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 (ARA) - There are reasons for the current
trend toward nostalgic references in home decorating. Vintage
objects carry a comforting softness to homes. They recall a simpler
world. Furthermore, they can be found in flea markets and fairs
at affordable prices, another plus as the U.S. economy continues
its struggle for recovery.
Spring cleaning also offers the
opportunity to resurrect some forgotten treasures. Once cast
into storage, handmade quilts, embroidered linens, tarnished
silver, crackled crockery and even timeworn furniture pieces
now take on added appeal.
Nothing sets the stage for vintage
comfort like new wallpaper in patterns borrowed from the past.
At S.A. Maxwell Co., we've delved into our archives, resurrected
some favorite antique themes, and used sophisticated printing
techniques to give these patterns a patina of age. They make
the perfect complement for flea market finds and vintage furnishings.
We gave an ornate corner cabinet,
distressed a bit from age, a fresh coat of antique, cream-color
paint. It makes an ideal showcase for a collection of Staffordshire
dinnerware. To highlight the cabinet and its contents even more,
we placed it against an old-time tropical floral-trail print
from the Ellison Bay collection by Maxwell's Piper Designs division.
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The deep heritage green background
of the wallpaper, carrying flowers in subtle shades of pomegranate
and ochre, turns this once-shabby cabinet into the star of the
dining room décor. A pair of sconces with shades of fabric
in an inverted conical shape flanks the cabinet, giving it a
warm glow in the evening.
Painted antique furniture also
softens a romantic bedroom, surrounded completely --including
overhead -- with vintage rose patterns from the appropriately
named Vintage Tuscany collection from Maxwell's LV Emmert Studio.
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A shelf, high above the headboard,
is wallpapered in a pattern that coordinates with the walls and
the stripe on the ceiling to complete this dream-like setting.
The sink, selected for the powder
room in an older home, is one more example of the popularity
of vintage style. It is a reproduction of an old-style, porcelain
farmhouse sink with porcelain legs. Combined with a wallpaper
pattern from Vintage Tuscany that was painstakingly printed to
replicate an antique painting technique, it turns the room into
a quiet place of temporary respite. The original doors and woodwork
have been refinished in a rich mahogany stain.
Two niches were created between
wall studs next to the sink alcove and lined with a coordinating
wallpaper pattern that faithfully reproduces the textural look
of a distressed plaster wall. The scroll and the plaster pattern
contain hints of the same classic colors: navy, red, sage green
and antique cream.
Apothecary jars, found at a flea
market, and an antique linen guest towel from a thrift shop complete
the farmhouse bathroom theme. Photography as well as patterns
in these S.A. Maxwell Co. wallpaper and border collections provide
both design inspiration and innovative ideas for infusing any
home, regardless of age, with the comfort that comes from vintage
décor. |
