We were delighted to see that Consumer Reports featured one of our chandeliers in their Kitchen Planning and Buying Guide this month.
Consumer Reports contacted us a while ago about our Silver Spoon Pendant Chandelier Light Fixture, hand-made by an artisan right here in the United States. The artisan is very clever in the way he crafts up to 80 vintage silver plate spoons into each stunning upcycled chandelier. Each piece is custom made to order and, of course, each piece is unique.
Consumer Reports showed a photo of the "spoondelier" in its March 2016 issue of Consumer Reports Kitchen Planning & Buying Guide. If you are a subscriber, you can see for yourself! It is part of an article on page 23 of the Buying Guide called "Get the Look" and it is an item titled Whimsical Light Fixtures. They commented on the personality of hand-crafted lights and also mentioned French collectibles, wood accents and reclaimed wood and distressed furniture in their very nice roundup.
We stock a range of different upcycled vintage spoon chandeliers -- or spoondeliers as some people call them. They are all hand-crafted to order.
The spoondeliers are so beautiful that the Trashformers TV show featured them in one episode on FYI Networks as an example of innovative upcycled design!
Read more and see a video of the Trashformers Upcycled episode here.
We're pleased that the chandeliers are getting so much media attention as we think they are wonderfully unique pieces and a very interesting take on hand-crafted and vintage lighting.
If you read our blog regularly (subscribe here!) then you've seen some of the chandeliers in our client spotlights. They are so pretty... let me give you a little tour!
This is the vintage teacup and spoon chandelier our customer Marie-Louise in Haute-Normandie, France bought from us. She had us ship it far across the Atlantic ocean so it could take a starring role in her charming vintage French kitchen. (Read the full Vintage Teacup Chandelier post with more photos.)
Below you can see how Barbara in Cambridge, MA, displayed her teacup and spoon chandelier in her kitchen. Barbara said: “I love the chandelier and get many, many compliments on it.” See the whole post and more kitchen photos here.
Our clever customer Kelley F. in Houston, TX, adapted her chandelier, crafted from a vintage tea service, by using coffee cups in place of the vintage teacups. Read the whole Tea Party Chandelier post with more photos.
Finally, we loved how the Tupelo Honey Cafe in Downtown Greenville, SC, featured the vintage tea service chandelier in their restaurant, just in time for their grand opening.
Doesn't it look wonderful? Check out our guide to chandelier styles here, or browse all the upcycled teacup and spoon light fixtures on our website or contact us by email for more information. And then put the kettle on for tea!
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her husband and best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 9 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Find us on Facebook or connect with EuroLux on Google+. Or you can sign up here to receive this blog in your inbox.
We were thrilled when a media company emailed us to say that our upcycled chandeliers were being featured on the Trashformers TV show on FYI Networks.
Trashformers stars four designers who are challenged to upcycle all kinds of crazy items. Our Spoondelier chandeliers were shown as an example of innovative upcycled design. Here are several spoondeliers from our selection of upcycled spoon chandeliers:
The spoondeliers are custom-made to order for us by a skilled artisan using vintage silver-plated spoons. This means that each chandelier is unique and you can also tailor the details and number of tiers.
The light through the gleaming spoons creates fantastic shadows on the wall. It's perfect in the dining room for a romantic dinner for two or for a dramatic dinner party.
You can see how the upcycled chandeliers look in our clients' homes in these spoondelier client spotlights. Some are made only from spoons, others use vintage teacups too.
On Trashformers, four designers who are experts in upcycling had only three days to transform a school bus, airplane and ferris wheel into high end, high value products that people might buy. They were guided by host Brooks Atwood who advised on style and construction, and then judged by a panel of retail experts who estimated a value for the upcycled products. The team earning the highest sum of money wins the game!
Here is the trailer to give you a taste of the show, which was broadcast earlier this month.
The designers did a great job of turning trash into treasure, as you can see in these Trashformer video clips. (You can also get access to full episodes at the link if you enter you TV provider.)
Challenges included salvaging an old school bus to create new upcycled items. The transformation of an old ferris wheel into a zen-like sculpture as a cool piece of garden art is especially impressive.
Another challenge involved turning the parts of a broken down plane into high-end products including bags, lamps, and even a guitar.
Some people are so creative and that's why we love stocking the upcycled chandeliers from our artisan friends! Do you enjoy upcycled decor in your home? Tell us about it in the comments.
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her husband and best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 8 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Find us on Facebook or connect with EuroLux on Google+. Or you can sign up here to receive this blog in your inbox.
I've shared photos before of upcycled vintage teacup and spoon chandeliers in our clients' homes, but in today's client spotlight the tea party chandelier takes a new twist!
This is the 
tea party chandelier that we have in our gallery, custom-made by American artisans. It's crafted from a vintage tea service including the teapot itself plus the silver plated spoons, a sugar bowl, creamer, tea tray and china teacups. The whole whimsical concoction is made to order and as the vintage tea service pieces are all unique, every single one of the brilliantly upcycled chandeliers is unique too.
Our clever customer Kelley F. in Houston, TX, made hers even more unique!
Spot the difference? Kelley added her own personal touch by changing out the vintage tea cups to large double espresso coffee cups. Kelley sent us the photo saying "I added my own cups to the light fixture...I'm in love!!!" She got the classic white Rhodes coffee cups from Pottery Barn, adding that she really wanted the ones that said 'tea' on them, but they would have been too big for the chandelier. In any case, she loves them now!
Here's another photo of the vintage tea service chandelier with the tea party transformed into a celebration of coffee! The chandelier is a substantial 23 inches high so it can hold its own as a focal point in a large space like Kelley's open plan living room and breakfast nook. You can tell that Kelley has a very artistic eye from the interesting array of decorative items on the shelves and also the gallery of framed images on the far wall.
The view back toward the kitchen also shows Kelley's eclectic and witty taste. I love the oversized fork and spoon on the wall. This looks like such a happy home. I'm delighted that Kelley wrote, "I am sooooooooo happy with my new breakfast nook chandelier. It works perfectly with my home and matches my personality to a T!!!"
Hmm, was that a deliberate pun, Kelley? That the tea party chandelier suits you to a T? Ha! Thank you for sharing your photos and we hope that you party on whether you choose tea or coffee for breakfast!
If you like the tea party chandelier, then you might also like to see my blog posts on the Vintage Teacup Chandelier in France or the Teacup and Spoon Chandelier in a Cambridge kitchen, or the Upcycled Chandelier Decorating a New Restaurant.
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her husband and best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 8 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Find us on Facebook or connect with EuroLux on Google+. Or you can sign up here to receive this blog in your inbox.
Check out how great these photos are from our customer Marie-Louise in Haute-Normandie, France! Marie-Louise bought a vintage teacup and spoon chandelier from us, and now the pretty chandelier graces her kitchen far across the Atlantic ocean.
This is the teacup and silver spoon chandelier Marie-Louise chose from our selection of upcycled chandeliers. It's hand-crafted for us by an artisan using vintage silver plate spoons for each unique creation. The whimsical teacup chandelier is literally unique as every piece is custom-made using vintage pieces, so each chandelier is slightly different. People can customize the chandelier further if they want to. For example, by opting for just one tier rather than two.
The chandelier looks fabulous hanging in Marie-Louise's home in Haute-Normandie, France. Her vintage kitchen is full of French character and the unusual chandelier adds another dash of personality. The pans hanging over the range look like copper - beautiful! This is such a welcoming and cozy kitchen, it makes me want to pull up a chair at the table and have a good long chat over a croissant and a steaming café au lait. 🙂
The chandelier is very well traveled. Instead of shipping it directly to France as the duties are quite high, Marie-Louise opted to ship to her second home in Dubai and carry the chandelier back to France on the plane. We think it was worth the effort! The vintage floral designs on the teacups look delightful against Marie-Louise's rose-strewn window blinds.
The teacup and spoon chandelier (or spoondelier as some people call it!) looks wonderful lit up at night. It has a sculptural effect with every cup and spoon outlined by the light.
This shows a little more of the evening sparkle as the light glints off the vintage silver plate spoons.
I love that she included the photo of the outside looking in to the kitchen as I couldn't help wondering how charming the outside must be with such a gorgeous vintage kitchen. Marilou invited us to stop in on our next trip to France - we just might take her up on the gracious offer!
Marie-Louise is not the only customer who has kindly shared photos of the chandelier in her home. There is something about the teacup chandelier that makes everyone want to show it off! Here are some other client spotlights showing custom-made teacup and spoon chandeliers. For more info on chandeliers and chandelier styles, check out our guide here.
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her husband and best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 8 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Find us on Facebook or connect with EuroLux on Google+. Or you can sign up here to receive this blog in your inbox.
Barbara E. in Cambridge, MA, sent us some wonderful photos of her kitchen with the charming teacup and spoon chandelier that she ordered from us. Barbara said: "I love the chandelier and get many, many compliments on it." Let's take a look and see why the custom-made spoon chandelier is so popular in Barbara's kitchen!
This is the silver spoon chandelier that we offer in the gallery. It is hand-crafted for us by an artisan who uses vintage silver plate spoons for his amazing creation. The spoons are bent into handles - so in fact you can hang any collectibles you want from it. Teacups look exceptionally pretty. Because each spoon chandelier is made-to-order, no two are exactly alike. And if you wish, you can also customize it, which is exactly what Barbara did!
Spoon Chandelier in the Kitchen
Here is the teacup and spoon chandelier hanging in Barbara's kitchen. Barbara ordered the chandelier to be modified so it only has one tier of spoons rather than two.The unusual design creates a nice cozy vintage mood, and I bet it's a conversation-starter when guests visit.
This bigger view shows how the teacup and spoon chandelier works so beautifully in Barbara's kitchen. Someone with a less keen eye than Barbara might worry that the old-fashioned style of the spoon chandelier would clash with the more modern light fixtures. But in fact it all lives very happily together, perhaps because the silver plate spoons blend nicely with the other silver-tone lights. Barbara is obviously one of our many design-wise customers who are confident enough to mix eclectic decor elements and create their own unique style - a smashing success in my book!
It all looks just as gorgeous in the daytime. What an inviting space, opening out into the living area. I love the marble top counter and especially the vintage feel of the farmhouse sink and open shelves stacked with bowls. I hope that the teacup and spoon chandelier gives Barbara a smile as she works over the sink. It certainly inspires the cheerful feeling that any time is tea time!
Can't go wrong with a custom chandelier!
The custom-made chandelier is part of the whole upcycling trend where artisans take vintage objects and refashion them into something new and beautiful. We have many different upcycled light fixtures in the gallery for you to browse. I've also posted before on this blog about upcycled decor - like this client spotlight on an upcycled chandelier we provided to a restaurant, created out of a whole vintage tea service.
We're fans of upcycling because it combines craftsmanship and originality and gives new life to objects that might otherwise be discarded. It also creates a sense of authenticity in home decor. So thanks Barbara for sharing your photos of how you display your teacup and spoon chandelier in your lovely kitchen. I know we all want to come round for a cup of tea later! For more information on chandeliers and chandelier styles, check out our guide here.
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 8 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Connect with Aimee on Google+ or you can sign up here to receive this blog in your inbox.
Follow the honey! A new restaurant called Tupelo Honey Cafe opened last month in Greenville, SC, and we helped them out with an unusual addition to their interior decor: an upcycled chandelier!
Tupelo Honey Cafe started out in Asheville, NC, and it has a couple of locations in Tennessee, but the Downtown Greenville restaurant is the first South Carolina location. The restaurant already has some awesome reviews for their food on Yelp, but we haven't eaten there - yet! The menu offers a fresh twist on Southern food, or as they say: "Fluent Flavor Spoken Here." Sounds like the perfect date night for me and Greg.
We helped the restaurant with a custom-made upcycled chandelier created out of a vintage tea service in time for their grand opening. They included the above photo of it on the Tupelo Honey Greenville website. You can't see the detail very well from below, but it is very similar to the one in this photo:
The upcycled chandeliers at EuroLuxAntiques.com are part of the whole upcycling trend and are custom-made by an artist for us. Upcycling just means taking something old and repurposing it into a new and beautiful object. Each item carries its vintage history into its newly crafted incarnation and, of course, each piece is unique.
Here are some of the other wonderful upcycled chandeliers we have in the gallery. They are all hand-crafted by a very talented artist and can be custom-designed to order.
This is a custom art spoondelier. It's crafted from 360 vintage silverplate spoons into four tiers in the same style as a classic crystal chandelier. It's a great whimsical touch for a dining room or kitchen, and a sweet addition to shabby vintage decor. It's large too. At 40 inches high you can't miss it and the artisan chandelier will certainly break the ice on conversation at a dinner party. I definitely want a spoondelier for our vintage 1920s bungalow, whenever we finally finish renovations!
Or does this colorful pendant lamp have the key to my heart? Look closely and you'll see it's made of vintage door plates, complete with keyholes and brass hardware. Once upon a time door plates like these would be consigned to landfill. Thanks to the creativity and vision of the artist they get a new lease on life. I can't help but wonder about the doors these plates originally came from. It opens the door on my imagination!
Can you guess what this bar-style light fixture is made from? I had to think twice when I first saw it. It's made from 9 vintage electrical insulators... proving that just about anything can be upcycled deliciously if the artist is clever enough! It's 5 feet long and designed to cast a subtle light over a dining table, bar or even a pool table. This one is shown in Morse blue, but a clear insulator option is also available.
Thanks to our client Tupelo Honey Cafe for inspiring this post... if their food is as good as their taste in decor, we're bound to become loyal customers! For more information on chandeliers and chandelier styles, check out our guide here.
What everyday items would you like to see used to create an upcycled chandelier?
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 8 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Connect with Aimee on Google+ or sign up to receive this blog in your inbox!
The hot new buzzword in antiques and vintage is "upcycling." What does it mean, exactly? An "upcycle" object is something old that has been re-purposed into something new and functional.
An upcycled object can be as simple as an old jar turned into an oil lamp, or it can be as complex as an antique sideboard turned into a dual vanity for the bathroom.
Upcycle Lighting
In our recent newsletter, we introduced you to a line of upcycled vintage light fixtures we're now carrying. They're made by Nashville artist Robbie Cook, who takes smaller vintage objects like silverplate spoons, electrical insulators, and old door plates and turns them into charming chandeliers.
This "spoondelier" re-purposes 360 vintage silverplate spoons into a unique chandelier. Those spoons might otherwise have wound up in a landfill. The spoondelier may not be for everyone, but for those who enjoy their antiques with a touch of whimsy, this is a great piece. Not to mention it's a one-of-a-kind work of art, since each one is handmade and no two are alike.
Upcycle to Upgrade Your Home Decor
Blue insulators take on new life in this fun and beautiful chandelier!
And here's one more example of Cook's work. This piece represents elaborate upcycling at its finest:
This delightful chandelier is a perfectly amusing piece for any cottage decor or for anyone who takes her tea with a lump of humor.
OK, upcycling small objects is one thing, but would you ever consider cutting holes in an antique server? Some designers would!
Above, interior designer Julie Murray found an antique sideboard to create a two-sink vanity for her bathroom.
And another example. This old dresser not only got its top ripped off, but it got a paint job, as well!
This upcycler did note that this particular dresser was "of no good quality." Perhaps to ease her conscience?
Upcycling is Good for the World
I take a positive stance on upcycling. If a piece of antique furniture can't be saved any other way, why not paint it and put a sink in it? And certainly re-purposing old insulators and silverplate spoons into fun light fixtures can't be a bad thing. But would I ever deliberately cut holes in a fine antique French wardrobe to run cords and cables through the back? Yes, I have done it. But I saved the small hole I cut so that it could be glued back in the future. Living with antiques, I believe, means you should cherish and care for your vintage and antique pieces, but also make them useful and functional for your life today.
What's your take on upcycling? Where are your boundaries, in terms of re-purposing antique and vintage furniture and objects? If unique chandeliers are your thing, check this one out!
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 8 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Connect with Aimee on Google+ or sign up to receive this blog in your inbox!
As November winds down, I thought I'd round up the most popular blog posts of the month, items from our Facebook page, and stuff we loved around the web. Enjoy!
Cheap Magazines
If you love to read about decorating, you might be interested in this offer from Hearst Magazines (which we originally ran on our Facebook page). Through December 13, 2012, you can give or get a subscription to any of their 18 titles for just $5 per year! Wowser. Take your pick of popular decorating magazines like Elle Decor and Country Living, lifestyle magazines like Town & Country and Cosmopolitan, and guy titles like Car & Driver and Popular Mechanics. Note this isn't an affiliate link. It's just a good deal I'd thought I'd pass along!
Vintage Life: To Side or Not to Side
In the continuing adventure of our bungalow renovation, this post about our decision to re-side the house with HardiPlank generated helpful comments and advice from readers. Oh, and did we mention when we pulled the old siding down we found termites? Great.
Upcycling: Fine China as Flowerpots
I'm a fan of re-using and re-purposing old objects, including furniture, to suit modern needs. I loved this idea from Domino Magazine (shared on their Facebook page) to use china as flowerpots. Although the chinaware shown isn't old, you certainly could use old pieces, which would add still more charm to your vintage interior. By the way, did you know we carry upcycled light fixtures? Check out these this line of chandeliers and light fixtures hand crafted by artists in Tennessee from old silver tea sets, silver spoons, vintage electrical insulators, and old key plates!
Wine Guide 2012
Readers told me they enjoyed our Thanksgiving wine guide, which of course will work for any occasion!
Customer Spotlight: Whitmire, South Carolina
Many people tell me they struggle with how to work fine antique French furniture into their decor. It can seem like a challenge, especially if you've inherited or purchased various styles over the years. Our clients Julie and Bruce V. of Whitmire, South Carolina, do an excellent job at combining old and new pieces into their design scheme. We featured their home recently in our customer spotlight.
Kitties!
Lastly, I leave you with this. As you wrap, pack, and ship your presents this holiday season, do you get "help" from a furry friend? This handsome fellow, shared by Cute Animals on Facebook, garnered a lot of comments from our friends and fans. Did you know a portion of all our sales goes to PETS, Inc.? We're passionate about animal welfare, and we love supporting PETS, Inc. Pet lovers won't find a more worthy charity to support during this holiday season.
December is fast upon us. I'll see you next week with some Things We Love. What do you love at this time of year?
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 8 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Connect with Aimee on Google+ or sign up to receive this blog in your inbox!