Built in 19th century Denmark, and now part of an open-air museum in Aarhus, Denmark, this teahouse is one of my most favorite examples of Gustavian design. I have been in love with this little treasure for years so I thought I'd share it with you.
It's a dream of mine to have something just like this in my own back yard some day! From the melon-tinted walls which glow in the sunshine, to the muslin-swagged windows, painted table and chairs with brown striped cushions, the whole room speaks of elegance and sophistication!
I love the classic Royal Copenhagen "Blue Fluted" porcelain tea set on the table. I'm a big fan of RC china. I collect the "Blue Flowers Curved" pattern. Imagine yourself sitting here on a sunny day with a group of friends having afternoon tea with a lemon-glazed cake, or alone with a great book, listening to the rain on the pagoda-styled roof!
Have you heard of Spoonflower.com? If not, check them out! Here's what they offer: your own custom designed and printed fabric!
YES, using your own design and colorways - choosing from several fabric types ranging from simple quilting cotton to linen & voile!I hated the plain white curtains I ordered for my living room last week so sent them back for a refund. I thought they'd be OK but they were too plain Jane for me.
So instead I am considering having my own fabric printed in a pattern I love and a colorway that will work for my taste. I prefer a more purplish blue - like a denim shade, only lighter. It's hard to find and when I do, it's usually out of my price range.
But being a professional graphic designer, I was able to create my own RL-inspired blue rose pattern by scanning in an old cotton hankie from my Mom's vintage collection, cleaning up the roses from the background and colorizing them from red to monotone blues, then putting them through a couple watercolor filters in Photoshop to achieve the look I wanted.
The image I present to you now is the result - it will be repeated over and over to create an all-over rose pattern. You have choices in how to repeat the printed pattern and also how much yardage - from a swatch, to any yardage you want.
You can make the pattern private, for your own use, OR make it public so you keep the copyright but it allows anyone else to order the fabric too, giving you, the designer, a 10% commission!There are several fabrics from other designers you can choose from as well. Yesterday I sent for a sample square to see how the colors come out - everyone's computer and printer is working on it's own calibration. If the blues come back too teal or turquoise, I will tweak it and make it more purplish - when the color sample comes back right, I'll order my first 3 yards for my first living room curtain panel! (probably the cotton/linen blend)Check them out and tell me what you think of it! I'm anxious to see how the fabric looks/quality, etc.
I love new sheets on a bed - freshly laundered and soft, in a lovely pattern. I found this set of RL blue rose/floral sheets at TJ Maxx about a week back and couldn't believe my luck - they match my room like they were made for it! As you can see, the kitties loved them too...
After a year of going back and forth on what to do with the 2nd small bedroom in Elinor Cottage, I have decided how to treat the walls. I was bouncing back and forth between painting, half wallpaper/half paint with chair rail, or all wallpaper.I decided I LOVE the look of an entire room wallpapered in one pattern so that is how I will go. It reminds me of old 1930's farmhouse bedrooms...I had tried to order wallpaper last fall but ordered incorrectly and then the WP was discontinued so I couldn't get any more (duh!)I then ordered a blue ticking stripe but the background is cream instead of white (not a cream fan) so I will use that paper to line the drawers and built-in cupboards upstairs. Then I checked the same book I had bought my bedroom wallpaper from off a website called www.wallpapermore.com and saw a similar print in the same blue colorway and fell in love with it. That sealed it - and the price is so low I can't pass it up!Its a lovely purplish-denim shade of blue in a rose sprig print on a soft white background. Looks very Shabby Chic to me.As soon as I get the wallpaper hung, I can begin painting the bookcases, add books and move my computer/studio into the room.
It's such a light-filled, airy room it will be a joy to sit in there and work on my art and graphic design. It has 2 windows which face a sunny western-side patio with rose bushes and a blue hydrangea and a southern-facing window that faces a green, grassy backyard with lots of trees.
Here are photos from Sunday's tea party - of course I was unable to snap any photos once people arrived because I was too busy brewing tea, answering the door and directing people to the food table! Besides, I am not sure everyone wants their photo posted online for all to see. ;)I was busy Thursday and Friday cleaning house and baking. I made fairy cakes, jam cookies, fudge, lemon-lime cookies, cherry coconut macaroons, smoked salmon and halibut sandwiches on mini croissants, egg salad sandwiches and a plate or cheese and sliced fruit.Teas included Scottish breakfast, English breakfast, York Black, Jasmine and Early Grey. I had around 19 people show up and it was so exciting - so many guests brought me flowers or plants I was overwhelmed. The hydrangeas and roses I bought from the Met Market on Queen Anne Hill were also beautiful!
I do not have the hutch finished yet but I did get the base painted white so that I could stack the topper on it and use it for the party - I can't wait to get the whole thing done because it really made a lot of room with the two pieces stacked on one wall. I made a small sign for the hutch to let people know it was a "work in progress".
Tea cups were stacked inside on the first tier while plates and napkins were below. Tea pots/sugar/cream/honey was lined up on the sideboard while the food was laid out on the table. I made small tags for each tea pot so people knew what tea they were drinking.
Most people arrived right at 2 PM and most were gone by 5 PM except for a few friends who I invited to sit awhile in front of the fire and chat by candlelight. It was cozy and relaxing. I hope everyone had fun - I sure enjoyed hosting the tea!
