paint-able Prepasted [...]]]>

Swedish Gustavian Furniture From Huset

This Swedish Gustavian interior from Huset shows how marvelous a striped painted wall can transform a room from an ordinary room to an interior with a distinct Scandinavian flavor. 

Swedish Decorating Ideas- Octagonal Floral Paintable Wallpaper

Swedish Wallpaper Decorating Ideas

Paintable Wallpaper Border Ideas From Borders To Go, Paint-able
Prepasted Beadboard Wallpaper in White

Instead of hanging wallpaper borders at the edge of the ceiling, why not re-invent this look by hanging them vertical instead of horizontal?  Border prints could be combined with other raised paint-able wallpapers to create a unique period style look. 

Brewster sells this wonderful paint-able Octagonal Floral Print which could be combined with a border wallpaper to create rectangular grids on your wall. This border pattern from Borders to Go is the perfect pattern to feature vertical.  Create rectangular spaces using wallpaper, or paint to frame in your most precious wall ornaments.  Frame in that wonderful gold Swedish clock or a set of family photos.  Customize your walls using tape, paint-able wallpaper, or just ordinary paint.  

Here are a couple of my paint-able wallpaper choices which could be used in a Swedish decorating scheme............... 

Paintable Wallpaper Border From Borders To Go $8.89

Paintable Swag Wallpaper Border From Borders To Go $9.89

Acanthus Leaf Paintable Border From York Wallcoverings $12.45

Rosettes Paintable Border From York Wallcoverings $12.13

Diamond Leaves Paintable Border From York Wallcoverings $12.13

Border Wallpaper For A Horizontal Surface. Drawer Fronts?  - Borders To Go $8.89

Create Your OWN Wallpaper From Victoria Larsen Plaster Stencils

This is one of the prettiest stencils I have seen -Raised Leaf Vertical Wall PLASTER Stencil From Victoria Larsen $9.99  Check out this leaf stencil from her website.

Floral Stencil From Victoria Larsen $10.50

Art Deco Flower Stencil.  Perfect Vertical Pattern.  $22.99

Rope Border Stencil From Victoria Larsen $16.99

J. Cutler’s captivating film, The September Issue, has put Vogue editor Anna Wintour in the spotlight worldwide.  Not as though she has ever left the spotlight, as Wintour has been American Vogue's Editor-in-Chief since 1988.  The documentary shows behind the scenes of the every day happenings at Vogue as they put together the publication of the famous September [...]]]>

Anna Wintour

J. Cutler’s captivating film, The September Issue, has put Vogue editor Anna Wintour in the spotlight worldwide.  Not as though she has ever left the spotlight, as Wintour has been American Vogue's Editor-in-Chief since 1988.  The documentary shows behind the scenes of the every day happenings at Vogue as they put together the publication of the famous September issue.  The film details the glamour behind fashion, as they travel the globe for model shoots, and talk with the most famous  clothing designers to put together the famous pages found in Vogue magazine.

Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour's Long Island Home

Would it surprise you that Wintour's home is decorated in classic Swedish furnishings?  The home was featured in The World of Interiors magazine, and draws a comfortable feel, so opposite from the glamour Wintour is immersed in every day.  The house features lovely wood painted walls, and exquisite Swedish Gustavian furniture.  Serene paint colors, comfortable furnishings, and furniture showing years of love would be the ideal escape for any person who has such a busy lifestyle.

Excerpt From The World of Interiors Magazine:

"It was perhaps eight years ago that a neighbor's change of fortune resulted in my good luck. The property that adjoins my 1820 Long Island summerhouse (WoI March 2006) came up for sale when its owner left in a hurry. It had an 1834 farmhouse, with loads of additions and 12 poky bedrooms. It had a perplexing reception room with difficult, though grand, proportions. It had lawns that tumbled down toward a beautiful-to-the-eye, toxic-to-everything-else river."

Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour's Long Island Home

Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour's Long Island Home

Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour's Long Island Home

Sasha Waddell is known for her Swedish–inspired interiors for almost two decades. 20 years ago, Waddell was the leading pioneer of the Scandinavian look which is still a favorite interor design style today. The beauty of the white-on-white palette, remains to be one of the most [...]]]>

Swedish Decorating- Scandinavian Interiors Gustavian Furniture- Sasha Waddell Interiors

Sasha Waddell is known for her Swedish–inspired interiors for almost two decades. 20 years ago, Waddell was the leading pioneer of the Scandinavian look which is still a favorite interor design style today. The beauty of the white-on-white palette, remains to be one of the most understated, simple, natural and elegant looks in interior design. With an emphasis on painted floorboards, gray and white tones, painted furniture, elegant stenciling, and interiors bathed in pastels; Swedish decorating is here to stay.

Her work has been featured in most interior magazines and Sasha has appeared frequently on television and radio. She has also lectured on her interior design style and taught at various art schools, King's College, Cambridge and at the Victoria & Albert Museum on Carl Larsson.  Sasha was also listed in the top 100 Interior Designers by House & Garden magazine, as well as being chosen by House & Garden as one of the most influential designers in the last decade.

New Swedish Style By Sasha Waddell

New Swedish Style By Sasha Waddell

Rewiew of Her Book "New Swedish Style:

Everett E. Day - Here are some practical ideas and projects for creating the Swedish Look. Some such as the instructions for creating a "Roller Blind with Lace Trim", are
useful, some, such as "The Garden Gate Radiator Cover", are of dubious utility
and inspiration. Authentic this book is not, but if you are interested in the
Swedish style and wish to transform a room or apartment into a semblance of the
Gustavian look on a tight budget, it may be of use to you.

Review of Her Book "New Swedish Style:

An interior designer working in London, Waddell presents the uncluttered country
style that is now being championed in such books as Perfect Country Rooms,
reviewed above. With the advice to "keep it light and simple, and always pare
down the unnecessary," she describes Swedish interior design style, with a
special focus on Swedish arts and crafts designer Carl Larsson and his home in
Sundborn, Sweden. Most of this well-illustrated book consists of how-to projects
such as creating accents with wood, constructing curtains, and antiquing a table
with clear, easy-to-follow instructions. Similar to Rosalind Burdett's Essential
Swedish Style (LJ 5/15/96), which contains fewer illustrations and covers a
broader range of decorating styles, Waddell's book is recommended for interior
design collections that cater to a do-it-yourself clientele.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Dan Marty Grainsack Pillow with Laurel Design Seen On The Duchess Of Corbin Blog L.A.’s Dan Marty is often credited with helping fuel the feedbag/burlap decorative trend. Marty’s furniture was upholstered in burlap and feedbag instead of pricey fabrics.

Create these stunning pillows for yourself.....

Here are pictures that have inspired [...]]]>

Dan Marty Grainsack Pillow with Laurel Design

Dan Marty Grainsack Pillow with Laurel Design Seen On The Duchess Of Corbin Blog L.A.’s Dan Marty is often credited with helping fuel the feedbag/burlap
decorative trend. Marty’s furniture was upholstered in burlap and feedbag instead of pricey fabrics.

Create these stunning pillows for yourself.....

Here are pictures that have inspired me........

-Vintage and Antique Burlap on EBAY

- Bolster-shaped pillow with a wreath

-Shabby Chic Charming Blog shows you how to do this yourself with a printer.

-Here we see an all natural pillow with a ruffle edge.  The stenciling doesn't have to be clear in order for it to be very lovely. 

-A little bit of color goes a long way.  This antique German grain sack pillow by Melissa Neufeld shows how lovely these pillows can look on a bed, or on a sofa for a primitive appearance.

-If blue is your favorite color, you have to look at these pillows. The top right pillow looks to have the picture stencil in blue, and the vertical stripe in a different shade of blue.  Both colors combined with charcoal make such an impact.  Make Your Own Grainsack Pillows - From Doesn't Cost The Earth Blog

-Kymberly Frasier has combined her passion for antiques, textiles and design into
exquisite one-of-a-kind pillows and upholstery for her company, 3 Fine Grains.

-These cushion slip covers simply sit on the chairs and provide protection to your upholstered furniture.  They could be very easy to stencil without comitting to stenciling the fabric on your chairs and upholstery.  It is as easy to change it out if you want to go in a different direction in several months.

Plain Stuffer Pillows

-Square Sham Stuffer Pillow - 18x18" (Large) $5.50

-12x18 Cluster Fiber Pillow Form Insert $13.35

-Bolster Sham Insert Stuffer Pillow - 8"x24" $19

-Decorative 100% Linen Pillow Covers (Gray Set of 2) $49

Decorative Stencils For Pillow Stenciling

- Border Stencils In The Wind Border Stencil-

-167 - Classic Garland Stencil Library $31

- Alphabet Stencils On Ebay

-AD7 - Adam Cartouche Stencil Library

-AD8 - Adam Cartouche No 2 Stencil Library

- Tassels and Vines Stencil- Victoria Larsen

-Alphabet Stencils From The Stencil Library

-Victoria Larsen Architectural Stencils That Can Be Used in Other Ways

-Martha Stewart Stencils On Ebay

-Round Medallion Stencil $2.49

-Tulip Vine Stencil From Victoria Larsen Stencils

-Simply Stencils- Set of Three Foliage Stencils

-Ring of Roses Pattern: 7.5" x 7.5" $12

-Designer Decorating Stencil Script Numbers $13

-ER40A - Garland Stencil Library

- Wreath Stencils on Ebay

-Country Vine Wreath Stencil

-TR20 - Gustavian Stencil Library, ALL Gustavian Stencils From Stencil Library

-Borders Stencil - 3 Patterns Victoria Larsen

-Decorating Fabric: Print, Stencil, Paint and Dye Over 100 Fabulous Projects

Linen Fabric By The Yard

-56'' Wide Vintage French Feedsack Beaudelaire Jacquard Black , BLUE, Charcoal Fabric $30

-56'' Wide Vintage French Feedsack Duboise Script Jacquard Chocolate, RED, $30

-58'' Wide European Linen Fabric Oatmeal By The Yard $14

-56'' Wide Vintage French Feedsack Claudine Stripe Blue , BLACK Fabric $25

-58'' Wide European Linen Fabric Cream By The Yard $14

-58'' Wide European Linen Fabric Elephant By The Yard $14

-58'' Wide European Linen Fabric Ice Blue By The Yard $14

-54'' Wide Robert Allen Linen Duck Natural Fabric By The Yard $12

-9-Feet x 12-Feet Canvas Drop Cloth Perfect For Drapes $22

-46'' Wide Stretch Linen Blend Stripe Ecru Fabric By The Yard $11

-46'' Wide Stretch Linen Blend Stripe White Fabric By The Yard $11

Old World Grain Sack Natual Stenciled Pillows From Dan Marty Designs

Natural stenciled pillows have been tremendously popular on esty these last several years.  Here are some very lovely natural pillows that will give you the old world charm in your own home. 

All Natural Linen Throw Pillows

1. Pillow Decor - Quality Guarantee Red, Brown $70

2. Pillow Decor - Cacao Bean Red Print Throw Pillow $70

3. Pillow Decor - 1907 Airmail 24x24 Throw Pillow $89, Postcard To Paris $89

4. Pillow Decor - Tulips 20x20 Decorative Throw Pillow $49

5. Pillow Decor - Wading Birds 20x20 Throw Pillow $70

6. Pillow Decor - Bird on Branch 20x20 Throw Pillow $70

Green and Orange Pillow Covers, Get The Swedish Natural Look

1. Pillow Decor - Rustic Floral Green Throw Pillow $49

2. Pillow Decor - White with Green Spring Flower and Ferns $34, Green with White Spring Flower and Ferns $28

3. Tommy Bahama Designer Boutique Throw Pillow Covers $40

4. Pillow Decor - Rustic Floral Orange Throw Pillow $49

5. Pillow Decor - Fire Coral Orange, Blue,

6. Pillow Decor - Sea Coral in Orange, White, Blue, Red $40

Additional Interesting Pillows

-Dwell Studio Masala Bedding in Citrine Standard Pillows $60, Citrine Sheet Set Queen $208

-Coral Red Scroll Print 22" Wide Throw Pillow $60

-Judy Ross Textiles Vines Printed Linen Coral Pillow $135

-Outdoor Throw Pillow in Blue Coral - Frontgate $119

-Croscill Home Mikasa Italian Countryside King Pillow Sham $39

-Provence French Laundry Square Toss Pillow, Linen/Red $21

Tullgarn Upholstered Chair By Nordic Style

Red has been known to be one of the richest colors of all colors available to us, and it just so happens to be one of the main colors in the Swedish decorating [...]]]>

Swedish Gustavian Furniture - Red Swedish Upholstery -Tullgarn Upholstered Chair By Nordic Style

Tullgarn Upholstered Chair By Nordic Style

Red has been known to be one of the richest colors of all colors available to us, and it just so happens to be one of the main colors in the Swedish decorating style.  The color red is a fantastic choice to use as an accent color, such as in fabric choices, painted furniture, and accessories.

Red can also be used on the walls, and through out a room if it is done right.  The color is rich, vibrant and powerful.  Red can have a very distinctive country flavor, when it is paired with certain fabrics such as the Swedish check fabric, or floral textiles.  It can also present itself to be a courtly aristocratic look simply by pairing it with the right Swedish furniture.

Swedish country ladder back chairs look very country, compared to the square back Louis XVI dining chairs which are more formal in appearance.  Both velvet and raw silk are more stately fabrics which can be used to create a cultured Swedish interior.  Cotton or linen based fabrics work in both a stately interior, as well as a country home scheme.  There isn't another color with quite the impact that red has.

Here are 5 Ways to Incorporate the Color Red Into Your Swedish Styled Home

1. Consider Using A Red Check Pattern

There are three main patterns which work with every other pattern, and that is the stripe, solid fabrics and the classic check fabric.

Check fabric is almost a must-have element in a Swedish home.  If you plan on decorating around any of these colors, consider adding in a check element of some sort.  Whether you decide to go after a country look, or an upscale courtly look, gingham can be used in either decorating styles.

Pair gingham with a painted chair for a country look.  Look for off white paint colors, or gray toned hues.  Dark gray paint can look terrific against white and red.  For a grand more opulent look, consider gold based furniture that is gold leafed for a regal appearance.

You can add in a couple throw pillows, or base your entire room around one single pattern.

See these posts as examples- Ted and Lillian Williams chateau in France, Jeffrey Bilhuber's Manhattan Check Wallpapered Apartment, or Clare Fraser's Swedish Bedroom.

Finding an over-sized check pattern can be difficult, and at times I felt like I have resorted to using tablecloths that are widely available online to upholster with.  Ebay is one of the best places to buy "lot" fabrics at discounts.

Here are some fabrics that caught my eye:

LinenTablecloth's rectangular tablecloths are durable, and are made of a heavier fabric than most other tablecloths on the market.

DII Flame Red and White Checkers Tablecloth 60 x 84" Made of 100 percent cotton

This classic red and white check pattern that features flowers is very Swedish looking, except I have had a hard time finding it in 100% cotton than vinyl.

Decorating With Red Check From Country Living Magazine

House Beautiful Magazine Cover

Swedish Decorating Ideas - White Based Room With Red Check and Patterned Upholstery

Swedish Decorating Ideas - White Based Room With Red Check and Patterned Upholstery

This room is wonderfully Swedish in style!  Here you can see they use a white based interior with creamy white painted chairs and a touch of red in the upholstery. 

The wood plank floors are bleached and limed for that classic Gustavian look.  In this post I mention some products I use for a raw wood look on my furniture and floors.

Beautiful Curved Legged Console Table

Get the look of the table that is sitting next to the armoire for a little over $400 dollars. 

Red is used here as an accent, not as the main color.  What makes this room Swedish is they feature just SWEDISH elements without any extra fuss.  Urn lamps are used on a painted tapered leg table.  In fact, a coffee table also appears in the same style. 

They pair their country Swedish looking chairs with a Louis XV country dining table.  You can find a number of terrific tables on ebay.

Currey and Company sells this lovely french table for $1750

I absolutely LOVE these nesting tables.  Again the straight leg is very classy!  They have all the classic Swedish looks, and they come ready to go with the right paint and distressing.

If you are wanting a set of chairs like the picture above, consider this 7 piece set which has all the looks of the Swedish country dining chairs.  Even the table has tapered legs.  This set has 7 pieces for $936, while here they only sell the chair for $75 dollars.

Black Finished Bradford Side Chair $158, in WHITE, and natural wood that you can paint and distress.

This 7 piece set includes a bench, which you may want to use else where in your home.  This set is priced at $1239 which isn't that much more for a stunning bench in that style.

Here is the same set in a vintage green, and they also have a beautiful server available as well.  These sets look much like these famous Gustavian interior pictures.

Stein World sells this wonderful drop leaf tapered leg table which easily can be painted.  It can be used as a coffee table, with two accent chairs, with both leaves up.  Paint it all gray, distress it for a Gustavian appearance.  Strip the wood and stain it gray.  It sells for $269

Coaster sells a very inexpensive set of three tables for $60 dollars. These tables have a ton of potential if you were to paint them, and distress them.  Use them in various parts of your home for a bit of that Swedish appearance.  You really cannot beat the price point.  While the look isn't classic Gustavian, they do have the fluted legs which are so hard to find at a reasonable price.  You get three tables for $60 dollars.  You could even turn them into benches with foam and a stapler.

Butler Sells an oversized specialty Demilune Console Entry Table that could be placed anywhere in the house for a dramatic look. They sell this table for $1200 .  Paint this table for a very Swedish look, and add extra hardware to the sides for false drawers. Brass keyholes always add a formal rich appearance to furniture.

A really nice basic table can go a long way with new hardware and new paint.  Check out this one for only $120.  Exchange out the hardware with some Louis XVI round pulls. 

This Winsome Whitman Round End Table with Carved Legs sells for only $84 dollars. What a steal!

Winsome also sells a tapered leg computer desk for $119, and a great drop leaf table that would work terrific along the wall.  Buy two for a wall and position them under windows.  For $154 including shipping, the price is unbeatable!

Currey & Company Sells a really stunning Console Table in Reclaimed Ebony Finish.  It sells for $3200, and is well worth the price point.  Paint it to match the furniture in the room you hope to showcase it in.

International Concepts has some of the best furniture out there. Their tapered leg sofa table sells for $119.

They also sell a very attractive bedside table that looks to have three drawers but in fact has two.  Dress up this table with some Louis XVI round pulls, and some round keyholes for a Swedish appearance for a LOT LESS!!  The table sells for $135 and would be terrific with one on either side of a bed.  Think about this PAINTED and distressed!  It would be hot!  They look identical to the table that got away from me on craigslist so many years ago.

If you like the rounded look with straight legs, International Concepts sells a very pretty round side table that would work in a living room as well as bedroom.  They sell this table for $117 including shipping.

Here is your drop leaf sofa table!  Think about the possibilities of this table paired with two very pretty Gustavian chairs.  International Concepts sells this beauty only for $107 including shipping!

This table offers a bit more of a curve, and is painted in black.  It sells for $189

Swedish Decorating Ideas Svindersvik

Red Painted Swedish Mora Clock

Swedish Decorating Ideas- Use Check Patterns Red Check on Louis XVI Swedish Chair

Here is a lovely Louis XVI Swedish Chair From Seven Sedie Reproductions Based in Italy.  

Louis XVI chairs are quite expensive.  I had a good friend who sold me 2 sets which I will be forever very grateful for.  If you are looking for a really inexpensive set that has all the looks of these lovely chairs without the price point, consider this set which includes 6 chairs and a table for $650.  While they are not high end Louis XVI chairs, they can be re-upholstered with the material of your choice.  The chairs do have tapered legs which is the classic Swedish style.  The table works really nicely with the set, because it has the same legs. 

Coaster also sells these chairs individually, so if you want to get a couple extra to line up behind your 6 piece set along the wall, they sell them 2 for $150.  Consider painting the frame a light gray.  The white fabric against a beautiful painted gray would be just remarkable.  Check out how lovely this Empire chair looks with white upholstery and a painted gray frame. Adding furniture ormolu   is a great investment for your furniture.  It is amazing what a little bit of detail can do for your furniture. 

Decorating In The Swedish Style - How To Use The Color Red

2. Utilize Fabric To Bring The Color Red Into Your Home. 

The right Fabric can really transform a room.  Depending on what you plan on using the fabric for, a little can go a long way, and a lot of fabric is an investment for years to come.

Swedish interiors usually have prints that are based on a white background. While that is not the case in all situations, the majority of the time it is.

A floral rose based on white would be a terrific choice for a feminine appearance.  Floral fabrics aren't only for a women's room, but can be used to create depth on a very ornate chair, or on a carved bed.  Floral fabrics on a white background are what draw many people to the Swedish style.  The fabrics are not at all like the "shabby chic" floral, but rather upscale, sophisticated while simple at the same time.

Red Ticking is another fantastic choice.  The fabric is very ornate in appearance, while at the same time being very simple in design.  Ticking isn't that expensive, and it tends to be heavy, making it a great choice for upholstery, drapes, and bedding.  The colors are very vibrant, and often times it is based on an off white background making it antique in appearance.

Velvet is very rich and is a wonderful choice for a special piece of furniture.  Velvet is often saturated in color making it a fabric you want to upholster a piece of furniture that will be showcased in a living room or a bedroom.  Velvet can look extremely luxurious.  Check out these orange gilt French chairs.   The color is vibrant, and best of all, velvet is very durable.

While silk taffeta is a fabric you see in most French interiors, Raw silk is something that would work absolutely wonderful in a Swedish interior.  Swedish interiors have all the elements of the French style, except the interior choices are more natural and restrained compared to the french.  Have you ever touched raw silk?  It is much nicer than silk taffeta in my opinion.  It has a lightweight feel, and can hold its own form if you use it as drapes.  The color is incredibly rich and vibrant, and the texture has a bit of a woven pattern much like linen to some degree.

Some Fabric Sources For Your Consideration:

Antique Vintage European Textiles - They offer a number of like colored bundles for various small projects.  Buy a couple of stools, (20 dollars each) and consider upholstering them in red antique fabrics.  This ebay store is wonderful!

Antique French Country Linen Buying Sources

Restoration Fabrics and Trims- Keep an eye on this ebay store if you are looking for a bigger project such as a settee.  They offer larger yards and nice antique fabrics for some of those bigger projects.

Decorating With Red For Bedroom Canopy Ideas- Use a basic red in a room to make a big impact.

Consider Alaska Quilting Adventures - Red and Blue Fabrics- Check out my post detailing my favorite Swedish fabric picks.  Some as little as 9 dollars a yard.

Gustavian Sofa 1900s From Swedish Interior Design

Antique Red Louis XVI Canopy Bed

Antique Red Louis XVI Canopy Bed From Eclectic Revisited.

3.  Paint Your Furniture RED. 

One of the easiest ways to include the color red in your home is to use paint. Not only can you mix the perfect color together, anything that is wood can be painted, and stenciled.  Think about wooden baskets that can be painted, and dressed up with hardware or furniture furniture ormolu. I painted my own waste basket a Swedish blue.  The tall container had a lid, it just needed to be dressed up with  oversized gold hardware.  This wonderful wooden bucket can be painted and then distressed heavily.  Attach some oversized brass doorknockers to the sides for a very high end primitive look.   Lux Exclusive has the same look for $50 dollars.

Get some ideas from this Beautiful Country Red Rustic Dresser.  Adding brass hardware and furniture ormolu can dress up a piece of furniture in a room like nothing else.  The Chinese Pavilion is a great example of a Swedish room painted in all Red.  If you are considering an explosive Red interior, copy this look.

Additional ideas:

12 Piece Artificial Red Apples- Decorate your kitchen with a couple fake apples that look beautiful and realistic

Artificial Pomegranates in Burgundy $30,Artificial Red Delicious Apple, Box of 12,

French Mirror Screen By Wayborn, Solid Basswood, Three panel room divider $474

This wonderful trophy cup has a base that can be painted and decorated with gold decorative accents.  For $70, it would make a pretty decorative piece with the base painted in red.

Square Column Pedestal Size - $200

This Classic Large Pedestal Base is only $70 dollars, and can be painted a red, and paired with an oversized urn.  14 3/8"W x 24 3/4"H  Urns can be found at your local Hardware store though the summer time.  It is best to buy them at the end of the season when they are heavily discounted.

Consider a miniture doll house that could be painted a red, and used as a display.

Swedish Interior Design Ideas- Red Painted Furniture

Bernhardt Martha Stewart Laurel Stenciled Chest

This Bernhardt Martha Stewart Laurel Stenciled Chest shows you that you don't necessarly have to paint the exterior of a piece of furniture to add a splash of color.  If you don't want a really loud color, consider painting the inside of your furniture, closets, and pantries.

This Red Painted Bombe Chest Would Look Terrific In A Swedish Interior Based on Red

This Red Painted Bombe Chest By Pulaski would look terrific in a Swedish interior based on the color red.

This chest actually comes with only the drawers painted red, which I wasn't a fan of, so I colored in the chest in my photo program to show you how lovely it would be in solid red. 

The overall shape is wonderful, and it could be painted the paint color of your choice.   The interesting thing about this chest is it is listed for different price points.  Pulaski has their chest listed at $716, while here it is listed at $522, and here it is listed at $448

Panels placed between drawers maintain a dust-free environment. Center drawer guides with stop provide years of quiet, smooth service and prevent drawers from sliding out accidentally Fine craftsmanship of English and French dovetail construction add stabilty for longer life Unique designs, custom hardware, multi-step hand rubbed finishes, create a look of timeless beauty and style Made of various types of woods & sculpted resin with veneers over high density pressed wood like MDF Felt lined drawers protect silverware from scratches, tarnishing and wear Corners are secured with wooden blocks to keep furniture solid and secure for years to come Dimensions: 40in D x 18in W x 36in H

Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design From Maze Home

4.  Consider Using A White and Red Floral Pattern

Consider a Bright RED Neoclassical Pattern - Such as The Jack Country Pattern

Red Chintz Dinner Ware and Brightly Painted French Red Chest With Gold French Hardware

Swedish Decorating Ideas- Simple Soft Furnishings: 50 Stylish Sewing Projects to Transform Your Home

Simple Soft Furnishings: 50 Stylish Sewing Projects to Transform Your Home explores five key areas of the home where soft furnishings can make a big difference: bath, bedroom, kitchen, dining and living room. Best of all, soft furnishings can be easily created by anyone with a sewing machine -- even beginners. With an irresistible collection of projects, ranging from simple cushions to elegant curtains and sumptuous bedding, these designs are a mix of timeless classics and current trends with appeal for all ages.

Each project will bring style to any room at an affordable cost. The focus is on quick and easy ideas that can be readily made in a weekend. This beautifully presented book features:

-Fifty original soft furnishing designs for the home
-Projects for cushions, curtains and blinds, seating, bedding and table linens
-Simplified techniques for the beginner sewer
-Illustrated step-by-step instructions
-Advice for alternative fabrics, fastenings, trimming, patterns and color schemes
-List of resources and suppliers
-Tips for adding special touches to customize each project.

5. Consider Using Gold and White along side Red.

Outstanding Paneled Red Painted Bathroom

This picture shows a sensational bathroom with a fabulous shade of red.  Here you can see that red is dominant, but the overall look isn't overpowering.  If you want a rich tone of red, this may be a perfect example of how to incorporate it.

Unique Vintage Wooden Swedish Westerstrand Wall Clock From Just 4 fun 8828

You can see how rich gold looks against red.  Consider lining your walls with shadow boxes, which allow you to frame objects that are 3 d.

-MCS 16x20 Linen Lined Shadow Bow in Black $36

-MCS 9x20 Inch Linen Lined Shadow Box in Walnut Finish $27

-Consider framing a vintage childs linen dress and antique shoes with this shadow box $44

-Here we see a set of 4 Shadow Boxes for $23  Paint them, and customize them for your own antique findings.

-Class up your pictures with Custom Photo Labels- Make your labels a couple shades darker than your photo mat.  $14

- Here is a shadow box displaying keys......... For an antique look, consider collecting old brass keys which could be mounted.

-Sometimes less is more.  Lining up items in order can make the items in shadow boxes appear more valuable and special.

- Consider painting the inside of your shadow box the same color, or darker hue than the paint color on your walls.  Your shadow box will look deliberately designed for the wall it is showcased on.

-Here you see a regular frame which silverware is painted white.  Display gold table ware in dark gray shadowboxes and gilt-wood frames for a very high end look.  Red matting also could look very classy for a bold punch against brass.

Original Transition Mora Clock 1764 This clock has a beautiful face and has inscriptions "A. A. S." (for Krång Anders Andersson (1727-1799) of Östnor,) and "Mora". Finely chased bronze hands. The body is in the transition style (between Rococo and Gustavian) made of soft wood and has a cream and gold [...]]]>

White Painted Mora Clocks

Original Transition Mora Clock 1764 This clock has a beautiful face and has inscriptions "A. A. S." (for Krång Anders Andersson (1727-1799) of Östnor,) and "Mora". Finely chased bronze hands. The body is in the transition style (between Rococo and Gustavian) made of soft wood and has a cream and gold patina.

Spring and Summer has arrived, and people are always looking at investing in outdoor patio and garden furniture.  Quality patio furniture isn't always affordable, at least this is what I discovered shopping for our own home.  A few weeks ago, I was heading into town, and [...]]]>

Late 19th Century Table and Benches Lorfords Antiques Featured on La Pouyette Blog

Spring and Summer has arrived, and people are always looking at investing in outdoor patio and garden furniture.  Quality patio furniture isn't always affordable, at least this is what I discovered shopping for our own home.  A few weeks ago, I was heading into town, and spotted garden furniture out of one of our local shops, and so I made a special effort to go and see what was for sale.  One adirondack chair was listed close to $700 dollars!  How can anyone afford to entertain with one chair costing as much as an antique?

19th Century Table and Bench From Lorfords Antiques- Check out their dining tables here.......

Isn't the painted bench and table in the upper picture just amazing?  The color of the paint is absolutely perfect for anyone who is looking to decorate in the Swedish Gustavian look.  If you haven't discovered International Concepts's unfinished furniture, certainly check it out, as they have a number of Shaker pieces that could double as Swedish country furniture.  Of course, a set like this I am sure is worth thousands.  Everything about it is just eye flattering!

Since I have joined Pinterest, it seems like every day I am learning a new DIY skill or another.  One trend I have seen on Pinterest is turning FREE old pallets that are often discarded into garden furniture.  While the thought of this may make you cringe, you would be surprised at how pleasing some designs have looked.

-In this photo, you see a garden chair that is made out of an old pallet.

-Here someone has stacked palettes for lounging inside the home.  You could take this concept outside and use it for your garden containers at several heights, much like a staircase.

-While I wouldn't have this design inside my home, it could be a great idea for composting outside.  Composting containers often are unsightly, and this design may be a great idea to consider.  The overall design is very attractive, and anything can be improved with paint.

-This is one of the nicest designs I have seen using pallets.  Why not cut them in half, and use them as wine racks?  You could have a floor to ceiling storage for wine, or shelving if you are creative.

-This person put together a lovely outdoor potting table using a couple old pallets.  This table looks fabulous!

-This table was created using a couple of pallets.  You can see they added wheels and framed this together with wood blocks for the center.  How easy, and inexpensive.  You could also take this concept, and build a large container garden that is waist height.  No more bending over to garden!

When it comes to simple DIY projects such as these, anyone can get excited.  With the cost of wood these days, it is no wonder why people are turning towards free resources.  Although, at the same time, there is a fine line between your home looking like a junk pit, and a home that you can be proud of, so choose carefully what you implement.

The Magazine Popular Mechanics has an article that shows you how to make your own adirondack chairs if you are game to learn.  For many people such as myself, I have no carpentry skills what so ever, so I couldn't even entertain the idea.  While I am an exceptional painter, wood filler has become my best friend when it comes to creating projects from wood.   For people like me, and perhaps many of you, you just would rather buying a nice piece of furniture instead of messing around with wood that may turn out to looking like DIY.

There is such a wide range of furniture out there, all at different price points.  It seems more than ever there is a growing demand for metal and wood furniture. Although if you are like me, and you are going to invest in a set no matter what, why not find a style that you absolutely love, and plan on enjoying for many years ahead, than just settle for something in your local area?

Set of Twelve 19th Century Swedish Chairs

Set of Twelve 19th Century Swedish Chairs La Pouyette Blog

A set of 12 Swedish dining chairs c.1830, Scraped to traces of original pale
blue paint, seats recovered in coarse vintage linen - Lorfords Antiques

If you love the look of Swedish furniture, and are perhaps in the market for outdoor furniture, you may really enjoy the designs from LuuNguyen's outdoor wood furniture collection.  The slat back chairs have always been a classic Swedish design. In this post we feature several dining chairs which also have slat backs to achieve an antique country Swedish look.

LuuNguyen Outdoor Furniture

LuuNguyen Co., Ltd. company is a leading garden furniture producer in Vietnam. They produce absolutely beautiful garden furniture made from hardwood such as Eucalyptus, Acacia, and Teak. LuuNguyen garden furniture can be found on Amazon, although after visiting their site, they welcome entrepreneur, importers, wholesalers, department stores, or those who wish to create their own private label. A business can sell and market these lovely outdoor furniture lines without the complexities of products manufacturing.

Here are my favorites:

1. LuuNguyen Reclining Folding Arm Chair Set of 2 $179

2. LuuNguyen Hardwood Folding Side Table $43

3. LuuNguyen Folding Table, 28 by 28 by 30-Inches $99

4. LuuNguyen Folding Chair Set of 2 $99

5. LuuNguyen - Lindy Hardwood Chaise Lounge $149

6. LuuNguyen  7-Piece Dining Set $649

7. LuuNguyen Rocking Chair $99

8. LuuNguyen 7-Piece Extension Expandable Dining Set $800

9. LuuNguyen Four Foot Hardwood Bench $139

10. LuuNguyen 11-Piece Extension Expandable Dining Set $1000

11. LuuNguyen Five Foot Hardwood Bench $139

12. LuuNguyen 5-Piece Conversation Deep Seating Set

Wood furniture allows you the option to customize it with paint to match your existing wood or metal furniture.  Wood also allows you to distress furniture in such a way that it doesn't look brand new.

If you choose not to paint your wood furniture, consider cleaning your furniture at regular  intervals to keep your furniture in good condition.  Cleaning is a must for any patio furniture, but even more so for wood furniture is using a protector for the wood.

- Consider getting an oil based water repellent polyurethane.  This is especially necessarily for areas of the country where it rains quite often.

- For sunny regions, polyurethane that has a UV protection capability, or paint that has built in barriers to prevent color fading.

-During the colder months, it's a good idea to  store your wood patio furniture inside.  Many people do not have the luxury of extra space so consider investing in patio furniture covers for the winter months.  If you don't have the space, consider the folding chairs above, which are easier to store.

Other Considerations:

Look at this picture from Petit Trianon - Picture Taken By Heather Clawson.  Buy your own wood planter boxes for your own home.  -Cedar Wood Raised Planter Box $300, -Branford Large Teak Planter Box $121, -Cedar Planter Box Square $24.97, -Susquehanna Outdoor Barrel Planter, Cedar $49

-SEI Storage Box $349, -SEI Plantation Chair $399, -SEI Teak Lutyens Bench, 5-Feet $649

-Adams Manufacturing Quick-Fold Side Table, Desert Clay $12.72, Berry Blue$14, Fold Side Table White $34, Bright Blue  $17 Cafe Table, Desert Clay $34.99

-Faux Ivy Privacy Screen $55, Vinyl Chair Cover $9., Vinyl Chaise Cover $8. Primo Cypress Wood Table Grill $474

Swedish Gustavian Paint Colors

This Georgian located in Bromley, London home decorated with Swedish furniture for a classic Gustavian styled home right out of the 18th century. Of all the photos, two really struck me as really spectacular.

In the picture above, a genuine Swedish antique cabinet is painted and really sets the [...]]]>

Swedish Gustavian Decorating

Swedish Gustavian Paint Colors

This Georgian located in Bromley, London home decorated with Swedish furniture for a classic Gustavian styled home right out of the 18th century. Of all the photos, two really struck me as really spectacular.

In the picture above, a genuine Swedish antique cabinet is painted and really sets the theme for this room as being distinctively Gustavian.

This lovely bed is upholstered in a mauve satin; a perfect color choice for a Swedish look. The frame of the bed is painted white and finished with gold detailing around the edges of the frame.  Adding the extra work into your furniture can make all the difference in your home.  Painting your furniture a shade of gray or an off white and adding extra gilding on the details can add the extravagance looks of 17th and 18th century Swedish furniture.

Painting the details in gold can be very tedious to say the least, but as you can see it makes all the difference to creating looks very close to regal Gustavian furniture.

The walls in this room are likely painted white, but as you can see from shade of the photo, a shade of pink, pink gray tone, or muted coral would look really spectacular to pair with an upholstered Louis XV bed in mauve.

Gustavian Swedish Decorating Ideas

This room shows how sweet a child's bedroom can be decorated in a classic Gustavian look.  In this room, the natural wood really steals the spotlight.  overall look is very distressed, rustic and antique looking.  The headboard and nightstand is distinctively Gustavian.  The painted box under the bed has all the right color tones, and the upscale chandelier adds elegance to a child's room.

Buying a true antique is quite rewarding. Although if you want this but don't want to splurge on true antiques, here are a few furniture suggestions that give the Swedish look while at the same time stretching your dollar......

Winsome Wood End Table Night Stand with Door $55

2 Nightstands That Could Be Painted A Off Gray- Wood Two Drawer and Shelf Side Table - Set of 2 For $80.  Consider exchanging out the hardware for something round.

This lovely Reclaimed Four Drawer Side Table by CG Sparks is really lovely, and sells for about $250.

Furniture Creations is one of the best places to turn for inexpensive children's bedroom furniture. This side table has beautiful lines for $66 dollars and comes in black and white.

1. Antiqued Distress White Finish Cabinet Table Nightstand $66

2.Angellina White Finish Solid Wood Night Stand $149

3. Distressed White Wood Perfect Bathroom Corner Cabinet $15.

4.Handmade Rosewood Nightstand - from two color schemes: $194 White with a brown top, or brown with a brown top Rustic in feel and sturdy in construction

5.Winsome Wood Night Stand/ Accent Table with Drawer and cabinet for storage $49

6.Antique Walnut Regalia Table Collection $81.

Gustavian Swedish Decorating Ideas

This antique horse is one of the prettiest patterns I have seen, as if you look closely at the pattern, it extends all over the horse's body compared to other antiques where the pattern usually is positioned around the center, and the legs are left white.

Many antique horses have this classic circular painted pattern that adds depth and texture to these old fashioned toys.  The combination is usually white or light yellow and gray, and the saddle is painted in an alternative color.

Finding one of these antique painted horses is next to impossible without spending a fortune.

Ebay always has a small but limited selection of very nice antique wooden horses often for exceptional details.  So if you really are looking to invest in a wooden rocking horse consider keeping an eye on ebay, as usually I see them anywhere from $160-up to $2000 and beyond.

Happy Trails Lamb Plush Rocking Animal $49

Happy Trails sells this very adorable Lamb Rocking Animal.  He is handcrafted with a wood core, and stands on sturdy wood rockers. This animal will make a bold addition to any child's room. Measures 22.5"L x 14.5"W x 25"H and is priced at $49 dollars with FREE Shipping From Amazon!

Gustavian Pedestal- Neoclassical Decorating From Gift & Home Today

Eighteenth century Neoclassical style had made its way into Swedish style when King Gustav III of Sweden corresponded with Marie Antoinette about his decorating projects.  Scandinavia responded to the French style with even more elegance and sophistication.  While Sweden wouldn't be able to duplicate [...]]]>

Gustavian Pedestal- Neoclassical Decorating

Gustavian Pedestal- Neoclassical Decorating From Gift & Home Today

Eighteenth century Neoclassical style had made its way into Swedish style when King Gustav III of Sweden corresponded with Marie Antoinette about his decorating projects.  Scandinavia responded to the French style with even more elegance and sophistication.  While Sweden wouldn't be able to duplicate the vast wealth of the French, The Swedes made it better with less to work with.

Swedish decorating is based around wood.  In order to get the look, consider basing your entire interior around wood.  Painted wood furniture, distressed wood floors, wood paneling, and painted wood accessories are all key elements to Swedish style.  If you have just one of those elements you are on your way to attaining the elegant Gustavian interior looks.

Wood is common in Sweden, such as it is in British Columbia Canada, so it is no wonder they used so much of it in their interior.  After all, it was free for the most part and applicable to so many architectural elements.   The rich marbles of Versailles, were duplicated with paint on wood, and the silks found in upholstery and drapery were replaced with rich linens.

Pearl grey was the universally popular shade, and often accompanied by carved flourishes, ribbons, florals and bows.  These elegant carved details were very neoclassical in nature and often ornamented mirror frames, chairs and furniture alike.

One of the most common draws to Swedish furniture is the paint shades that were used.  Muted tones were used, and the pastel family was at the height of fashion through the 18th century.  Common shades found in Sweden were blues. pinks, pale green, and straw yellow.   Gold leaf was used less than in the rococo period, but were still used to add richness to furniture and decorating.

The curvious lines of the Rococo period were still in style, yet more streamlined designs came into play.  Splayed legs become more straight, though finely tapered.  Fluted legs had the sophistication of something more classy while the tapered legs played to the country side of Swedish decorating.  Chairs were designed with straight backs instead of curved, and long narrow sofas became very fashionable.  Mirrors were a must have in the 17th and 18th century, and this was especially true for Sweden, as their interiors became darker earlier because of the early sun sets.  Candles were often placed in front of mirrors to magnify the reflective light.  for Mirrors became longer and rectangular instead of round or oval.

Swedish Style Decorating Ideas From Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart has such a good eye for style and her impeccable taste shows in these photographs.  Here she uses her own paint- Drabware on the walls. One of the highlights of this room is the Wedgwood china on the wall.  Do you see how well they match with the wall color?  You have to wonder if the entire room was decided with those few pieces?  The china is a few shades darker than the wall color.  The Swedish check is chosen for the chairs, again matching perfectly with the wall color.  The white in the check pattern gives depth to these chairs.

In the next room, the perfect shade of blue is used on the walls in a saturated shade.  Look how blue is chosen for the ceilings instead of white. The floors are painted a darker hue than the walls.

These series of photographs has remained some of my all time favorite photographs out of the thousands I have looked at and compiled for our many blogs.

Swedish Gustavian Decorating Ideas From Martha Stewart

Again, another perfect example of classic Swedish style.  Orange has to be one of my favorite colors, and here you can see how that hue comes alive in this room.  The doors are stripped back so you can appreciate their details and patina.

In the past I have taken all natural wood (or faux painted) and painted an entire piece with plain light gray paint.  After letting the piece dry for 5 to 7 minutes I have washed with a hose (for bigger furniture) or running water (for smaller pieces) to reveal a more distressed look than pickling or white washing.  The overall effect leaves a very rustic painted appearance than your typical clean look of white washing.

Here, the floors are bare and rustic which is a classic Gustavian must have.  One of the best features in this room is the demilune tapered leg console table.  Look how the paint shade is within the same color family as the wall except darker?

Swedish Gustavian Decorating Ideas From Martha Stewart

Here you see in the picture above extremely elegant neoclassical chairs.  The right period style can really make a room look distinctively Swedish.  This room is very simple yet the architectural features are incredibly ornate.

I had no idea that Martha Stewart had a line of Swedish inspired furniture until today, so imagine my surprise when many of the pieces in the collection are very affordable.   It is very easy to decorate in the Swedish style with such affordable furniture.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid 3-Shelf Bookcase $249- Shelves adjust to several different heights. Crafted from composite wood and
birch veneer.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid File Console $399 With turned legs, fine molding and antiqued iron hardware, this filing cabinet
is as beautiful as it is functional. Includes drawer glides for easy, smooth operation. Expertly crafted from solid wood and hardwood veneer. Holds letter- and legal-size folders.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid Accent Side Table $152- Ingrid Side Table is available in multiple smooth finishes or unfinished so you
can add your own distinctive finishing touch.

Martha Stewart Living™ Ingrid Bar Stool $207- this transitional-style seating to your kitchen island or bar counter today for
a calm, airy atmosphere that's as comfortable as it is lovely. Expertly crafted from solid wood and hardwood veneer. Naturally textured cotton upholstery offers comfort and lasting durability.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid Dining Table $479 Ingrid Dining Table brings together smooth surfaces and a beautiful almond
finish that reflects the light beautifully and brings a warm glow to your home. Its removable leaf offers versatility, making this design perfect fit for cozy everyday use or large, elegant gatherings. Includes 20"W removable leaf.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid Side Chair $135 With turned legs and fine molded accents this chair is distinctively Gustavian.  Expertly crafted
from solid wood and hardwood veneer. Natural textured cotton upholstery.

Martha Stewart Living™ Ingrid Console Table $299 features include two drawers and an open shelf. Expertly crafted from solid wood
and hardwood veneer. Includes drawer glides for easy, smooth operation.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid Upholstered Bench $146 Natural textured cotton upholstery. Part of the Martha Stewart Living™ Ingrid
Collection.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid Arm Chair $159 Perfect for your dining room, office or any other space! Expertly crafted from solid wood and hardwood veneer. Natural textured cotton upholstery.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid Desk $379 With turned legs, fine molding and antiqued iron hardware, this desk is as beautiful as it is functional.

Martha Stewart Living Ingrid Nightstand $179- The spacious drawer features an antique iron knob and its lower shelf offers expanded storage for magazines or books. It's the perfect complement to your sophisticated bedroom decor.

Photography by Andreas Von Einsiedel Picture Credit

Owner Monique Waqué discovered this 200 year old farmhouse located in northern Germany, and turned it into her dream home.  You can get her style too with a few key furniture piece.

Mora Clocks don't have to be expensive.  Howard Miller sells some [...]]]>

Monique Waqué's Swedish Styled Home

Photography by Andreas Von Einsiedel Picture Credit

Owner Monique Waqué discovered this 200 year old farmhouse located in northern Germany, and turned it into her dream home.  You can get her style too with a few key furniture piece.

Mora Clocks don't have to be expensive.  Howard Miller sells some absolutely stunning Swedish Mora clocks for a little over 1K.  In this post I show you Mora clocks for as little as $236.  You simply cannot beat that price!

Save your money and buy your Swedish side chairs second hand.  Ebay has a number of stunning Louis XVI side chairs that can be re-upholstered with the fabric of your choice.  Search your local classifieds for a French dining set and re-finish the table.  Or, consider ebay for a dining table with sweeping legs such as you see in the French XV styles.

This home certainly has a country flare.  All the choices are rustic, painted with country Swedish colors.  An oval tray sits on the coffee table.  Consider turning to a hand painted tole tray in the color scheme that you are basing everything around.  My favorites are the floral tole trays which have an elegant feminine country appeal.  Collect a color and consider painting your walls to match the tole trays.  The floral hand-painting gives a very distinct country look.

Check out this post for lovely Linen Sofas-  I have collected several pages of  lovely linen sofas available on amazon.  (Located under the Skona Mag Picture- It takes 2 minutes to load the widget)

Village Grigio Side Chair Crate And Barrel $200

Village Grigio Side Chair Crate And Barrel

Verona Dining Chair in Antique White Set of 2 $381

The Chestnut Hudson Dining Chair $199

5-Piece Shaker Dining Set, Black $299 Why not sell the table and keep the chairs?

Tapered Leg Table One that Could Be White Washed $270

Small Tapered Leg Table- Could be One in Front Of The Sofa Or an End Table $99

Perfect Bench For A Hallway or Dining Table, or Even As Patio Furniture $106

Lovely Tapered Leg Console Table $121.

Low Bowl Urn with Handles $29 Celery Green

Monique Waqué's Swedish Country Decorated Home

Classic Louis XVI Writing Desks

Hooker Melange Sofia Writing Desk sold by Hooker Furniture is an antique reproduction of the classic Louis XVI desk. This terrific desk features beautiful rounded hardware and pretty ribbon motif trim and the classic Louis XVI fluted leg. Can you believe a desk like this is only $627?

Suzanne Kasler -Photo Credit Trouvais

Linen is still the most desired fabric for decorators and interior designers alike.  Linen is elegant, durable, and simply luxurious.  Linen is the strongest of the vegetable fibers and has 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton.  Linen is from raw flax, a bast fiber taken from the stalk [...]]]>

Suzanne Kasler Southern Accents Magazine

Suzanne Kasler -Photo Credit Trouvais

Linen is still the most desired fabric for decorators and interior designers alike.  Linen is elegant, durable, and simply luxurious.  Linen is the strongest of the vegetable fibers and has 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton.  Linen is from raw flax, a bast fiber taken from the stalk of the plant. Linen is one of the oldest textile fibers known to  man. Over 4000 years ago, it was woven in Egypt and used to wrap royal mummies.Not only is the linen fiber strong, it is smooth, making the finished fabric lint free. does wrinkle easily but also presses easily. Linen, like cotton, can also be boiled without damaging the fiber. From  creamy white to light tan, linen can be easily dyed and the color does not fade when washed.  Linen also happens to be highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, but also has the qualities of keeping cool making it an ideal fabric for summer garments.

Decorating With Linen From Skona Hem Magazine

-Linen is also prone to mildew in extreme conditions. Don't make the same mistake that I did and hang drapes in a solarium's that collects water on the windows, because overtime your drapes will collect mold. Linen on the other hand does well in light conditions compared to all other fabrics due to its inherent resistance to UV damage.

- Linen easily creases and wrinkles, and tends to hold the wrinkles, so if you don't mind that, it could be lovely for slipcovers. Linen has very little stretch, so be prepared to make your slipcovers a little extra large, as linen will shrink a little. Never put linen in a hot dryer. High heat causes the linen fibers to shrink and break. Consider letting your linen slipcovers dry on a table or on Air dry or tumble.

-Linen should be ironed with a good quality steam iron while it is damp, if you choose to iron at all. The more often linen is worn and washed, the softer it will become. However, if you are looking for a crisp appearance, ironing is a must. Use a steam iron and sprinkle on additional water if necessary to get a smooth finish. Press linen on the wrong side to prevent shiny spots. Use spray-on starch to get a crisp appearance.

-Of all the areas where you could use linen, the fabric looks best with drapery, because it doesn't need to be washed as often, which also limits the lengthy pressing sessions. Consider linen for your drapes. The material looks elegant, rich, yet very natural in appearance, making it a must have for Swedish interiors.

Modo Textured 100-Percent Slub Cotton 3-Piece Duvet Sham Set only $54 dollars.

Wrinkle Resistant 300-Thread Count Reversible Cotton Duvet Set Stripe- Twin, Full, Queen, and King $45.

Safavieh Becca Grey Linen Dining Chair $249

Sussex Beige Linen Club Chair ONLY $454.

Sussex Beige Linen Club Chair only $454!

Louis XVI Armchair

This Louis XVI Armchair Only $319!

French Country Weathered Gray Hemp Linen Dining Chair

Ethan French Country Dark Limed Gray Oak Linen Dining Chair $499

French Country Weathered Gray Hemp Linen Dining Chair $499

Linen Pillow Cover with Jute Embroidery $33.

Cotton Linen Pillow Cover with Jute & Mother Of Pearl Embroidery Sea Horses

Ballard Essential Panel Natural Linen 108 Inch-$99

Springcrest™ Trim Linen Drum Shade  $14.99

Maytex Twill Wing Chair Cover $71.24

Williamsburg William and Mary Matelasse Pillow, Linen $51.67

Oval Hardback Natural Linen Shade $30.00

Tumbleweed Faux Linen Sheer $29.00

Progress Lighting Off White Shade 1-Inch $16.00

<A HREF="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fshatteparadi-20%2F8010%2F9e0ea804-76d8-4c94-b17e-ec0273620f97&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A>For centuries silk has had a reputation for being luxurious, and has always been associated with wealth and success. Silk is one of the oldest textiles, and has been used in the orient since 27th century BC. During the Roman Empire, silk was sold for its weight in gold. Silk has always [...]]]>

Yellow Silk Drapes Paul Costello

For centuries silk has had a reputation for being luxurious, and has always been associated with wealth and success. Silk is one of the oldest textiles, and has been used in the orient since 27th century BC. During the Roman Empire, silk was sold for its weight in gold. Silk has always been been known for its vibrant colors, because of its high absorbency.  Silk can be dyed in many deep colors and retain the saturated pigments, unlike other fabrics.  Silk also retains its shape, drapes well, and is known for its luster.

Silk does not shrink like other fibers, making it versatile and washable. All silk is hand washable.  Silk should always be hand washed, and not wring out but roll in a towel to dry. Silk dries quickly but should not be put in an automatic dryer. A good shampoo works well on silk. It will remove oil and revitalize your silk. Do not use an alkaline shampoo or one which contains ingredients such as wax, or petroleum as they will leave a residue on your silk and may cause "oil" spots.  Silk may yellow and fade with the use of a high iron setting, so press cloths and steam irons are recommended. Silk is also weakened by sunlight, so be sure to get a good drapery liner if you choose to use silk in your draperies.

Unusual floor clock from Norway. Crafted in the Swedish Mora tradition, this floor clock is signed by clockmaker Sven Nilsson and proclaims "Bjerke" as the area of origin. This "Bjerke" is known as a large estate in Norway.

18th century French Louis XVI Console with White Marble Top

19th century Swedish Grey Four-Legged Table, circa 1850

French Antique Louis  XVI Carved Wood Trumeau Mirror with garden and musical attributes, circa 1760

18th Century French Coal Burner

Jane Moore, is the successful woman behind the [...]]]>

Jane Moore Interiors

18th century French Louis XVI Console with White Marble Top

19th century Swedish Grey Four-Legged Table, circa 1850

French Antique Louis  XVI Carved Wood Trumeau Mirror with garden and musical attributes, circa 1760

18th Century French Coal Burner

Jane Moore, is the successful woman behind the shop Jane Moore, Ltd. which specializes in Swedish and French antiques.   You may recall the extravagant Swedish home that was featured in March of 2008 in Veranda Magazine.   The Dallas home was remodeled and filled with beautiful Swedish antique furniture. The same house was then featured in Swedish Country Interiors, by Rhonda Eleish, Edie Van Breems.

Nobody has put together a better article than the one by Indulge Decor Blog featuring comparisons of this home between the publications of Veranda and Swedish Country Interiors.

18th C. Swedish Rococo Black painted Chest circa 1760

18th C. Swedish Rococo black painted chest with rare brass hardware decorated with crown and cross, circa 1760.

19th C. Swedish White Buffet

19th C. Swedish White Buffet- Original Paint $4,350

18th C. Swedish White Buffet, circa 1760 Jane Moore

18th C. white buffet duo corps, circa 1760 Jane Moore Interiors

19th C. Swedish Gustavian dark blue cupboard 1842 -$5,280

19th C. Swedish Gustavian dark blue cupboard with original date, circa 1842 $5,280

Jane Moore Interiors, 2922 Virginia Street, Houston, Texas 77098

18th Century Swedish Mora Clock in its original finish and retaining its original works and pendulum. Beautiful color, shape, and details. Sold by M Naeve in Houston, TX

Early 19th century Decorative Swedish Mora clock retaining its original surface. Charles Spada Antiques

Mora clock, Sweden circa 1820, with classic rococo style. Early secondary [...]]]>

Fabulous Painted Mora Clocks

18th Century Swedish Mora Clock in its original finish and retaining its original works and pendulum. Beautiful color, shape, and details. Sold by M Naeve in Houston, TX

Early 19th century Decorative Swedish Mora clock retaining its original surface. Charles Spada Antiques

Mora clock, Sweden circa 1820, with classic rococo style. Early secondary paint in pink, original clockworks.  $9,600 Cupboards and Roses