Finds from Opa’s House

by | Aug 17, 2013 | Antiques, Favorite Finds, Miscellaneus | 75 comments

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I thought I would share a few more pieces I was able to take home from my Opa’s house as well as some pieces that are favorites of mine, but are going to other family members.

The dining set isn’t really my style.  It’s beautiful, but it’s a bit too formal for my taste.  That being said, I’ve always been smitten with the needlepoint seats.  Each one is different and I’m sure they were completed painstakingly by hand.  I had to snap a picture of one…just to remember…

needlepoint seat covers | blue, birds, flowers | miss mustard seed

I also wanted to snap a picture of this old friend…

mounted vintage deer head | miss mustard seed

My Opa loved animals and was often called Dr. Doolittle.  I remember him keeping a bag of peanuts in the house to feed the squirrels who lived in the trees in his front yard.  He used to tote a small pony around in a station wagon for my mom and she remembers a parade of cats, dogs, snakes…just about anything my Opa found, rescued, happened upon, etc.  While he loved animals, he also loved hunting and he’s had this deer head with a sweet face hung in his den as long as I can remember.  At one point, he had a huge wasps nest hung off the antlers.  I remember sleeping on the sofa bed, trying to avoid eye contact with the deer head with the wasps nest; covering my head with the blankets to try to break the stare.  I actually had nightmares about a rabid deer chasing me with a cloud of wasps behind.  I finally asked him to take down the nightmare-inducing nest and he did.

Ah, memories.

Some pieces that I did get to take home (or will take home) is this pair of hand-painted oval plates…

hand painted oval plates | bavarian | miss mustard seed

…this quirky toothpick holder…  (I know it’s ugly, but I thought there was something so cool about it, too.)

german wooden toothpick holder vintage | miss mustard seed

…some coasters from Germany (my Oma collected hundreds of these, I’m sure, including a bunch she stuffed in her purse every time we left a restaurant)…

vintage german beer coasters | miss mustard seed

…a bunch of silver, including a Champagne chiller…

vintage and antique silver | miss mustard seed

…and the thing I wanted most…

antique wool rug | miss mustard seed

…this beautiful antique wool rug.  I didn’t care if I got anything else, but I really wanted this rug and my mom claimed it for me.

I also brought home some mismatched Sterling silver napkin rings…

mismatched antique silver napkin rings | miss mustard seed

…a petite pair of tongs…

antique silver tongs | miss mustard seed

…a knife rest…

antique silver knife rest | miss mustard seed

…some family photos (oh, who’s that cute little girl with the platinum hair)…

And those who were losing sleep over the chandelier, you’ve convinced us to take it home.  So, I’m going to be the proud owner of a huge, heavy chandelier with old wiring and thousands of crystals.

1800's crystal chandelier | miss mustard seed

1800's crystal chandelier | miss mustard seed

I know I’ll be thanking you all one day.  🙂

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    75 Comments

    1. JeanFB

      Oh I’m so glad you are taking the chandelier!!!!! Yes, one day you will be very glad. 😉 Thanks for sharing your treasures – that rug is amazing!

    2. Kimberly

      *sigh of relief* Thank goodness you are taking the chandelier! Yes, one day you will be thanking everyone who insisted you take it – if you decide to move to a big house one day, think how gorgeous it will look in your entryway!

      You were bequeathed some really beautiful items, but the memories that go with them are the things that are most precious.

      Best,

      Kimberly

    3. Mimi

      Those are some beautiful items that will remind you of many happy memories. I am lovin the toothpick holder the most though so quirky and special, I bet it will always make you smile 😉

    4. Jeanette Boruszewski

      I’m so glad to hear the chandelier so staying in the family. I so wanted the lead glass windows in my husbands grand parents family home. I’m sad every time we talk about it. We treasure the things that we do have. You will enjoy having it.

    5. Sarah H.

      Love the Silver and the Rug! Glad you were able to keep those items that mean the most to you.
      ps. I am painting with milk paint tonight for the first time. Just logged on to re-watch the tutorials while my 1st coat dries. I chose linen for an antique china cabinet. Also purchased Flow Blue for a buffet. I hope and pray it will turn out 1/3 as good as any of your beautiful pieces. I love your home, inspiration and this blog!
      Sincerely, Sarah

    6. kaille

      Marian, everything is beautiful! I can’t wait to see how you incorporate it all into your already gorgeous home. And the coasters! I think I have a bajillion of them around here that I still use – I attended a couple of years of college in Munich and frequented LOTS of beer halls and gasthauses (part of my studies, don’t you know) and always brought the coasters home with me – ah, memories! 🙂

    7. Deb Owen

      I’m so happy about the chandelier! It’s so nice to have those items that meant a lot to them close by.

    8. Danielle

      Such beautiful memories. I’m so glad you got the gorgeous rug, silver and chandelier. So important to have the treasures of those we love. x

    9. Rita C

      Fantastic treasures! The chandelier and rug are just fantastic, and I love collecting mismatched silver napkin rings! The only regret you may have will be foregoing the needlepoint – love those colors & design! But, I guess one can’t be greedy, right?
      Have a great weekend & trip! Can’t wait to see what route & stops you make.

    10. Jan

      Great stuff! I love the napkin rings because they remind me of a Christmas holiday tradition one of my friend’s family had. Each family member had a silver napkin ring (and not all matched) to hold their cloth napkins on the dining table from meal to meal during the holiday week (as long as they didn’t get too soiled). When I visited one Christmas, two of her brothers set off to find something to serve as a silver napkin ring for me, probably dispatched by her mother. It think they came up with something from her father’s workbench, like a washer or short piece of pipe. What a sweet gesture to make me feel at home with their family.

      • Eliza

        Jan, I just love this story. Your friend’s family sounds perfectly delightful:)

    11. Isabella

      Yeah! The chandelier! That piece really needed to stay in the family with someone who would love and cherish it. It’s absolutely gorgeous. You sure were a cutie!

    12. Anne Marie

      They sure will be thanking you…it looks super heavy!
      I do think I wore a dress like you have on in that photograph – gotta love smocking and wings on the shoulders! what a cutie you are

      by the way…I love the photography tips (like the one for the bedroom) – thank you –

      xo + blessings,
      Anne Marie
      p.s. like I said on Facebook…Maria did a fantastic job on your paint product/styling….very nice

    13. Roz

      I like the quirky toothpick holder! Great conversation piece!

    14. Sheila

      Yay on the chandelier and I love the toothpick holder, too

    15. Sherry

      What family treasures to remember those wonderful ancestors. You’ll think fond memories every time you look at them. The chandelier is, of course, fabulous! But no less fabulous then the napkin rings or tongs. It’s all about the memories! Thanks for sharing!
      The Railroader’s Daughter

      http://www.facebook.com/therailroadersdaughter

    16. kipper

      Great choices! You will find the perfect spot for that magnificent chandelier. The rug is gorgeus!
      I inherited my Grandfather’s monogrammed napkin ring and had the jeweler turn it into a cuff bracelet. It looks great and I get many compliments on it. There were no other family napkin rings otherwise I would have left it intact.

      • Martha

        What a great idea! My mom had my Grandfathers cufflinks turned into earings for my sister and I. We love them!

    17. Pam

      Such treasures! We left 5 beautiful crystal chandeliers ( from the 1920’s) in my parents house when we sold it thinking it added value…the new owners threw them in the trash and put up some horrid pieces from a chain hardware store. So happy you have that amazing chandelier.

      • Audrey

        That is such a shame – I hope that you were able to recover them from the trash but I suspect not. It seems like they should have asked you first.

      • Eliza

        Oh Pam, that just makes me heartsick. There are two original hanging lights in our 1843 house that I think are dreadful, and I replaced them with something more to my taste. But we carefully boxed up the antiques for the day we eventually sell the house; we can either return them to their original places or leave them for the next owner.

    18. Deb

      Recover those dining chairs and save the needlepoint!!! It’s lovely and I predict you will find chairs for it someday. Maybe as a wedding gift for a daughter. If they are all as lovely as the one pictured, they are too sweet to let go. And how nice to have family dinners sitting on the same chair seats as your great (or gr gr) grandmother did.

    19. Carolina

      Oh! So nice you got the beautiful crystal chandelier and the wonderful wool rug!
      Both pieces are so amazing!
      Very good choice Marian…everything in your Grandparents home was pretty beautiful. I am glad you got what you wished for.

      XOXO

      Carolina

    20. Bernice

      wow! Some wonderful things. I love the toothpick holder, someone had a sense of humor to keep it all these years! Makes one smile. Just a thought about the needlepoint on the chairs, someone may recover the chairs; if it was me I myself would take the needle point off the chairs, frame them and recover the chair seats……just saying…..Love the chandelier.
      thanks for sharing with us.

    21. Wendy M

      Beautiful pieces! All full of memories! You will do wonderful things with them! Ps just got your book and finished it already! My wheels are turning!

    22. Ter'e Crow Lindsay

      Oh boy – how thrilling. You will have that gorgeous chandelier!!!!!!
      I hope you peeked around in the kitchen and looked for your Grandmothers recipe box. Always a treasure trove.

    23. LIn

      The toothpick holder made me smile…it has a special something about it. The chandelier is awesome and even if you don’t ever use it, maybe one of your future daughter-in-laws or grandchildren would be in love with it. I did not ever know my grandparents as they passed away before I was born, but would cherish something that was theirs if I had it. Also you have wonderful memories of your Opa and that is priceless!

    24. MaryS

      I’ll bet if the ‘gold’ on that chandelier was painted MMS white it would totally change the look and you would still have a wonderful piece from your grandparents house. It’s just too old and too beautiful to not to keep in your family.

    25. Molly Taylor

      I can tell how deeply you loved your Opa and how you already miss him. It’s healthy and good to reminisce and keep the treasures that will always remind you of him. My favorite is that fabulous rug (of course) but I love the idea of mismatched, antique silver napkin rings. That is such a special touch. Lots of hugs to you, Mustard.

    26. Portia McCracken

      I have one of those funny toothpick holders, an old harridan in blue. I didn’t inherit it, but I’ve had it for years, so cute I also couldn’t resist it.

    27. Jan

      You got a lot of treasures in this visit, but, the best ones are the memories you will always have. That toothpick holder is a riot!

    28. Marian Cunningham

      I agree. Recover the dining room chairs and save the beautiful needlepoint . You will not be sorry. Glad you decided to keep the chandelier…even is you may need to put a steel beam in to hold it up. You are so fortunate to have things that belong to your Grandparents. .Memories are precious!

    29. Nancy Carr

      Beautiful treasures full of wonderful memories, too.

    30. Jelena

      Love the rug and the needlepoint seat covers!

      Yes, that deer would have been giving me nightmares too. Once I had to petsit for a friend of mine when I lived in Alaska. Both she and her avid bear hunter husband were away for a few days, and someone had to stay at home with their chocolate lab. I got to sleep in their spare bedroom, where a huge grizzly bear hide was residing. Needles to say, I had trouble sleeping at night with that bear in the room, so I can completely relate to your deer experience, Marian.

    31. Sandra

      Your Opa’s house is beautiful. Thanks for sharing with us your treasures. I took down
      a beautiful chandelier from my Mother’s house and it is in a Home Depot box in my
      garage loving packed away for some day. I smile when I think of it. Treasure your
      memories.

    32. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch)

      Rug is beautiful! So, so glad you decided to take the chandelier…it’s gorgeous! You will always be so glad you did! 🙂

    33. Jeri Niksich

      I agree with everyone about the chandelier, I’m so happy that it went to you as I’m sure you will treasure it and keep it from being dismantled and thrown away without a thought to what it ment to a wonderful couple.

    34. misty

      I’m so glad you’re taking the chandelier, too! When I read that that you originally weren’t, I thought…Oh, no! So glad you reconsidered…the new homeowners may not have had the same feelings about it as you! It’s fabulous!

    35. Jodi Miller

      All your items will mean so much, but the memories are the best thing…things that moths, and rust and thieves cannot destroy…Can’t wait to see where you place the rug!

    36. antiquechase

      Oh my goodness that chandelier!!! I have a crystal chandy from my grandma’s house too. Wrote a whole blog post on it and how my mom said “what do you want that for?” and she tried to convince me I didn’t need it. I love mine. And while it’s not nearly as gorgeous as yours, a great piece that I have hanging from a birdcage stand in my entry! If you want to read the post, search for grandma’s chandelier 🙂
      Love it Marion!!!
      Marcy

    37. Kathleen

      That chandelier is amazing!

    38. Gaylin

      I am so happy for you! I did think you were Crazy to not take it!
      You will enjoy having it ! Otherwise I will fly and pick it up ,ok?!

    39. Jane

      Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a Opa and Oma?

    40. Susan

      My grandmother died three years ago. My uncle and dad are auctioning off what was left in September. I’m starting to have moments where I’m afraid that I missed something when going through the house. I really think I should have tried to go through the garage which could have been featured on an episode of Hoarders. It was just too overwhelming and was mostly car parts.

    41. Peggy

      Oh Thank you!!!! I literally had dreams about you NOT taking the chandelier and then next owners took it down and just chucked it in the trash. I woke up in a panic!!! (I didn’t share this one with my hubby because it would have confirmed what he has suspected all along… ha ha!)

      I love the coasters! I can remember my mom picking them up every time we went out as well. She used them for as long as I can remember because we had hand carved, glass topped end tables and coffee table!

      The sugar cube tongs are gorgeous!

    42. Paola Norman

      Thank-you for sharing your treasures, can’t wait to see where you are going to put that beautiful rug, I did a little cheer when I read the chandelier was going home with you.
      It’s nice that you now have these special items that hold such precious memories. Beautiful 🙂

    43. Sandee Waller

      So glad you decided not to leave the beautiful chandelier. i can’t imagine the regret of leaving it behind. Besides, if you ever decide you don’t want it I have a perfect spot for it in my living room!!! That rug is amazing and will be perfect in your house. Such treasures.

    44. Jessica @ Dear Emmeline

      Taking the chandelier was a good call! Someone mentioned the next owners taking it down if they didn’t like it and that would have been terrible! Glad it’s home safe and sound with you!

    45. Jan

      I would give my eye teeth for a chandy like that!!!! Oh my dog!!!!

    46. Sue at Blu

      Firstly, So proud of you on the chandelier…you definitely would have regretted that! Good job! Second, even though those chairs aren’t your style, girl….they are blue! Enough said! And so glad you got the silver…I’m a silver girl ( like you are an ironstone girl). Trust me, you just can’t have too much!

      I so love that you have some items to keep your Opa memories alive. I too have many of my Mom Mom and Nana’s items (I’m from Phlly originally). And I believe you HAVE to fill your home with who you are! So I am so glad the chanda is home with you!

      Enjoy your trip…see you in November in Montgomery!

    47. Linda Andersen

      thank goodness you took the chandelier…I must be honest…that did bother me 🙂

    48. Lori

      you will never regret the family picture, the rug AND the chandelier….it’s beautiful and will work with many styles….add a bit of history and sparkle and I hope you find the perfect place for it!!! I’m sure you can get it re-wired (keep us posted when you do!) MAKE SURE YOU SHOW US WHERE YOU PUT IT IN YOUR HOME It will be a family heirloom for your kids one day….they will remember it like you do.

      Best Regards,
      Lori

      “HOME…is where you story begins.”

    49. Joyce

      What beautiful treasures you have to add to your own beautiful home-and one of the things that I really love so much is the treasured stories you have to go with all of these beauties!
      Warm and Happy Hugs,
      Jemma

    50. Di@Cottage-wishes

      I love the rug and chandy!! Thank is so great that you get to take those home. I got to keep my grandmoms stacking chinese tables, grandmothers clock and beautiful rugs!! Di@Cottage-wishes.

    51. Beth

      Am i the only one in love with your two oval dishes? They look like Meissen to me, but even if they’re not, they are totally gorgeous!

    52. Misty

      YAY!!! I will sleep better tonight knowing the chandelier is still in the family. 😉 I have thought about it often and hoped you would share with us what came of it. It looks like you brought home some beautiful treasures. Thank you for sharing them with us.

    53. DeborahW

      I have a few pieces of my grandmothers, and Great Grandmother.. and I love the memories they evoke every time I look at them. For me it was the little things, The tea towel that was always hanging by her sink.
      my one Grandmother always wore Estee Lauder youth Dew. It’s a little strong to actually wear so I have a bottle in my powder room that I spray once in a while to remember her. Nothing like Grandmothers ( Omas)!

    54. Peggy

      I love all the things that you were able to claim and take with you as keepsakes. That chandelier is incredible as well as that rug. But the toothpick holder, in my opinion, definitely has a unique and a sort of craggly charm to it…

    55. Becky

      Yay for the rug and the chandelier:) the only thing I have that my grandma actually gave me is a small folding drinking cup that is silver with gold plating my aunt bought at the 1937 Worlds Fair. The other thing I have of hers I got from my sister, which is a folding school desk (my grandma was a school teacher) and a milk can from her house which burned to the ground a couple of years ago. My grandparents had a dairy farm, and it was one of the cans they used. I ordered and recently received a calfs head like yours, and it’s in my kitchen. It all makes me think of going to the farm growing up, hanging out with my favorite cousin, riding ponies, fishing, etc….

    56. Peggy Thal

      Beautiful items from your family with great memories. Have many similar items from my Oma and Opa’s house. Love chandeliers and you have a beauty. I still have some stored and deciding where they will all go because I love them so. Dining room needlepoint is so gorgeously made. Someone spent many hours working away . I have a similar tooth pick holder. Mine is cuter and I adore it . Always found it amusing as a child. Enjoy your memories!

    57. breida @ breidawithab.com

      I am not a big fan of chandeliers – but that thing is AMAZING! Is it old? Like really old? Do you know its history? We have a hanging light (it doesn’t fall into the same category as yours) that came from my in-law’s house but it’s way older than their old house. . .
      -b.

    58. JaneEllen

      You are so very fortunate to have some wonderful memories along with precious pieces from your Grandparents. They are indeed very special pieces to be able to keep. Will look forward to seeing how your made good use of them all. Enjoy

    59. Marion

      That was a really fun post. I totally get the attraction to the rug. I am sure the dining room set went to a good home, but I couldn’t help but wonder if you gave the chairs a do over in ironstone paint and then antiquing wax, would the style work for you then. They are probably so pristine, that painting them would be offensive to some family members. Glad about the chandelier.

    60. Jennifer

      That makes my heart happy that you decided to take the chandelier home with you. I was afraid that you would regret it later. So glad other readers convinced you to!

    61. Shirley@Housepitality Designs

      So many wonderful family treasures…and the chandelier is exquisite..so glad you decided to make it your own!

    62. Barabara

      The chandelier is beautiful! You will never regret taking it!

    63. Kelly

      I know I am late into this game. Wanted to say in how much I have enjoyed reading about your oma and opa house. It’s so, so different from my grandparents house.

      They were downright poor. Image having 10 kids living in a farm house with only two bedrooms and no indoor plumbing at all. I loved going there as a child. Peeling wallpapers in the kitchen, watching my grandpa drinking pumping water into a cooking pan then drink out of it. (I do have pictures to prove it, LOL) Took baths outside in a old metal tub…taking care of our business in a pail inside the house then shove it under the bed, I know, I know.

      Helped my grandmother wash clothes outside, her teaching me how to cook sweets and feeding pigs to my delight.

      Sadly, the house got on fire. They moved into a school house which sit on their land. The school house was built in 1862. I loved that school house… same thing, no indoor plumbing, had pothouse stove to keep us warm, running around on that land barefooted. walking in the cold water creek and eating wild blackberries.

      My uncles build them a house… finally, indoor plumbing, real kitchen, still no AC or heater, finally have a phone in the house (they had to use their neighbor’s phone to call) My grandmother only lived in that house for a couple of years before she passed away.

      What would I give anything to go back to that old, old farm house, baths outside, just to be a child again without any worries.

      I realized that I have wrote a book but wanted to share this. I love to hear other people’s grandparents lifestyle and what kind of houses they lived in.

      Again, thanks for sharing. I can only image that you miss them a great deal.

    64. AnnieVee

      Oh Marian, that story made me smile many times and well up for sure. What a wonderful gift your grandparents gave you… their love. So beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

    65. Terri

      Thank goodness… the “chandy” is going home where it belongs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 … I have soooo enjoyed your recounting of the many precious memories from your grandparents home!!! Beautiful!!!

    66. Denise

      Wow, those are some beautiful things you have to help you remember your grandparents and the times you shared. My paternal grandparents were no longer around by the time I appeared, and my maternal grandfather died when I was 5. The only memory I have of him is me sitting on the back porch steps, and he was coming down and he poked me gently with his cane and said ‘hey guhl'(that’s how he pronounced it) and grinned. My maternal grandmother lived until I was 16, so have more memories of her. She was a reserved person, perhaps because of the hardships life presented. I have a pin of hers which means a lot to me. It is only costume, but it was hers. I have an antique platform rocker from the paternals, and a gold watch that my son took a hammer to when he was 3. : ( He wanted to know how it worked. Gah! I have two sons, guess which one gets the rocker and which gets the broken watch? OK, he gets a quilt too~~heehee.

      My maternal grandfather was of Dutch, English and Native American descent. My cousin Roy had Native American blood on both sides of his family, and wore the traditional costumes and would dance at the powwows. He looked the part. I got the blue eyes, blond hair (when little)and the skin that never tans, but burns. Dang it!

    67. Gwen, The Makerista

      Such beautiful pieces and I love the stories behind some of them. That rug, the chandelier, even that toothpick holder…what wonderful taste they had!

    68. Vanna

      Such lovely things to remind you of your Opa….But I am actually so happy that you kept the chandelier..YAY!!! Stunning!…… And the rug too……*swipes brow* in relief that it came home with you.
      I think as a child that deer with a hornets nest would’ve given me nightmares too, but as an adult how cool is that?! Vanna

    69. Christi

      Marian! That rug! Gah!

    70. DJ Timmons

      I’ve just discovered your site, and what a sweet surprise tonight, to learn that you are of German descent and called your grandparents Oma and Opa. I am blessed with a 23 month old grandson, and while deciding “what I wanted to be called ” I decided on Oma, a perfect choice with my German heritage. It is music to my ears to hear my sweet grandson call me Oma 🙂

    71. Stephanie DeFord

      Family treasures are the best because they hold so many precious memories. I think the toothpick holder looks a lot like the work of an Italian carver, Anri. I have several Anri pieces. I love how unique each is.Thanks for sharing your story.

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