28.5.08

Getting ready for summer

Summer is almost here and we're getting ready. Cottage Antiques has birdhouses, painted garden and summer signs ready for your home. Our painted bamboo garden ducks, each with a name tag, are just waiting for the perfect garden to be placed. We've been gathering all sorts of things for the summer months. Here's a sampling:




Our beach signs are a hit year round -

and they make wonderful gifts if you want to give something really unique
How about a 1930s metal lawn chair made into a water feature, spigot and all

and, perfect for summer in your garden, is a charming potting bench

This antique ceiling tin mirror gives an architectural feel to a room, perfect for a summer re-do.

. . . and we have the greatest signs, perfect for outdoors or indoors and lots with summer themes.

and birdhouses. We have a large assortment of birdhouses from simple to extravagant.

15.5.08

Garden Chairs

This is a great weathered antique chair that's been cleverly turned into a unique planter that I bought at our recent Point Loma Garden Walk boutique. My designer friend Renee added her creative flair by painting flowers at the top. I love this chair and it's on our front porch and is so welcoming! This rocking chair was planted by my husband and is now sitting under a tree in one of our flower beds in our front yard. Love it and can't wait until it weathers more but I think I'll paint a little phrase on it, maybe "welcome to our garden".
I counldn't resist showing you this antique wheelbarrow that we planted a couple of years ago with hydrangeas and ivy. It was falling apart as a wheelbarrow so it's new role is to be a wonderful planter in our front yard. Lucky for me, we have a corner lot so there is lots of room for whimsical unusual planted containers like wheelbarrows, chairs, watering cans, etc. It's fun making outdoor rooms.

8.5.08

If you're looking for turn-of-the-century floral oil paintings, you're in the right place!

We have quite a nice collection of late 19th Century oil paintings of roses, pansies, sweetpeas, mums, and miscellaneous florals. Here is a sampling . . .

Sweet Pea painting, signed and dated 1889


Pansies and more pansies!

Large, beautiful painting of fruits in an Art Nouveau frame


. . . and this gorgeous painting of mums, in a hard to find yard long



Pansies galore!

1.5.08

We love architectural items - do we ever!




These are fabulous carriage doors, a photo of them before they were brought into our shop.



Here's an example of a very cool architectural salvage plant stand. The top of it is as old as the column and the iron stand only adds to its charm. Wherever it came from, it's the best.