It’s been a crazy couple of weeks! This is how I feel at the moment:
Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but not by much. I had planned to visit and photograph a client’s lovely home for this week’s post. But, sadly, I’ve been buried under a mountain of paperwork.
While I tackle the massive pile, enjoy a few favorite vignettes, past and present, from our shop. To me, these show the versatility of Swedish painted antique furniture.
I know nothing about this vintage “prince of fashion” collage, except that I adore its personality. Kinda reminds me of the Monopoly man – right? It looks really graphic with the Swedish Gustavian writing desk and mid-century Wishbone chair – all with very clean lines.
Here is a Swedish Rococo late 1700s chest paired with an American Federal 1800s giltwood mirror. The gilded pottery lamp and brass knot sculpture are both contemporary. Notice the mirror’s cornucopia detail and original mercury glass. I am really drawn to heavily foxed glass – the more worn the better!
Pairing American and Swedish antiques again. The Federal pine corner cabinet and game board are both American, while the plate rack and table are from Sweden.
Above and below: Swedish painted pieces with French fruitwood furniture. The 19th century Louis XV style desk is from Normandy. And the carved architectural wooden curtain, in early grey and salmon paint, is from a chateau’s theater for children. Wouldn’t it make a fabulous backdrop for a gallery wall or bed?
Swedish painted armchair with a mahogany work table. Though the finishes are quite different, their clean lines work well together.
Mixing it up! Two photos of former pieces at Tone on Tone. A French Empire trumeau mirror, Italian alabaster lamps, English Gothic oak console, and Swedish Gustavian stools all together. Classical touches below.
Finally, a look at Swedish on Swedish. When layering painted furniture, it is important to still have contrast – brass, gilt, and crystal accents all help.
Until next time – bye, now!
Loi
I AM HERE! And it looks like I'm the first one!
OK, that wooden curtain in gray and salmon…I need that! And of course, your pairings are divine, Loi. You have taught me (like many other bloggers have taught me different things about art) that it is OK to mix and match. I've never been one for "sets" in furniture, but I never really saw the potential for mixing French and Swedish with American Federal! And you do it elegantly.
That mercury glass is magnificent. It adds yet another patina to a home that embraces you in a warmth that only Tone and Tone sensibilities can add.
I hope you can get through that paper work soon my friend! XOXOXO
I love the carved wood swag above the sunburst mirror!
Absolutely beautiful arrangements, Loi. I am ready to get in the car and drive back down there…I have my eye on two things!
xo,
Phyllis
It's all beautiful. Love the mix of woods.
YOU do splendid vignettes, I love the Carleton V fabric pillow too!! xo Karolyn
I can never get enough of your fabulous vignettes. All so simply but beautifully done!
So many gorgeous vignettes! I love the simplicity of the work chair and the mahogany table. The textures lend warmth and comfort to this pretty pair.
Not only are your pieces exquisite, but the photography is perfect! Such wonderful contrasts of texture and space and colors! You will….get through all that paperwork, somehow, and just think: spring is right around the corner!!!!
oh that teal piece- swoon! and i LOVE the prince of fashion!
Loi, I love the way you mix wood finishes. I am dying over the first two vignettes with the wishbone chair and the vintage print.
Its a business owner-paperwork time of year and I dread it. Hope you can "dig out" soon.
xo
Hello Busy Loi, I learn so much from you about Swedish Gustavian and Rococco furniture. I adore your vignettes especially the one with the French Empire mirror. French a Empire and a Regency style is my idea of extravagant home decor, like in my dreams. Enjoy the rest of the week.
Loi you have such a discerning eye for displaying exquisite pieces together!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Loi you sure excel at vignettes, all are intriguing and perfectly composed. The Prince of Fashion packs a fun graphic punch … love it!!!
I am drawn to foxed glass mirrors, so much so I've been experimenting with antiquing mirror to be used as a backslash in our kitchen. I have someone to install, but finding someone to create is proving difficult. So I'm waiting for winter to end to do it outdoors. I always enjoy your posts.
Vera
Loi,
I know how you feel, I am drowning in work at the moment and having a difficult time catching up.
Each and every photo is a feast for the eyes! I have to go back again and look because I have so many favorites, but the mirror is currently at the top of my list.
I hope that you are surviving the snow and the cold, stay safe and warm.
Elizabeth
Beautiful antiques Loi and I love the mix of French and Swedish design. The painting is so fun at the top and the mirror on the French piece is stunning!! Hope all is well and that you reduce some of all that paper! xxleslie
All so beautiful Loi! I have always loved the contrast of pale, painted Scandinavian furniture mixed with antique darker woods, and it is something that my Swedish grandparents and my mother have always done in their homes…..something that I have found myself creating here in my own here in England. My mother has a beautiful mahogany Georgian dining table, which she uses with her eight pretty grey Gustavian dining chairs and it works beautifully. A lovely post! Thank you. Hope you get through all your paperwork soon…..I know the feeling!
Sophia x
The poster says it all Loi – 'Prince of Fashion' – the wooden drape from the children's theatre is pure magic.
Love the simple, elegant beauty in all these vignettes. The salmon/gray wood curtain? Stunning!! I have put off my paperwork. I no longer have any excuses!! xo
Dear Loi,
I love how you have managed to show the diversity of style from modern pop to Regency, Renaissance, country chic and everything in between. You have a superb eye for detail. It is my dream to one day buy a country pile and invite Loi to show me how to style it.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Di
xoxo
Loving every piece!
This is pure perfection Loi, regardless of the style or the age of the furniture pieces! Slow down, spring is in the air!!!
Eeek, that is a mountain of paperwork, my friend. Love the way you pair the darker pieces of furniture with the lighter pieces. I wish you could come to my house and work your magic! I hope you get a chance to relax this weekend, Loi!
Deborah
You are the master of beautiful vignettes. Is that brass knot for sale and still available? I love it!
Wish you good luck with the work 🙂 I myself have been very busy for last one month. I am glad have filed the taxes and now relaxed..
These vignettes are so good, you my friend teach us all a little bit of interior design in a very subtle way through your each post. Thanks!
Best wishes
What a talent you are, Loi, to combine pieces from here and there and produce such effortless looks. I really love the humor of the Monopoly-esque poster!
Dear Loi,
Each of your postings is an inspiration, and they remind me to keep checking your store website. As you know, I have long been an admirer of things Neoclassic, and I see in its Swedish interpretation a really beautiful distillation of that style.
Loi, you are The Prince Of Vignettes! They are perfectly done and always inspire!!
I love the sunburst mirror….all of your vignettes are always creative and unique…
Loi
Visitors to your shop are so lucky to have such a feast for their eyes. I echo Patty's comment! No one can create a vignette like you my friend!!
Hi Loi, I love all of these vignettes. The Hans Wegner chair with the Gustavian (?) writing table is pure sculptural delight. Black and ivory!! My favorites. I love it all.
xoxoxo Mary
Love the first picture so much with the mix of the mid century classic chair with Swedish antique and the more modern art -stunning! Always so much fun and beautiful stuff to see in your shop!
foxed glass. i had no idea it was called that. i'll be whispering it all day because i'm weird like that. it does make excellent copy so perhaps it will show up in something i write today. love how you pushed the envelope with that whimstastic collage.
love to you.
michele
that carved architectural wooden curtain had my heart beating fast! + everything looks divine. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
You are inspiring us to do some shopping, Loi! These vignettes mixing ages and styles are beautiful and remind us that we need to invest in some interesting pieces to make our consoles and desks more enticing. Love that contemporary knot sculpture! We hope spring is on its way to you…
xxoo
C + C
Oh Loi, Each vignette is so exquisite. I think however, when I scrolled down to the blue secretary, I nearly fell over. The patina, the shade of blue and the gold accents. Perfect! I love pairing wood with painted pieces too. Rich wood pieces are lovely, but too much of it always seems too heavy for me. Sorry about the paperwork. I hate it too– especially anything which requires a lot of precise detail such as tax forms. One of the worst is the online sale's tax form which we have in NY. It was written by a bureaucratic sadistic freak! xoxo, Laurel
Loi,
I always enjoy studying your vignettes. These are wonderful and the second to the last image is my favorite. Hope you can emerge from that pile of paperwork in time for the weekend. BTW, I had never heard of the term "heavily foxed glass". I'm going to Google it to read more of the description…maybe you can run a few posts on some of the lingo you antique dealers use. I think any and all education in this arena is welcome and fun.
xo,
Karen
Hello Loi,
Your eye for detail and creative talent shine through these compositions. They are every bit small works of art as paintings might be. Contrasts of styles, colours, finishes and periods all serve to catch the attention of the viewer and draw him or her in. Hopefully, of course to make a purchase.
What we do admire is your highly individual response to the various antiques/vintage/contemporary pieces. They are combined bravely paying attention to traditional and classical lines but never slavishly following them. And, one always feels that nothing is taken too seriously, a dash of humour here and there, a piece of fun together with something more serious never fails to amuse and delight.
Darling Loi, your talents are wasted with the paperwork. Bring in the paper pushers and create!!!
Wishing you a restful weekend when it comes!
Hi Loi, another inspiring post and design lesson for me! I go over each photo and attempt to learn and store the design elements you so effortlessly put forth for us….every vignette is beautiful! Thank you, N.xo
I'm a "foxed glass" fan, too…and today TWO foxes scampering and dancing in our front yard…spring MUST BE COMING!!! franki
So many beautiful simple vignettes. You restraint is impeccable and that is one of the many things I love about your design aesthetics. Thank you for a visit to your beautiful shop. Good luck with the paper work. Tax time is a bear this time of year, especially when you work for yourself. Happpy Thursday,
Kathysue
Loi, everything is breathtakingly beautiful, what would I want to take home with me? I surely could choose a couple of item and pieces.
Love the wire basket with its galvanized patina, I took notice right away because I also have one sitting in my kitchen.
Thank you dear friend for taking the time to visit me and leaving behind a comment that joys my heart.
Lots of love and beauty surrounding you.
Xoxo
Doré
I adore all of the vignettes, Loi. The tones are so soothing. I love how you can mix Swedish and American styles so effortlessly!
Hello Loi, We now see another advantage of your plain, uncluttered style–it blends so well with modern pieces and sculpture.
I am intrigued by that white box. I can't see it clearly, but it looks quite old, and I wonder what it is made of or covered with.
–Jim
Ahh, I can't decide which image I love more, they are all divine! That pine corner cabinet is so beautiful, and I love the crystal sconces in the last image…so much beauty and style in one post, as always! I hope life slows down a little for you!
xo Kat
Every one of your blog posts is like a virtual vacation to a serene world!
No one has as keen of an eye for beauty as you.
I look forward to visiting your shop again soon!
xo xo
Brooke
Olá Loi,
amei esses móveis, sou apaixonada por moveis antigos, aqui é difícil se encontrar, mas em nosso país vizinho Uruguai se encontrar móveis antigos de coleção com preços ótimos. Queria conhecer sua loja, quem sabe um dia vou ai conhecer.
Bjos tenha um ótimo final de semana.
Anajá
You know, if you hadn't stated that they were vignettes in your shop, they could have easily passed for beautiful gatherings in one's home. Rich in textures, colour and balance, these collections are pure art. Thank you for sharing and hope you crawl out of that pesky paper pile and sink yourself into that gorgeous lovely armchair, reflected in that pretty mirror, if only for a break!
Take care, Loi.
xo
Poppy
as a fellow shop owner, i savor these images. so serene and beautifully constructed. it is all in the mix isn't it Loi?
hope you find yourself clear of the paperwork in the very near future, the bane of my existence
wishing you peace
debra
All beautiful, but my favorite is the last image. I love everything in it. The desk, in particular, is spectacular.
Yes it's definitely paperwork season. And I have a feeling you have some pretty complicated taxes 🙂
I love them all but I think my favorite is the mix of Federal.
Love all this stuff! Hope you get caught up soon – it gets stressful when things are too busy and the piles too high!
Love the pine corner cabinet Loi. I always enjoy the photos of your shop:). Look forward to seeing your clients home. Take Care!
Sarah
Every one of them is just stunning and like a breath of fresh spring air. You have such a wonderful eye…..and good luck with that paperwork, that is an everyday challenge over here:)
I always want everything I see, Loi. Adore the image with the paperwork…made me laugh!! Love the Rococo chest and mirror and of course, I'm smitten with the starburst – they never get old to me!! Happy weekend ~
I would much prefer to be sitting at that beautiful blue desk doing my own paperwork than my sofa using a magazine to write on! I'm learning so much from looking at your lovely vignettes, I wish I could get my hands on a wooden curtain though!!
Loi, are those shutters still for sale????
Betsy
Loi – you are a genius. i love the first vignettes with the Prince of Fashion print – they are so edgy yet still so you and tie in the swedish piece perfectly. i love your range 🙂
As always, glorious, elegant perfection!! I learn so much from you, dear Loi….thank you, thank you! Love the unexpected pop of red tulips with the fabulous poster, the green fern…and those crystal sconces have stolen my heart… 🙂 Completely inspirational, friend!
I am sorry you are overwhelmed with paperwork, and I do hope this weekend you will have a chance for some relaxation….
I will catch up with your previous post now…
Much love,
– Irina
Sorry you're inundated with paperwork Loi- tax season? ugh. I love all your vignettes..love the crisp white linen in contrast with the grays. Hope you have a wonderful weekend and catch a break! xoxo Nancy
Dear Loi,
I just love how you mix and display. Foxed glass hold so much mystery. Remember when we threw mirrors out when this happened.
Wishing you peace and more hours to do what you love
Helen xx
Your vignettes are the best. The lines of the furniture still show through.
Lovely and serene! I love the way you mix it up, Loi. Of course, my favorites are the painted pieces!
-Revi
Wow! Loi you have a way of making everything look amazing! You choose beautiful pieces to start which helps! Love the vignettes.
Loi, I know how you feel! It's been a busy year already. Hope you take care and rest!
I loved all these photos. What gorgeous pieces. I especially love the wooden curtain, the Louis desk, and the mirrors. Wow!
I agree the foggier glass looks even better! They are so beautiful. Great inspiration to restyle for spring!
Have a good weekend! Kim
So glad I stumbled upon your blog. Everything is beautiful! I realized that I have several images from either your shop or home pinned to my pinterest boards. Think ill stay awhile and look around. Good luck with the paperwork!
Hang in there, Loi! I'm sorry to hear things are so crazy for you right now! But these are all such lovely vignettes, and I adore the "prince of fashion" collage!
XOXO,
The Glam Pad
Hope you come out from under all of that paperwork soon Loi! It will be spring soon, and your garden will be calling!
Beautiful…….
What a beautifully curated collection of simply marvellous things. I feel a new direction somehow in your look…more mixing of modern touches somehow.
I am crazy over that knot sculpture. Where did you get it and how can I get one?
Hugs and well done! xo Terri
Ive had my eye on that painted wooden pelmet for quite some time Loi! I just need to find a home for it with a client or even myself.
Loi-
There is so much beautiful in your shop! The art and gray pieces call my name!
Happy Monday!
Teresa
xoxo
Dear Loi,
I know what it's like to be busy. There is so much going on here too.
There are many pieces of furniture in this post that I like. I am always partial to fruitwood furniture. If only my bank account matched my wishes we could all be happy!
Kirk
I can truly see what you mean about versatility Loi!!!! I don't know how ou styled everything so differently yet still evoke a sens of masterful elegance to all of your vignettes! In love with that wooden curtain display – it would make a huge statement piece in any room!
I'm coming to steal that French Trumeau mirror !! Just FYI. You're BUSY, because everyone wants to work with you. That's a good problem to have, no? Beautiful post as always, your serene photos always help me to feel a little calmer.
Thanks, friiend
Terrie Lee
I love the photos! Great shots, that help show how to layer….lovely….
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
Great post! Thanks for sharing this information. I gained quite a lot of knowledge after reading your blog thank you.
Luxurious Living Room in White Color
Loi,
We're all in a bit of a frenzy at the moment as well. But you've turned it into a great blog post once again! Looks like all is well and inspiration is still what we keep pursuing..as time goes by. Lovely post thanks!
xo Bette
I hear your song load and clear! To create beauty and refinement and with such great flair, whilst dealing with the mountains of paperwork that seem to continuously grow in the midst's of running a successful business surely deserves a glass raised in your direction. You really are both doing a sterling job Loi.
Not to add to your load but when can I expect the void on my coffee table to be filled with a beautiful book entitled Tone on Tone…..I have saved a space!
Vignette perfection Loi! I am in love with that vivid blue throw in the 2nd pic!
I am thinking a small cot in the back room and I could actually live in your lovely shop. On second thought I might need a small TV to watch my fav reality shows:)