One of the vendors that’s been a favorite at the Lucketts Spring & Fall Markets each year has been Barn Fresh Designs.  They always have lovely pieces, an eye-catching display, and reasonable prices.  I’ve bought a few things from them over the last few markets and was excited to see them in a new space at the 2024 Fall Market.  I recognized their pieces right away and exclaimed, “You moved!”  I was pulling a couple of chunky gold frames off of a wall to purchase and Bob came over to hold them for me and say hello.  In addition to their new location, I was also surprised by the presence of a large ironstone milk pan I had passed up at the Spring Market.  So, let me tell you about the ironstone milk pans…

I bought a nesting set of them from Barn Fresh Designs at the Spring 2023 market.  They were an impulsive, last-minute purchase that I found hard to pass up.  I have bought and sold one or two small ironstone milk pans over the years before I knew how rare they were.  They aren’t quite at the rarity level or value of ironstone cake stands, but they are still special finds for the avid ironstone collector.  (If you’re new to Ironstone, you can learn about it HERE.)

I thought about the pair for just a couple of minutes before my mom encouraged me to buy them.  If I recall, there was even a fellow shopper who was also a blog reader and she prodded me along as well.

I’ve used the ironstone milk pans in the kitchen as fruit bowls, layered under plants, and in still-life arrangements.

At the Spring Market last year, I spotted a large ironstone milk paint in the Barn Fresh Designs booth.  My eyes were drawn to it right away.  As with the other ironstone milk pans, I spotted this one towards the end of our shopping trip.  Because it’s a very large milk pan, which is even harder to find than the smaller ones, it was priced accordingly.  I had already spent most of my Lucketts budget on concrete urns for the garden and a few frames and I didn’t feel like I could justify the splurge, especially when I had a lot of garden and home projects in the works.  I was really torn, but I walked away.

I found a picture of it at the Spring Market on Barn Fresh Design’s Instagram feed…

As I was thinking through my Lucketts shopping list for the fall market, I thought about that large ironstone milk pan.  I wonder if they still had it.  Should I send a message to see if they do and if they could bring it?  I thought it was a long shot and, remembering I walked away from it once before, I decided not to ask.

As I said, the first thing that attracted me to their booth this year was a pair of chunky gold frames.  They were on the smaller side and a great scale and ratio for small landscape paintings.  I gave them to Bob to hold for me and continued to look around.  There it was…the large ironstone milk pan!!  I wish I had taken a picture of it in their booth, but I was so excited that I hugged it in my arms.  I asked if they would give me a better price since I was buying the frames and the milk pan and they obliged.  (I have found that most vendors will give you a discount, even on the first day of an event, if you’re buying several things.)  Just always ask nicely and know what they do is hard work!

Bob and Amy wrapped the milk pan carefully for me and put the frames in a bag.  The large milk pan felt too expensive when I saw it in the spring, but after thinking about it, it felt like the perfect piece of ironstone to add to my collection and like it belonged with the other two ironstone milk pans.  It felt like the kind of splurge I would be happy about in hindsight.  They aren’t by the same maker, but they nest perfectly together.  Here is the hallmark for the two smaller, footed milk pans…

…and the one for the new larger milk pan…

They are special pieces and I’m glad I lucked out.  Normally, when you walk away from an antique piece at a market, it’s unlikely it will be there when you go back for it.  It’s even more unlikely it will show up at the next event!

The three ironstone milk pans will sit on my kitchen counter and, I’m sure, will hold fruit, vegetables, plants, little pumpkins, and many other things over the years.

To see where Bob and Amy are selling their antiques next, you can follow Barn Fresh Designs HERE.