Monthly archives for March, 2012

Before and After ~ Antiques in the Bedroom

Antique Letter EngravingAs I was starting to write this blog, the new April issue of Traditional Home arrived in the mail, entitled “Before and After Issue”.  Of course, in our antique and design business we are not new to transformations and sometimes complete metamorphoses.  Everyone loves how a home can be renewed by a makeover.  Sometimes even we are amazed by the mesmerizing effects of antiques when properly incorporated into a design, especially by the enchantment that they bring to our client’s beautiful homes.

Antique Bed Sketch

This week we are starting a new feature on our blog  ~ “Before and After”.  It’s only natural since transformations and renewals are our favorite part of design and restoration.  We look forward to sharing photos and stories of our latest projects with our readers, and I can’t tell you how excited we are to feature these transformations to show why we are so inspired on a daily basis by our antique finds.

Antique Bed Before View

This is the antique bed in its 'Before' state.

In this first “Before and After” feature I want you to see a small antique bed that we converted into a grand and luxurious king size bed for one of our clients.  Since the bed is the centerpiece of every bedchamber, it deserves our total attention in its design.  An antique one-of-a-kind bed is the best way to create this focus, but we also do everything to ensure that it provides a sublimely comfortable place for your slumber.

Antique Bed

Antique Bed Alternate View

Of course, beauty is not the only pursuit to design happiness.  In the modern home comfort rules and we all know how important it is to keep in mind that every home has a unique family that dwells within.  Our relentless pursuit is always their ultimate happiness!

Inessa Stewart's Antiques

Antique Workbenches ~ Not Just for the Shop

Antique letter engravingIf you are an antique collector or were lucky to inherit a piece of antique furniture from your family or friend, that antique item was most probably made on a wood craftsman’s workbench.  The antique workbench or L’etabli – as the French call it – was the iconic tool of furniture manufacturing from the Middle Ages into the 20th century.  Even today this ‘altar’ of wood craftsmanship is still used by fine artisans of furniture.  Bench-made is the term that personifies the hand-crafted and hand-carved treasures.

Antique workbench topped with antique culinary accessories

Thanks to this ancient industry we can enjoy industrial relics, each as unique as the furniture gems they produced.  Thanks to creative designers such as Kathryn Ireland and the rise of the popularity of rustic, industrial and country styles, these workbenches are welcome in our foyers, dens and living rooms.  We can find them from chic NY lofts used as kitchen islands, in rustic lodges used as sideboards and in trendy living rooms used as side tables.

antique furniture workbench

On the cover of Kathryn Ireland's "Creating a Home" we see a workbench being used as a sofa table in a rustic style living room.

These benches are hard to find in good condition as many where abandoned and relegated to barns and basements after decades of hard use.  We bring these beautiful relics of bygone era into our own workshop (our woodcraftsmen are always excited to see them and work with them) and lovingly restore them for modern use.  On my last trip to Europe, as I combed the Italian and French countrysides, I found unique and diverse examples of rustic workbenches.

Antique Workbench

Visit our website to see more of our versatile antique workbenches!

Inessa Stewart's Antiques and Interiors

 

 

 

 

Facebook     Twitter     Pinterest

 

 

Spring Showroom Update

Antique Letter Engravingwe hope your spring is as productive and exciting as ours has started out to be.  We just received our fourth antique container of the year in Dallas from the European continent, and John has now finished uploading the photos for the fifth container steaming towards Baton Rouge.  Last month we also received an amazing shipment of art ~ over two hundred canvases!

Antique French Painted Buffet

The lighter wall color compliments this French antique buffet we discovered in Marseille.

Antique Furniture

European country elegance accented by an original oil painting of Venice

We have been tirelessly painting the walls, rearranging the showrooms, hanging paintings and setting up fresh new vignettes.  With our inventory moving so briskly (it is a good “problem” to have), we constantly need to rearrange our showrooms ~ sometimes daily, sometimes weekly and definitely seasonally.  We are of course absolutely grateful for the ample business, and are motivated by our newest design and decorating projects.

Antique Furniture

This antique Italian neoclassical trumeaux and console just arrived in Dallas!

Antique Furniture

One of hundreds of new paintings we were excited to bring to our showrooms

The Spring season and all the new arrivals have provided even more inspiration as we work diligently to put all the finishing touches in place.  The following are some new shots from our showrooms, which we are thrilled to share…

Antique Furniture

This light and airy setting accented by the antique crystal chandelier is perfect for the Spring

Antique Dishes

Incredible complete set of antique transferware just arrived in Baton Rouge

Inessa Stewart's Antiques Dallas

We could hardly wait to plant fresh Spring flowers in the front of our showrooms. Here you see antique style statuary in from of our Dallas Design District showroom.

Let us know which ones are your favorites!

Facebook     Twitter     Pinterest

Inessa Stewart's Antiques

 Inessa Stewart

Antiques in Style is a source of joy for me to create, and hopefully will be a source of inspiration for you! The variety, artistry and history of the antiques and vintage pieces that surround us every day provide pleasure, beauty and sometimes even intrigue.

The classics never go out of style, and each era, country, and even artisan's interpretations create an environment that is always full of surprises.

It is truly a pleasure to bring such timeless style together for every client and follower of my blog. And of course, your input is always welcome!

Archived Posts