WELCOME AUTUM

As the new season beckons, a sure way to warm up your home is to display your favorite antiques. Warm and welcoming by design, antiques add timeless grace to your home. Autumn hues warm every room, bringing out that welcoming feeling. Coaxing the most from your interior is easy with just a few well chosen and thoughtfully placed objects with a history. These antique French Apothecary bottles which echo the color of bright red fall apples with their tole caps create a simple display on the sideboard. As you can see, I tend to decorate for the seasons with the beauty of nature, branches, flowers and fruits are most often my "go to" for every season. I love red in autumn, don't you? When nature's colors change from summer's faded, soft colors to bright gold and red, changing things up at home to follow suit makes for beautiful displays. The red French antique transferware platters and compotiers are stunning agains this remnant of Ralph Lauren wallpaper. I sometimes use wallpaper I love as a table runner {secretly hoping no one spills!} because the color is so intense. Resplendent with brilliant golds, deep greens, plum and autumn's brilliant red, it's the perfect backdrop to showcase some of my favorite antiques. Creating little autumn vignettes around the house is a lovely way to reflect the beauty of the season. All it takes is a vintage Italian Florentine tray, a French pedestal plate in luscious chocolate brown, some pears, roses and a votive candle to create an autumnal vignette. Isn't this such a beautiful design? Made in France, in the mid 1800's, it's such a special piece to use as a display for fall fruit, scented candles, or a special pumpkin. The easiest way to add fall flourish to your home is by piling fruit in an antique container. See how these red apples and yellow pears mimic nature's palette and make for a simple yet elegant display? Totally off-topic, but I wanted to share this tray with you. This beautiful tray from the 1800's was a serendipitous find, those colors! It is rare to find a large tray like this with such a beautifully hand painted marsh bird. Oh! I love everything about it. A close up of this beauty...that it has some wear is part of its charm, it's had a life, it has a storied past. It sold early this morning, and I am sure that my client will adore this for all the reasons I did when I bought it. I wanted to share it with you, because isn't it just glorious? And the colors are perfect for autumn. Decorating for the season can be simple, as simple as adding roses and mums in deep red and purple colors to an antique French toleware basket on your mantel. Or displaying a collection of antique French canning jars with graphic fruit labels in the kitchen. Fruit, leaves, branches and all things natural add depth to your displays. I go out to the garden early in the morning, clippers in hand, and cut off branches of olive, grape, eucalyptus and whatever else I think will look great in an arrangement. The wilder, the better! Setting your table with antique plates and platters decked out in autumn's colors is a beautiful way to warm up your dining room. No matter how you proclaim your love for autumn, the antiques that embellish your home add grace, and they are so comforting. There is something about old, old pieces, I don't know if it reminds all of us of our grandmother's house, or what it is. All I know is that when I set the table here at FrenchGardenHouse with antique plates and platters, it just feels G O O D. It is a joy to see those warm, beautiful colors, to think of crisp cooler days, isn't it? For all of you who have been emailing and asking {you are even more in a hurry to have autumn come than I am!!} - today I added our latest trouvailles {= "lucky finds"} from France on our shop site, for you to create a home you love with. Especially for autumn. There are French Country, simple antiques like this basket, and the canning jars. And some super fun decorative accents, like these antique boot forms from France. They are a little quirky, with a whole lot of personality and a sense of humor! There are antique French Country prints. I love these, in their antique frames with gilt liners. Colors, perfect for autumn! This autumn, I have lots of beautiful things to share with you. Antiques, of course, but also delicious recipes, ideas to help you make the most of your home, and entertaining helps, gorgeous home tours, and table settings to inspire you. I hope you will be inspired to create an ambience in your home that exudes beauty and grace, but also one of relaxation, to create a haven for you and those you love. You can see WHAT'S NEW from France HERE....and next Tuesday I'm launching the FrenchGardenHouse Early Fall Collection. Filled with small luxuries you will want for your own home, and to give as thoughtful, lovely gifts to hostesses, friends, and other people you love. I'll share a sneak peek on Monday! Happy weekend, friends!