Vintage Stoneware
Displays in Your Kitchen Hutch
Using a hutch in the dining area makes both practical and home fashion sense. The hutch is such an important piece in the French Country design scheme, and it offers a convenient place for storage right next to the table. Of course, a hutch can also be used for displays, with open or glass shelving. This article will provide some ideas for the use of a French country hutch in the kitchen or dining room area; some ideas are traditional, some more modern approaches, but the use it to inspire your own creativity when it comes to the use of this versatile piece!
•A favorite collection of dishes: The collection of fine china or stoneware is a grand tradition, seen in many residences from local neighborhoods all the way to the White House. Throughout history, there were families who entertained so much that guests could stay at the family home for one month without eating on the same dinnerware twice! Many people have a 2nd set of dishes or china stored somewhere in a cabinet. Why not let these pieces, often chosen for their specific appeal to our tastes, become an item of decor instead of just a storage item?
•An eclectic collection of dishes: A hutch can also be a great place to tie together a collection of mismatched dishes picked up at estate and garage sales, passed down from family members, or given as gifts. Use a central color scheme to connect the various pieces to one idea. The key is to space items well, so that each individual piece can be admired.
•Kitchen supplies: Another ideas is the storage of canned goods and other non-perishables. Many of today’s products come in old style packaging. Watch for these “anniversary” items, or pick some up from a local merchant or general store. Baking supplies are a great example of this, and can give your room the whimsical feeling of an old-time mercantile.
•Antiques: Display collections of small kitchen appliances and hand tools you have picked up throughout your searches. In a display like this, each item can become a conversation piece! If you are a collector of brand name vintage advertising, you can attach the signs you have collected to the backboard of a hutch.
•Baskets and Copper: A traditional pairing of two warm materials- straw and copper can be a great focal point for a French country kitchen. This is an especially nice contrast when a cooler color such as blue or green is the dominant one in the room.
•Cookbooks: A collection of personal favorites, family treasures, or junior league cookbooks from your travels is both practical and pretty. You can combine books with figurines, mixing bowls, or other kitchen-appropriate items to prevent the display from becoming to heavy.
•Dry Goods: Dry goods such as flour, sugar, beans, and pastas can be stored in glass containers. Be sure to use airtight containers with tight fitting lids. If desired, you can even attach the lids permanently to the underside of the hutch shelving, creating a permanent storage place for spices or other light items.
•Table linens: A neatly stacked and folded combination of color coordinated kitchen linens and tea towels can transform a hutch into a focal point of color.
•Canning supplies: Make your hutch reminiscent of a 1930′s kitchen complete with grouped canning jars, lids, and other supplies. Mixing up unfilled containers with homemade jars of brightly colored preserves and fruits makes this especially attractive.
Hopefully, this list will get your creative juices going. There are most likely items you have right now in your own home that you’d like to see on display. It’s a great way for you to share your interests and personality with your guests. One piece of furniture can help to create beauty, conversation, an convenience.
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CorningWare French White 17-Piece Bake and Serve Set $49.54 2.5 Quart Round And Oval Casseroles With Glass Lids, 15 Ounce Oval, 16 Ounce Round, 23 Ounce Oval, 24 Ounce Round, Plastic Lids. Two 4 Ounce And Two 7 Ounce Ramekins, 2 1/2 Quart Oval Chrome Rack. Use In Oven, Microwave, Refrigerator, And Freezer. Corningware Material Resists Chipping And Cracking. Glass And Plastic Lids Simplify Cooking, Serving, And Storage. Dishwasher Safe, Durable Nonporous Su… |
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Le Creuset Honey Pots Le Creuset honey pot includes a silicone dipper that dispenses the perfect touch of honey… |
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Pyrex 6004023 6-Piece Glass Rectangular Storage Set with Blue Lids $13.98 Corning 6-Piece Pyrex Bake ‘N Store Dish Set includes 3 Cup, 6 Cup & 11 Cup Rectangular Dishes with Dark Blue Plastic Covers…. |
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Vintage Stoneware Country Crock Table Lamp – Candlewick Fabric Shade Vintage country crocks like this are becoming hard to find. This one’s in good shape, even with that chip on its bottom and it’s been mounted on a wood base topped with a subtle raised needlework fabric shade…. |
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Vintage Stoneware Old Country Cheese Jar Crock Container with Lock Lid Latch – 4 1/4 inches x 3 3/8 inches in diameter – Cheese NOT included $39.99 Vintage Stoneware Old Country Cheese Jar Crock Container with Lock Lid Latch – 4 1/4 inches x 3 3/8 inches in diameter – Cheese NOT included… |
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Vintage Stoneware Old Country Cheese Jar Crock Container with Lock Lid Latch – 4 1/4 inches x 4 inches in diameter – Cheese NOT included $39.99 Vintage Stoneware Old Country Cheese Jar Crock Container with Lock Lid Latch – 4 1/4 inches x 4 inches in diameter – Cheese NOT included… |
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Fireman Red Piggy Bank Safe Stoneware Savings Money Cash Box with Coin Slot $19.99 Red stoneware piggy bank, featuring the Maltese Cross firefighters design on its side…. |
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United States Marine Corps Piggy Bank Safe Stoneware Savings Money Cash Box USMC with Coin Slot in Gift Box $19.99 Black stoneware piggy bank with circular United States Marine Corps decal logo…. |
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United States ARMY Military Piggy Bank Safe Stoneware Savings Money Cash Box with Coin Slot $19.99 Army green stoneware piggy bank with circular United States of America Department of the Army decal logo. GREAT GIFT IDEA!… |
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Melitta Porcelain Gourmet 6 Cup Coffeemaker, $35.89 Elegance, convenience and fresh brewed taste is all included in this Melitta tradition. Our Porcelain coffeemaker prepares six cups of coffee, with that fresh brewed taste, using Melitta number 4 filters…. |
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Ceramic 14 oz. Indigo Blue Ceramic Mug-Eva Ziesel $13.4 CHX1258: Vintage design, timeless appeal that’s the beauty of our Eva Zeisel collection. The pinnacle mug exemplifies the legendary style and functional genius characteristic of Zeisel’s designs. Pinnacle collection items are crafted of dense stoneware designed to retain heat. Features: -Indigo Blue Ceramic Mug-Eva Zeisel. -Ceramic Collection. -High quality stoneware. -Perfect kitchen gift. Specifications: -Material: Ceramic. -Dimensions: 61 H x 16 W x 18 D. -Dishwasher safe. -Lifetime warranty. |
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Ceramic 14 oz. Indigo Blue Mug – Eva Ziesel (Set of 4) $44 CHX1262: Vintage design, timeless appeal that’s the beauty of our Eva Zeisel collection. The pinnacle mug exemplifies the legendary style and functional genius characteristic of Zeisel’s designs. Pinnacle collection items are crafted of dense stoneware designed to retain heat. Features: -Indigo Blue Mug – Eva Zeisel Set of 4. -Ceramic Collection. -High quality stoneware. -Perfect kitchen gift. Specifications: -Material: Ceramic. -Dishwasher safe. -Lifetime warranty. |
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French Country (2008 Calendar) $81.55 Oh, to be in France! This elegant datebook is utterly transporting, filled with dozens of full-color photographs that capture the romance and sun-soaked beauty of the French countryside. A terrace shaded by cypress and plane trees is an ideal spot for a languid lunch. Bunches of fat purple grapes hang enticingly from an arbor. Plus, fields of startling yellow colza, fishing boats moored at Port du Niel, a kitchen stocked with Barbotine plates and vintage stoneware pots, and luscious pears poached in red wine. Intricate Proven al fabrics decorate the cover and gift box, and frame the pages of the diary. Some call it France, you can call it home. |
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Laying the Elegant Table $12.22 Anyone who enjoys entertaining is sure to be inspired by these objects of charm and history, which bring elegance and finesse to any table. Among the list of items profiled in the book are numerous types of plates (from country stoneware to fine bone china), stemware (from fine crystal aperitif glasses to hand cut ruby quartz goblets), flatware (knives, spoons and forks of every shape, material and purpose), as well as serving platters, soup tureens, serving trays, chafing dishes, egg cups, napkin holders and more. Ines Heugel delves into the history behind each item. She expounds on detailing and craftsmanship, popular designs and proper uses. All the major historic manufacturers, styles and brands are covered. Also included is a chapter on table ornaments–from centerpieces to candelabra–that round out any well-laid table. Christian Sarramon’s atmospheric photographs show each piece in a contemporary setting, and delightful reproductions of vintage engravings and lithographs adorn the margins, giving the book the feel of an old-time almanac. Laying the Elegant Table is the perfect gift and an ideal addition to your own collection. |
September 26, 2011 4:29 am 
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