Monday, April 6, 2009

A New Home for an Old Welsh Dresser ...

Sometimes I think it's much harder to find just the right piece of furniture ... or fabric ... or accessory ... when you have something definite in mind. I can't count the number of times I've gone into a shop and, when asked by a salesperson if they can help me find something, answered ... "No, thanks. I'll know it when I see it."

I have been looking for a china cabinet for our breakfast area for quite some time, and had a mental image of exactly what I wanted filed away in that part of my mind where I store "decorating stuff" (if you're like me, that's a pretty large area).

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I spent some time in Shreveport, Louisiana, and we went to one of my favorite shops there, a little antique shop called Antiques on Gladstone. As I walked in, one of the first things I saw was the little china cabinet I've had filed away in my mind all this time. It was truly "love at first sight," and my heart literally skipped a beat when I saw it.

Its tag read "Old Welsh Dresser with Pot Rack," and I thought, "Oh, be still my heart ... I'm taking you home."

I'll spare you the details of my "wheeling and dealing," and the Kodak moments of my husband and me loading it in the back of his pickup truck. Suffice it to say that it is, indeed, happily living in its new home -- our breakfast area!


It looks like it was made to fit the space, and I'm so pleased with the way it complements the other furniture.

{You can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like }

I can't close without telling you a little about some of the accessories I used to decorate it.

The wooden bowl holding the apples was my grandmother's, and this old oval-shaped tin on the top shelf is full of antique buttons she saved "just in case she needed them someday." I'll share the buttons in a post soon.

This precious little cut glass jar with the little bird perched on the lid is a treasure I inherited from my mother-in-law. There are also little birds encircling the bottom of the jar ...

And my mother recently gave me this beautiful old candy tin. She can't remember where she got it, but she's had it for many years ...

I love having all these keepsakes nearby so we can enjoy them and share the stories behind them.

Perhaps one day, our granddaughter Avery Grace will reminisce with her family about "the day Grandmama found that old Welsh Dresser in a little shop in Shreveport."

19 comments:

Stacey said...

Janie, tht is a beautiful piece of furniture and it is perfect in your home. I too am searching for the perfect china cabinet. I'm actually thinking something similar to what you found. The one I'm looking for has to be not too deep though...I'll know it when I see it. :)

Sue said...

Love, love, love that piece in your kitchen!!! And nice to know your accessories mean so much to you as you display them. You were a lucky girl! Sue

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

Janie it is absolutely perfect! It's amazing when we see just what we dreamed of and get to bring it home! Beautiful!!

southerninspiration said...

Janie, worth the wait!!! I love it!

Suzanne

StitchinByTheLake said...

Oh my goodness Janie, how beautiful! I'm looking for a corner cabinet for my dining room and I'm just like you, I'll know it when I see it! blessings, marlene

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Janie, looks like you found the perfect spot for it! I love it! What a neaat piece! And my grandmother used to save buttons, too, in a great big Ball jar! I wish I had her button collection now as they were vintage then! LOL! I love buttons!

Love your tin your mother gave you, too, and your grandmother's wooden bowl. I have a wooden bowl filled with green apples, too, and I always smile when I see it! doesn't it just make you happy???

Thanks for sharing...

XO,

Sheila :-)

Audrey said...

Janie, that piece of furniture is just lovely - but what is even more lovely is the way you decorated it. Your kitchen is one of my favorites and that piece just enhances the beauty of the room. Also, the sentimental pieces really add a lot.
Wising you a blessed Easter.
Audrey

Sue said...

Hi Janie,
I felt like I was there with you when you found this beautiful treasure. It is perfect for your breakfast area!
I also enjoyed your treasures from dear family members, and the way you have displayed everything. Beautiful job. I know they will bring you
many days of pleasure .Thank you for sharing.
Blessings,
Sue

Robin @ The Rendered Nest said...

What a beautiful piece of furniture! I love your whole kitchen and eating area...so pretty!

Anonymous said...

Oh, my goodness. My tiny heart is just pounding! This is the most beautiful hutch and it's gorgeous in your home! You've dressed it up beautifully.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia :)

Salmagundi said...

That cupboard was worth the wait. It is beautiful and fits the space perfectly. Congrats on a great find!! Sally

A Hint of Home said...

What a lovely piece. It looks great in your breakfast room. You have a lovely house.

Unknown said...

Janie,
It is a beautiful piece and looks perfect for the spot you placed it.

I love all your accessories! You really have a knack for knowing just what to put where!

Deb said...

you found the perfect piece, that is wonderful, it looks great

Tonja said...

It's perfect! Isn't it wonderful when you find that piece that you built in your mind? It seems you never can describe it exactly, but you know it when you see it! So glad your 'vision' came to reality!

Chandy said...

That is a beautiful piece! Wow! It looks great in your marvelous dining area!

Picket said...

Janie that is a gorgeous treasure!!! Like you said it looks as if it was special made for your beautiful kitchen...love all those precious family treasures you decorated it with...they have so much history and love in them....I know when I am looking for something that is in my mind's dream file I always tell the sales clerk...'No thank you....I'll know it when it calls me!" lol

Unknown said...

That is the absolute perfect piece for the wall! Now help me with my lack of directional skills...where is the smaller table and my favorite Windmill painting? Is it to the left? Goodness, I fall in love with this room again every time I see it!

April D said...

Love your blog its absolutely delightful - everything southern of course! A dear friend of mine is leaving Mississippi this week and I'd like to send her and her husband off with a care package - all things southern/mississippi/louisiana. I am from Louisiana living in Hattiesburg. I just need some fresh ideas other than tabasco, etc. She is originally from Callifornia and fell in love w/ the south. she truly is a southern girl at heart. they are moving to Seattle.