Bouquets of Bakelite silverware is just the thing I needed
to start thinking of the direction I want to go in
to plan for the Fall decor in the kitchen.
Bakelite silverware is some of the many things I that acquired from my friend Martha.
For those who are not familiar with Bakelite . . .
According to Wikipedia.org, Bakelite is an early plastic thermosetting phenol, formaldehyde resin
developed by the Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907.
One of the first plastics from a synthetic compound. Because of its non-conductive
and heat resistant properties, it was used in electric insulators,
radio and telephone casings and other products such as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems,
children’s toys and the list goes on.
The retro aspect of Bakelite has made it very collectible.
I have had these pieces of Bakelite in a box, waiting for the perfect moment and idea
on how I want to display these pieces.
I read a post by Kathysue of Good Life of Design,
where she posted about some Fall elements of design and these images caught my eye.
One from Pinterest
And the other was a photo of how Kathysue displayed her bakelite in what I believe was her former kitchen.
The ah-ha moment occurred. I quickly grabbed my box of Bakelite silverware
and started to make my bouquets!
![Bakelite knives 002 (800x600)_thumb[5] - Good Life of Design](https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8301/28952870506_916d4c7e6d_z.jpg)
I realized that most of the Bakelite went well with my glass tile in the kitchen.
Like my mantel . . . I am doing a little pre-Fall decorating.
Just gathering ideas and creating a base for the real Fall decor to come.
One of the things I did this weekend was to go to a home improvement big box store
to get a few things for projects and they had mums! Who would have thought in this 95 degree weather.
No mums for me yet! I wait till they arrive at the Farmer’s Market.
Another thing I did this past weekend was attending an estate sale.
I actually walked by this piece and a few minutes later,
my friend Sherri spotted this ironstone piece made by Johnson Brothers that I walked right by.
I quickly went to that room where she said it was and yep, I definitely overlooked it.
Thank goodness for a friend’s keen eye.
I have 2 chamber pots in my collection, but this one was almost pristine and
who can turn away from a $12.00 price tag!
I went to the estate sale hoping that I could snag a farm table that was in the sale.
However, it was too big for the particular place in my home. It was a beauty though!
Happy Monday!
Hope you had a wonderful weekend and have a most beautiful day!
The Bakelite adds nice texture in your bouquets and the amber color of some of it is perfect for those future fall displays. Great deal on the ironstone.
Shirley, your Bakelite bouquets are the perfect tease for autumn! With the extreme heat, I am looking forward to cooler temps and that first touch of autumn air! Happy Monday
I love Bakelite; it’s provides a perfect accent to transition into Fall. Wow; great deal on the ironstone chamber pot. I have one, that I love, in a bathroom holding extra paper. I’m past ready for Fall, the heat has been unrelenting this year. You’re right, I saw Mums too and it is far too hot for them yet. I’m still blown away that Hobby Lobby started putting Christmas decorations out in early June! Have a wonderful week!
Wow that was a deal and was meant for you.:) It goes with what you have so well.I actually stuck a mum in the ground at my house last year when it started to die and it is huge alrady.I think I saw tiny buds on it.lol
Hi Shirley! I love the iron stone pot that you found! How pretty and what a great price! Your Bakelite bouquets will be the perfect touch to your Autumn kitchen displays. I love the amber colors! I’m so ready for cooler temps! I hope that you have a Happy Monday!!!
I like your “bouquets of Bakelite”! I love it when I see something that inspires me to get an idea off the ground! Great buy on the chamber pot.
Shirley I love the vignette you’ve created using your bakelite! It’s so pretty with the loveliest touch of fall! Don’t you love having those Ah-ha moments with stuff you already have? It’s the best!
PS Love the ironstone score! Thank goodness for observant friends.;-)
I love all your pitchers (and I’m still drooling over the Dundee jars…)
Happy Monday!!
Very clever Shirley!
Love the “bakelite bouquets”!
I love bakelite. Your bouquets look wonderful. Love those Dundee jars too.
I like the way your pre fall kitchen decorating is going. And the Bakelite looks great with the tile. While cleaning house after returning my grands to their parents, I did some pre fall decorating, too. Less clutter, neutrals with lots of texture. It gives me the much needed calm after a very busy summer!
Oh wow Shirley, you would have LOVED to be with me the other day! Lots of ironstone and even Bakelite silverware at rock bottom prices at an antique store in southern Vermont, about 1.5 hours away. They were tempting!
I love Bakelite too! Have a whole board on Pinterest devoted to it. Love you style and so enjoy reading your blog! Thanks for sharing your world with us all!
Aren’t you the sweetest lady for giving my little blog a shout out, thank you so much. What a nice thing to wake up to this Monday morning. You have a wonderful collection and you are so right it is the perfect Fall touch in your kitchen. You really did score on your new ironstone piece, it is so pretty and adds a nice touch to your collection.
Happy Monday!!
$12.00 ofr that piece if ironstone? Wow, what a great deal! LOVE the Bakelite, it is so pretty and the added bonus is it is perfect for Fall! Hope you had a great day.XO
Shirley, your Bakelite looks great! You always find the best pieces! I did some pre-Fall tweaking over the weekend, as well. These cool, dreary days we’re having really have me in the mood for Fall! Can’t wait until I can go nuts with pumpkins!
Oo, how pretty the Bakelite looks as bouquets! I just can’t bring myself to do Fall decorating yet although I like your idea of setting setting the background in preparation for the “real” decorating. I’m ready for cooler temperatures though!
I’ve never heard of Bakelite before but have seen it just didn’t know what it was called. The color contrast against the wood and ceramic backsplash is a stunning color combo. Good thing your friend was looking out for you and spotted the ironstone piece. It’s so easy to overlook things at a sale when things are crammed in. We have mums in the store here too now, but like you I haven’t started decorating with them yet. Our temps have dropped and the Maple tree are starting to turn but I’m not ready for pumpkins and mums yet.
I’ve always admired Bakelite flatware Shirley and the color and texture is especially pretty for fall decorating. I noticed those mums along with the ornamental kale at Lowe’s yesterday and thought…what in the world?! They’ll be bloomed out before September 1st 🙂 Great buy on your ironstone too!
Very clever! I don’t have any Bakelite…but now I think I need some. 🙂
Happy day friend!
karianne
Very nice idea… I have a few pieces just sitting in a french gravy bowl… You’ve given me some ideas…
Great collection of Bakelite! I’ve been following Eddie Ross since first introduced to him on Design Star. I’ve seen him incorporate Bakelite into his gorgeous tablescapes over the years, and have been a fan of the pieces ever since! I love yours! The colors are so perfect for fall! And gracious, what a deal on the chamber pot! 🙂 ~Rhonda