A Patriotic China Hutch to Celebrate Summer

Happy August, y’all! As we finish up summer, I created a patriotic look in our china hutch to celebrate summer before we head into fall…

I brought out the little patriotic couple made in Japan after the war and placed them on the top shelf of the hutch. Summer glows with roses all around Texas, so I added in a vintage floral teapot and a cake plate made by PK in Silesia (a region mostly in Poland, but with small parts in Germany and the Czech Republic).

Flowers on many of the tableware pieces add their rosy glow to our summer tableau.

I found this cake plate and small matching plates at a thrift shop shortly after we moved to Texas. I love using all of the different cake plates, especially in summer!

They are perfect for displaying, which I often do, as well as for sitting under lovely cakes to share with friends and family. ;)’

On the middle shelves, on either side of the little angel door, I stood up two Liberty Blue Independence Hall plates, which oddly enough are English and not American! They are perfect for America’s 250th birthday year and they have been coming out every year since I found them at a thrift store in California (found on one of my trips back to Cali while living here in Texas).

The two Staffordshire dogs I found in an antique shop in South Dakota, if I remember correctly.

I know I was looking for a pair (I found some but they were too large and too expensive, even back in 2005) when the kids and I flew over to visit my brother Gene and his wife in England in 2005. They were blessed to live outside of the United States twice during his military career.

I guess this summer post is also about thrifting as I have had good luck over the years finding porcelain and stoneware treasures… The Wedgwood “Sarah’s Garden” creamer and sugar were not thrifting finds. They are part of the set I bought in Costa Mesa, California, when I met the-then Sarah, Duchess of York, when she was working with Wedgwood.

“Sarah’s Garden” was named for company-founder Josiah Wedgwood’s wife who was also his business partner at Wedgwood. A wonderful legacy to name this lovely set after his wife!

The creamware plates with pink roses, below, is one of the first plates I first purchased years ago and I would use them at my first tea parties.

Back up on the top shelf, I have hung this old coffee mug found by my sister-in-law Linnea when she and my brother were stationed in Germany. It is accompanied by an orphan Mason Crabtree & Evelyn saucer.

Our country really is such a “melting pot” of peoples, it is nice to be inspired by and to be able to share these pieces created by crafts people from so many countries around the world

This hutch has been fun for me to put together as I didn’t realize I had so many blue & white china pieces. I always really enjoy seeing everyone’s blue and white dishes stacked on shelves and in their cupboards as I read your posts. This is my attempt to do something similar.

The bright pinks on other china pieces, and below in this little painting made for me by Kristen, a former coworker and friend, add their subtle reds creating a softer patriotic color palette.

Creating an American countryside feel

Out in the garage, Mr. Ethereal found one more box which hadn’t been opened since our household goods arrived here from California (seven years ago, can you believe it??).

In it, I found this little blue & white plate with its coaching scene. This plate inspired me to create a little driving-through-the countryside tableau within the boxed area behind the angel door. I added the little dried roses and a small dove feather found in our backyard.

Changing out the iron candleholder for the little English Springer spaniel completed the countryside look. This little fellow is solid and helps hold up the plate while looking adorable as he runs alongside the coach. 😉

And just the lightest touch of cream and golden yellows in our china pieces hint that we are indeed halfway through summer and heading towards fall… 😉

And that is a quick look at our mid-summer patriotic china hutch stocked with worldwide vintage finds making our patriotic Americana look even more appealing!

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Merci, mes amis,