Saturday, August 21, 2010

Pink Monogram Plates

French chest with gilt mirror

It's been crazy since we got back from New York a couple of weeks ago. I have jury duty for the entire month of August, which has stalled the kitchen project.

Visual Vamp Greige Dining Room
Read more about Greige at Cote de Texas HERE


I've had a change of heart about retro fitting the "Wisteria" French chest as a base kitchen cabinet. After I painted the existing kitchen furniture HERE, another painted piece of furniture is just too much. So it ended up in the dining room, and I guess it's staying since I raised the mirror and styled the top of the chest with a lamp, a globe, and a drinks tray.

I seem to have amassed a collection of various curiosities: charts, specimens, bugs, birds, botanicals, a vintage globe, shells, and other nature inspired stuff. I plan another post about this later.

Pink Melamine plate with my name on it



This week I am showing you a set of plates I got for my birthday from Caroline the owner of perch. in New Orleans, the shop I work in. I also got the darling owl salt and pepper shakers from my do-worker Jack that he purchased from our friends Bryan and Tom's shop Hazelnut.



Melamine plates from perch.
Owl salt and pepper shaker from Hazelnut


perch. sells these wonderful plates. They are Melamine, and you can get them in dozens of colors, patterns, and monogram choices. You have to come into the shop to choose and order them, and it takes about a week to get them to you.

Pink Melamine plate with a monogram


Caroline got me four plates with my first name on them, and four plates with my first initial and Alberto' s first initial. I joked that at my age it's good to have a plate with my name on it in front of me to remind me of who I am.

Silver owl salt and pepper shakers
Glassware from the Williamsburg catalog


The table is set with a white cowhide for a table cloth, and white metal antlers as the centerpiece.

Mariposa napkin ring


Vintage Edwardian silverware is used, with linen napkins in a pale paisley pattern gathered up with a silver butterfly napkin ring. My tango nickname is La Mariposa (the butterfly), and I have gotten alot of butterfly gifts over the years (I love you all, but you can all stop now).


Metal antler centerpiece


A white ceramic charger made in Italy is the under plate, and the glassware is reproduction from the Williamsburg catalog.




You might think pink plates with an orange monogram are an odd choice, but I think they add whimsy, fun, and energy to the table setting.


Curiosities seem to be the accessory of choice


Even though my hair and my dining room and kitchen have gone greige, I still love color, and in fact consider greige very much a color.



Color creeps in with the addition of everyday objects like bottles and paper umbrellas for the cocktails.

Bowl of paper umbrellas



Checkl out Tablescape Thursday, so hop on over to Susan at Between Naps On The Porch to see some beautiful table settings done by hundreds of you guys!



PS This is my thank you note to Caroline and Jack! You made my birthday so special!

44 comments:

alison giese Interiors said...

Gray cowhide as tablecloth - insane (and gorgeous!)

Anonymous said...

New chandelier? It is awesome.

Sabina said...

I love the pink and orange plates, how cute! Everything looks beautiful.

Irene said...

I love your tablescape and your cabinet looks great where it is. What colour is the top, it's sort of hard to tell in the photo.

susan said...

The chest looks great and I love the lamp and globe on it. I could use a plate to remind me who I am on some days too :) Love the ones you gave Bill too--what a fun trip. Hope jury duty goes well!

Carollynn @ www.designGumbo.net said...

Greige hair, that's hysterical and true for me too! Earlier this year (during the snonami) I seriously considered redoing the living room and den in greige, but realized I did not have the restraint to pull it off - I'm sure I'd find myself trying to sneak in a wide swath of color somewhere. Your dining room and kitchen look amazing.

Mona Thompson said...

I'm lovin all your griege. Love the cowhide on the dining table and that chandelier! Is it a custom piece? Fabulous job. Can't wait to see your kitchen.

Entertaining Women said...

Such a sophisticated eye for design. Thank you for sharing your charming design. Cherry Kay

Entertaining Women said...

Such a sophisticated eye for design. Thank you for sharing your charming design. Cherry Kay

Ms. Smart said...

love your world. you are something special missy. sucks on the jury duty tip. stop it on the valeriie plates - too fun! :)

Visual Vamp said...

Hi Everybody,
Glad you're digging the greige!
About the chandelier - yes it's new to me. It was passed along by another designing friend who was done with it.
It was chrome, and I gold leafed it and added more crystals. I just love it!
xo xo

Anonymous said...

Oh Valerie, I am loving this room!! The pink plates really are perfect.

Kwana said...

I'm loving those plates and your greige. Do you know if Benjamin Moore or Home Depot makes a color like this also do you think it would be good in a bedroom?

Sharon Brown said...

I like the plates.
I love the owls.
I triple love, love that chandelier in YOUR dining room.

Anita Diaz said...

I LOVE the melamine plates!! Love the chandelier also, well, I love it all!

Ms. Cote de Velvet Greige said...

Hi! Love your blog! I started one myself, that I think you'll love - or I hope you will anyway. I'm running now to my guest bedroom to pull up my cowhide to throw over my dining room table! Genius! Take care, Ms. CDVG!

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

LOVE everything about this...right down to the little umbrellas!

Laminate Flooring Gal said...

Love your chandelier (very original and classy) and the gray colors are so refreshing, and contrast beautifully with your flooring. Great dining room decor ideas, love the custom plates and the owl salt and pepper set ;)

MFAMB said...

everything looks so good!
those pink plates are happy and special.

vicki archer said...

Love your birthday plates....xv

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Lovely table.
And so sorry about the jury duty! But it is an important task, and August is the best month for it I suppose.

Renae Moore said...

V!
You're DR is SPECTACULAR. I love the greige, I love the chandy, I love the styling and painting on the chest, I love the cowhide, I love EVERYTHING. Makes me want to paint...I HAVE to wait though....gots to get through the wedding first.
xoxo

Marlis said...

Love greige, always have, always will. I love the chandelier. It's quite divine. as is everything else.

Marigene said...

Great plates...love the crystals (chandelier).

mimi said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE the dr. It is gorgeous!

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS said...

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE how not only your table looks (esp. with these fantastic mongram plates!) - but your dining space too looks GORGEOUS!

:D Lynda

jlonit said...

The chest looks beautiful in this room. I love the vignette, especially the pineapple lamp. This dining room is the business - I can now say that I love it more than the old red one, even though I'm definitely a "greige" person and not a "red" type.

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday, Valorie!!!!!! You're what....28?!

Well, you know I love those pink plates - with orange monogram! And too funny...I'm putting together a mexican fiesta for some friends this weekend...and pink, orange with a splash of lime green is the color theme. I'll be pulling out my melamine plates, too...only now that I've seen yours....I want a new design!

xoxo Elizabeth

ArchitectDesign™ said...

Love the plates -so cute! I feel sorry that you have jury duty for a MONTH - grand jury? I hope you're at least on an interesting case!

La Petite Gallery said...

Darling plates, very nice post.

yvonne

Stitchfork said...

Love the monogrammed plates! And the lighting over the table is wonderful!

Linz said...

wait, this is your house? oh my gosh, it's beautiful. absolutely beautiful!!!!

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Happy Birthday! What wonderful plates. Hope you do get an interesting case.

Sally@DivineDistractions said...

What wonderful birthday gifts! The plates are so whimsical and fun, and I think they would be a kick to eat off of everyday. Love the pink and orange combo.

debra @ 5th and state said...

happy birthday valorie!

crazy for everything; cowhide, chandelier (show and tell us more), pink and orange, greige.........let's have the big blogger party at your place :-)
xo
debra

Kim@Chattafabulous said...

Your DR is breathtaking! I am so going to try this whole greige thing when I move. I adore the gold mirror with it and the little islands of vibrant color!!!

Sketch42 said...

I love the chest in there. Looks like you intended it to go there.

And the pink plates rock. Great table setting. I want to do the cowhide tablecloth thing too.

Gwen Driscoll said...

V,

Everything looks so gorgeous!!!! How are you? I hope well. Love what you are doing. Always a work in progress. Love your plates.

Talk soon,

G

Fifi Flowers said...

CUTE plates... I'm ready dine at your table... ooh and a drink would be LOVELY!!!

Hello Lover... said...

Happy Birthday! Love the table setting - I really like the way the owls, pink plates, and butterflies add that little bit of whimsy.

Renée Finberg said...

the Melamine plates are the best gift idea.

everything looks super duper-
as always.

xx

little red rowhouse said...

Valorie-

It looks amazing! I have followed for awhile, nut not published a comment before- I too just painted my very colorful dining room (and new kitchen open to it)from red and browned-down aqua to Farrows Clunch and Old White. Very soothing.
Love Wisteria too! I used a couple of the zinc top consoles inside 2 new closets (one for a coffee station, one for a bar). They have great stuff. I have to ask, WHERE did you get those drapery return rods? I have been looking for that exact thing everywhere to no avail (without breaking the bank). Would love to know your source. Thanks!

Love you posts!

Visual Vamp said...

Hi Little Red Rowhouse,
The rods come from Country Curtains online and are very reasonable.
Here's the long link.

http://www.countrycurtains.com/product/300+rods+and+hardware/302+decorative+rods+and+finials/0303r801+return+rod+set.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=2&filterby=#

Thanks for stopping by.
xox o

liz said...

cowhide on the table~ LOVE <3

i own that pair of little owls, also... inherited from my mom-in-law. i change up the way i dress my table constantly, but the owls always join us.