Thursday, December 10, 2009

Vintage in the Humble Bungalow





I found this miniature bureau in an antique shop and fell in love with it. I was told that it might have been a traveling sales mans' sample piece.  I knew that it would be invaluable for storage of small things in my 1913 home.






Tiffany necklace which I wrap twice around my wrist and use as a bracelet.




West Coast First Nations Baskets

I love baskets and find they can be beautiful as well as functional.
This wee carving is a mouse, it is unusual. More commonly depicted in carvings are Frogs, Ravens, Eagles, Salmon, Whales and Seals.





Vintage West Coast First Nations Baskets in the Humble Bungalow



  
 Contemporary Sterling silver salad servers
in an early First Nations basket.



The Humble Bungalow lends itself to items from nature. The arts and crafts philosophy evolved from the Victorian era almost as a protest to the clutter and excesses that were common in Victorian times. Honest, simple understated designs using organic natural materials often found on site or locally gave the architect and builder their inspiration.


People were breaking away from the need to amass and accumulate.
Furniture styles were simplified and many pieces were made by the home craftsman. Patterns for furnishing projects were commonplace and featured simple unadorned designs.  Companies that did produce furniture printed and distributed catalogues from which the homeowner could order from.




Our furniture is mostly from that early arts and crafts period. The pieces that we own are in what is commonly referred to as "museum condition" meaning that they have not been refinished and the blemishes that have been acquired over the years are retained.





One chair in particular has a flat and heavy armrest into which someone, likely a child, has carved R.I.P. with a cemetery cross!

As the current resident of the Humble Bungalow I have chosen to decorate within these parameters of simplicity, form and function.

Collecting vintage and using items from nature are most appropriate.




Berried branches from the boulevard in a vintage Weller vase.




Mrs. Plant, a former long time resident of the Humble Bungalow.
She raised 3 children in this small home, tended her cottage garden and worked as a dressmaker to support the family.

The Humble Bungalow is on the Heritage Registry to save it from demolition in the future. Our job is to maintain and preserve it for the next generation.

3 comments:

materfamilias said...

I could move in tomorrow! Although different architecture and different landscapes have drawn out different aesthetic responses in our current home, I see some real compatibility in our decorating styles. Yours is marked by an unpretentious regard for form married to function and that preference for materials that honestly record their passage through the years is so appealing.

Terra said...

You have a wonderful home and a great attitude to preserving it for future generations. I like the photo you include of a previous owner.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

materfamilias- Interesting that we share similar styles of decor, I feel a kinship reading your blog as well.

Terra-Such kind words, thank you!