Remember the piece I purchased from Ekster Antiques? When I shared it on Instagram, one of my friends (who is a designer and European antique dealer) informed me this is an antique French Louis Philippe Vitrine. I didn’t know it was called that specifically, but I knew that it was gorgeous and that I loved it. It was even better than what I imagined when I put “glass front cabinet” on my furniture shopping list for the new house.
I was at the Ekster Antiques barn to pick up a piece for my studio, but I kept getting pulled back to this piece. One of my goals, when it came to purchasing pieces, was to only buy pieces that were “favorites.” I want to have a house full of favorites, as I wrote about HERE last year. There was no denying when I stood in front of this antique Louis Philippe Vitrine that it would be a favorite.
It’s not styled in my dining room, but it is in place and it makes me smile every time I catch a glance at it.
It’s currently filled with ironstone and linens from the kitchen, more to get them off of the counter and in a safe place. My dad made a couple of shelves to replace the original ones that were missing out of cabinet grade poplar for me. With those new shelves, the Louis Philippe vitrine provides so much storage! I really don’t want it to be this overloaded, but I still have furniture pieces to buy and we are planning on adding built-ins to the room as well.
The thing I find most stunning about this piece is the way the wood grain is “booked” to create a pattern. This antique Louis Philippe vitrine is an excellent display of quality craftsmanship. Simply put, they don’t make things like they used to.
Since the replacement shelves don’t match the rest of the interior, I will either stain and finish them to (mostly) match or I have considered painting the entire interior of the cabinet. That is a pretty traditional treatment of cabinets like this and a strong green or blue could look striking. Until I decide, the shelves line up perfectly with the mullions on the glass doors, so it’s not that noticeable unless it’s open.
The little antique Alouette Calandrelle (short-toed lark) is in the cabinet to keep it safe and dust-free until I figure out where I want to put it.
I also love that this piece has the original key and it is an impressive one – heavy and solid. It actually works, too! I added an as a little embellishment.
Of course, the antique Louis Philippe vitrine is the most impressive thing in the dining room right now. It was funny, when we were having the new electrical panel installed last week, they were going through the house and labeling each room. The poor electrician who was tasked with determining the names of the rooms was a little baffled at the dining room. I happened to be in the studio at the time, so he asked me, “Ummm…excuse me. So, what is this room?”
“It’s the dining room. I know it doesn’t look like it yet, but it will.”
As a reminder, here is how the dining room looked when we moved in. My mom and I peeled off the wallpaper above the chair rail on the first day, but we haven’t gotten to the paper under the chair rail. The paint under the paper is flaking in some places, so these walls are going to need a bit of work. We’ll get to that soon. I’m also looking forward to hanging the chandelier that I brought from the dining room of our MN house. That chandelier has traveled from VA to PA to MN and now to Maryland!
Aside from the French vitrine, the room is a storage place for my books, DIY supplies, and a place to pin curtains. I’m hoping soon into the new year, Jeff and I can work on built-ins for the books (and ironstone) and make this room a library/dining room. I need to make some sketches and plans for what I want to build, but I have a general idea in my head. I also need to find a dining room table and chairs. I’ve been looking and I’ve found some promising options, but I haven’t found one that would be a favorite.
There is a part of me that really loves the process, the projects, and the creative work on a home. There is another part of me that just wants to snap my fingers and have it all done! I’m sure I’m not the only one with those complicated emotions when it comes to home renovation…
26 Responses
Love this piece! It’s just breath taking. Built so beautifully with such mastery and detail. Your ironstone is so beautiful, especially the tureens and pitchers with the sculptural embellishments. Love the light in this room! Thanks Marian for highlighting this piece. Makes me smile whenever I see it also.
I’ve drooled over this piece since the first time you showed it!
What kind of table are you looking for. I think I want a round one instead of my rectangle farmhouse one but just haven’t quite pulled the trigger on one yet.
The vitrine is beautiful.
You have such a good eye Marion. I wonder if the original anique knew what a valuable piece of furniture you scored. Hope you got a good price too. Dont you wish it could talk?!
Mary
I love your books! Especially the one when you were in Santa Fe, as I live in New Mexico. I retired from a high school and the next “First Day of School” after my retirement date I bought that book and just enjoyed it with the knowledge that I never had another First Day of School.
The vitrine is so lovely and the bookmatched sections reflect its high quality, but…that antique Alouette Calandrelle (short-toed lark)!!!
When I first saw the picture of it, my reaction was BE STILL MY HEART!!! I’LL PAY YOU DOUBLE FOR IT WHEN IT WANTS TO GO AWAY!!!!!!!!
It’s pretty incredible I must say. So, there.. I said it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.. that’s 4 LOVES. And that’s a LOT!!!
Be kind to it, OK??? And for heaven’s sake… do NOT paint it! 🙂 🙂
I happened to be in Virgina and you hadn’t picked it up yet, but there wasn’t time to go look at it. My sister-in-law was with me and were on a mission to pick up a wedding cake or I would have gone to the shop. You find the MOST SPECTACULAR pieces!! 🙂
I agree with not painting it, Mary!! I would just stain the new shelves to match the rest of the cabinet and leave the rest original!!
This is GORGEOUS! I can see the inside painted, as well. I love your diamond jute rug too. I can see this dining room taking shape. Funny story about the workman. He obviously hasn’t been following your blog ;).
I can totally relate about being somewhere between enjoying the process and just wanting it done already….as we are retiling our kitchen floor which is only partially done as time allows. My sweet husband has marked, with frogtape, the tiles I can safely walk on and those that the mortar is still drying under. I am doing a sort of hopscotch across my kitchen this Thanksgiving week. Ya gotta laugh 🙂
Yes, you have a typical Louis Philippe era vitrine, the style has nothing that resembles the past kings named Louis. It has simple lines, no adornment, twisted legs, rich carvings. The furniture pieces could be made easily by basic artisans and were the first industrial made pieces. You find them everywhere in France. We have an enormous ( 7feet 55 inches) wardrobe which I had to strip with a horrible toxic chemical, even with cross ventilation, I kept a sore throat for 3 weeks, I have not done that ever after. When I look at it today, it was perhaps worth the pain, it has so much space. Very tall, the top crown has the same looks as your piece, the feet not round. Inside, old wall paper was glued on to hide cracks in the wood, I left it on, repaired many parts, and sold for 20.00 Euros because no one would have paid to fix it. A few years later, I bought a smaller wardrobe, one mirror door in mahogany veneer. we hide paint tools inside. it cost only 40.00 Euros, but a lot of work was needed to make it beautiful again. Nowadays, no one likes antique furniture, the deals are incredible. Same with castles and huge beautiful houses with a lot of land, for the cost of a one bedroom in New York City. Check it out.
I have an Arkansas River Fur Bearing Trout that would look very good among the ironstone.
I noticed that you had lined up the shelves with the mullions before you even talked about the newly made shelves! I’m hoping to create diamond mullions for my kitchen cabinets and realize that my geometrically oriented mind will have to have the shelves line up with the criss-crossing lines. (And if I install Rev-a-Shelf units in some of the lower cabinets, I think I can steal the original shelves from those for the “now you can see everything” upper cabinets).
Beautiful cabinet. Perfect for your ironstone and any collectibles that you decide to showcase. I have an antique step back cupboard that I painted the shelves because they didn’t match. The colors that you are considering sound great. I painted mine a green black. Right now I have a couple of Dept 56 Christmas houses that I have had for years and ironstone on a couple of other shelves. We are having two bathrooms remodeled after the holidays and I’m not looking forward to the mess and disruption but I am looking forward to the new bathrooms. I wish I could snap my fingers and have it all completed! When you mentioned that I could totally relate. You are doing a great job. Your home will be beautiful and cozy.
This looks amazing. I’m enjoying following your process. We’ve been in our house for 10 years, and I’m still trying to figure things out. I don’t have the same gift you do with home decor, so I would just love to snap my fingers, wrinkle my nose or blink and it all be done. Voila.
What a beautiful piece of furniture. Glad it landed in a good home. I love the help you get from your folks. If you need help matching stain for the new shelves the folks at Rockler will do a test sample for you. They have all the colors and if you have a sample scrap of wood they will work with that. I have had their help a few times and they are always spot on.
I think painting the inside dark blue would ber stunning!
Such a stunning, functional piece!!! Love it!!
This would be a favorite for me too, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch it with paint. Would it retain it’s value more if you left it the original finish and just matched the stain on the new shelves as close as possible?
You know all the decorating treatments, so know you have seen or done this suggestion already: Line the back with poster-type board covered in a beautiful wallpaper, fabric or even original art. Same affect as painting but does not destroy the integrity of the antique piece. Can’t wait to see how you finish it. Also, Kudos to your Dad for the perfectly aligned shelving.
Spectacular piece!!! I wish I could find pieces such as this where I live.
Oh Marian, I am glad you wrote a post on this piece. It is wonderful! So thankful you found it. Love the ironstone and the little guardian bird is darling!
Wow! What a gorgeous piece! I’d like to know if you refreshed the wood with hemp oil? I have used this on so many pieces since you first introduced me to it!
Beautiful cabinet. I wouldn’t dare paint the inside…..of course it is yours to do what you want to. It sounds like since this is a “favorite” you will be keeping it for a while, maybe forever. Styles and tastes change and one day you might be sorry you put paint on it. Why not line it in fabric!!! Then it will be easy to change out. Fine antiques should are good just as they are……but it is yours.
I have to admit, when I read that you might paint it….I thought I would need smelling salts!!!..lolo
This may be my favorite of your cabinets so far, a stunning piece. Painting the interior would be lovely, and would make the new shelves truly a part of the whole. I look forward to seeing how it ends up.
Marian – I have some of my ironstone in a similar cabinet, and had the same issue with needing some shelving replaced. For a bit, the new shelving edges looked very different in color. I had hoped to remedy this, but life got busy and I never got around to trying to match the color of the existing shelving. Now, you’d never know. I would suggest just giving the new wood time, and besides – it’s the lower shelves, and you have so much beautiful ironstone in there, and that steals the show 🙂