Silver plate is a highly desired and extremely affordable collectible that can enhance your home’s dining room or kitchen’s décor. Silver plate has historically been used as a more economical version of real silver in dining accoutrements such as cutlery, tankards, pitchers, caddies, tea and coffee services and candlesticks. If it was crafted in the more expensive sterling silver you can rest assured it was produced in silver plate.

Although the 19th century saw new methods like electroplating, the earliest kind of silver plate available to consumers was Old Sheffield Plate. Sheffield plate is a layered combination of silver and copper. Found by an accidental overheating by a Sheffield worker, Thomas Boulsover, silver plating was found to be more cost effective and very strong. The sheets of thin layers of silver on the top surface and a thick layers of copper underneath changed the way dining room accessories were manufactured and made available in mass quantities to the common home owner. Around 1820 the invention of German Silver. A metal alloy of copper and nickel and sometimes zinc, was used as a base metal in trays or cylindrical items.

Sheffield’s plating process is not often used today with the newer electroplating being used instead. Old Sheffield is still found in the resale markets of today but it has usually been re-plated because of heavy use or high polishing. There is some Old Sheffield pieces that were special occasion dishes, thus seldom used or handled, that are in such good condition many people assume they are instead electroplated. Because so many reproductions and originals do not bare maker’s marks it is hard for even the experts to identify which they are. Silver-plate may have a maker or company name and include marks that say “A1″ or “quadruple plate”, which refer to the amount of applied silver. Experts use a sort of identification touchstone when looking for a genuine article. Signs of soldering from pre-plated metal sheets or wires rather than construction in base metal and then plated afterwards is a sure sign. Although often hidden by the professional craftsman who made the piece, always look carefully for soldered joints.

Just like your solid wood Amish furniture silver plate needs some basic care. You’re your custom furniture common care tips include using caution in storing silver plated items in high humidity environments.

Counters and islands were meant for food preparation and serving but in truth countertops are utilized as craft tables, desktops, laundry tables and general catch all surfaces. Battling the clutter is almost always pointless unless you have a system. The optimal system is to group all like things together in to one central work place, easily used by everyone. Donating a cabinet or better yet a custom built Amish cabinet for all the chaos is the ideal way to tame the paper monster.

• By hanging a bulletin board on the inside of the door there is a central but out-of-the-way place to organize your life.
• On the shelves place a box labeled for each family member or purpose. When the papers or mail come in they are quickly deposited in to these boxes for storage, easy accessibility and quick retrieval.
• Place a Lazy Susan on one of the shelves and fill cups with office supplies like pens, pencils markers, etc. With a quick flick of the wrist you can retrieve stamps, tape or other essentials.
• This cabinet is the perfect place to hide those unsightly but necessary phone books.
• Take a few minutes once a month to be sure that everyone has sorted their box, completed to-dos in them and made room for the next round. Place a waste basket next to the cabinet for easy disposal.
• A great tip for reducing paper is to think green. If it is online, in a file or on a disk then ask yourself why you have it on paper, too.

Fall decors will enjoy a more comfortable and personal home environment. Consumers will be investing in better quality, longer lasting home furnishings. The age of disposable furniture is passing. Savvy shoppers will be supplementing those superior pieces by re-using items they may have cast aside in previous years, or supplementing with “found” items or personal collections. No more is it necessary to have a perfect showpiece that is uncomfortable and stuffy. The style is eclectic, a mix of personality and style.

There are many acceptable styles in vogue as this decade ends. A few that decorators are projecting as hot for 2009 are:

GLAM-

Groovy faux fur, sparkling glass, shiny metallic - all reflective of the glamorous 1960- 1970 era are back, especially among young urbanites. Lucite is hot, that versatile plastic utilized in that era in accessories and furniture. Shag carpets are spotted underneath of the streamlined modern steel framed furniture and accented with bright yellows, limes, blues and purples. In contrast to that scheme is the black and white décor of that same era.

COUNTRY AND AMERICANA-

There is no more comfortable look that the one created by using all things American and especially country style American. Amish quilts, cottage style prints, wooden furniture, folk art, American flags and bunting, distressed fabrics and furniture all combine in inexpensive and easily gathered home décor. The color palette ranges from deep patriotic reds and blues to worn summer colors of yellow, orange and plums.

INTERNATIONAL WORLD -

Thanks to influences brought on by television, the Internet and the ease of trade we no longer think just locally but globally and the furnishings industry is as influenced by the world as any other business. Even mainstream box retailers carry crafts like metal work lanterns from Thailand, religious icons from Russia, pottery from Asia or Mexican-style trays. World decorating themes allow even more eclectic collections that are seasonal and easily reused in later decorating schemes.

Keywords for this fall’s decorating efforts are affordable, reusable, quality, versatile and comfortable. Create the home that not only you but others can relax and enjoy themselves in as we move forward out of the economic recession and into the home design boom.

Interior décor trends follow the fashion world even more now than ever in history.  As clothing displays more beading, feather trim, this year’s hot decorative ruffles, and many other embellishments it is appearing in furniture and home decorating items, too. Light fixtures, accent furniture such as tables, upholstery and many accessories are displaying the latest fashion trends. Here is a must have list of some of the current and expected trends for 2009 and into 2010.

COLORS: Bright yellow, grassy green and orange are appearing to be strong color choices but so is the new neural palette of softer more earth-inspired tones like taupe, sea green, blue and even gray and purple.  We are not done with browns yet and they are accented with earthy reds and warm grays. Just like designer clothing accessories metallic tones will be everywhere.

ECONOMIC INFLUENCE: Expect to hear phrases like “recession conscious decorating” this year with the economic downturn. Consumers are still investing in their homes, and a lot of that reason is because it is being used more as their main place of entertainment. Expect to see more people buying smaller decorative items and good quality accent pieces like those that Amish craftsman have built for decades. These pieces are great backdrops for the hot trends in hand embroidered textiles and beaded trims. True hand crafted furnishings highlight the latest artsy, bohemian flair in the market place.

You may not be buying a houseful of furniture but it is very economical to update your interiors with small items or one great investment piece rather than a complete redo. These decorative accent pieces like tables or side chairs are being billed as the must-have investment pieces of 2009. Throw in some shiny, highly embellished, metallic accents on pillows and lamps and you add today’s flash instantly.

Organic Interior Designs: Throwing back to the days of the Arts and Crafts, Mission, Craftsman and even Modern enthusiasts the trends are heading towards richer, more organic forms. Happily the furniture world is seeing more textures and more depth in solid wood finishes. Hand built pieces made from durable hickory, oak and maple, custom stained is a welcome change from prior trends.

Eclectic Interiors: In 2009 modern and traditional are merging to create a more interesting interior with a very personal statement. Don’t be afraid to mix the precise and  straight lines of modern with the more rounded and warm lines of traditional furniture. Elements of modern and traditional are becoming more blended to create an interesting, and meaningful interior environment statement for your Amish inspired home.

First inspired by the classic designs of the ancient Roman and Greek cultures, the Italians of the 14^th through the 17^th centuries first enjoyed the furniture that came to be identified as Renaissance Gothic. These pieces were massive and highly curved and reigned as a chosen décor for several centuries. The décor’s popularity spread to England and even France. By mid-century 1800’s a more modern form was in England and in the United States with carvings on cabinet fronts, arms and legs.

As the Civil War closed and President Lincoln was assassinated the pieces found in the more modern version became more elaborate and even more massive. From beds to sofas and buffets to dressers the woods of choice were heavy in girth and in carvings. By the end of the 1800’s you could find entire rooms or homes that looked as if the owner was a duke or an earl. Tables like the trestle styles found in the 14^th century were reborn. Architecturally the interiors began to emulate this period also by decorating mantels, ceilings and walls. Claw footed furniture also saw an incline.

Whether true European treasures or merely an American copy, Renaissance Gothic spread throughout the U.S. The copies were often so good that even now these vintage pieces are mistaken for true antiques. The Amish design tables like the trestle styles sought with Renaissance Gothic and can be crafted in various custom stains such as the New Carrington stain. The Chesterton Table is one such beautifully crafted trestle style table. It is designed with a 1.5″ plank style top, Mission edge, and the end pieces on top are tongue & groove construction with .5″ dowel-pins & wedges for strength and character. The Chesterton table base is a generous 42 x 80 size.

All design gives way to form, function and material available or practical. Just like our personal experience influences our purchases personal history influences the individual designer. Politics, economy and even design movement can influence an entire country, so of course it affects designers. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but when we set out to decorate our homes we must decide what designers or trends inspire us. With so many opinions available and so many designers to emulate, who do we follow? Do we design using current and possibly passing trends or do we follow historical and traditional designers. Does the modern movement speak to our souls, with its clean, crisp no-nonsense lines or do we feel at home with larger scale designs, decorative objects or perhaps more classical elements.  

Consumers visit showrooms forgetting about quality and only considering a better price. Modern home owners mistakenly accept the falsehood that as long as the final product looks like the picture they have invested their time and money well. Forsaking the technical details and accepting low-end materials create a marketplace for disposable furniture vs. heirloom. Fads can prevail over genuine design trends when the consumer is not aware that they are investing n something they will replace time and time again, instead of buying well once.

Mass production furniture manufacturers cater to buyers who are influenced by trends and media. Because of this most manufacturers keep real innovation to a minimum. Mass producers regard the home furnishing business as exactly that - a business. Craftsman like the Amish, whose personal history was influenced by social morals, high accountability and ethics treat furniture as a passion and not just as a way to make a paycheck. The Amish hold their standards high and do not cut corners at the expense of quality and materials, unlike box stores which help contribute to the deteriorating standards of the furniture industry.

The land was plentiful in hardwoods and other timbers, unlike many of the countries that they immigrated from. Where once lumber was scarce and techniques for using it had to be thrifty now the settlers had wood everywhere they went. This affected not only how they built but what and where. The study of the economics, the societies, the cultures and even the arts of the era can begin to tell us how America’s style developed. Even something as common place in the homes in Europe as the Windsor chair took on an American flavor when it met up with the native pine readily available and easy to work.

We take for granted that everyone has always sat on chairs or around a dining room table. This is not true. Many cultures that immigated here were from countried where families gathered for meals served on the floor and mats were used as bedding. Slaves and Asians were unaccustomed to the chair until they came to America. The sofa was only indulged in by the wealthiest of the early Colonists. Even architectural concepts like the porch and the furnishings for it that followed were unheard of before the journey led them to America.  

Americans are the beneficiaries of the styles of many nations and although diverse America has come to be known by a common identity. A signature style of high quality is the furniture crafted by Amish woodworkers from Northern Indiana and available for your American home today. This community of European descendants not only brought their artisan expertise from the Old World but adapted the ideals of many highly sought after craftsmen like the Shakers.  

The eighteenth century cabinetmaker was a busy and much diversified craftsman. A Colonial cabinetmaker was engaged to make many household furnishings because they were specialists in furniture construction. When a cabinetmaker climbed off the boat in a port city they quite literally could change the styles of that port city. They were known to bring with them the latest styles that were known to be influenced by the merchant orders from Great Britain. A cabinetmaker was in essence a trendsetter.

Obviously, the New World with its influx of international trade birthed an explosion of business. A desire like never before was seen amongst the middle class who became hungry for status, comfort, and wealth. Furniture historians recognize that the most highly desired chairs of this era were “cabinetmakers’ chairs”. Because the styles were changing as rapidly as the landscape of the newly founded United States, many of these traditionally styled chairs evolved one to another. The most popular styles of the eighteenth century cabinetmaker chairs are generally “Queen Anne”  ”Federal” “Chippendale” “Sheraton” and “Hepplewhite”. The eighteenth century saw the end of stagnation in the home décor pond.

While some cabinetmakers in the Boston area clung to their leather upholstered chairs, cabinetmaker chairs were usually sans upholstery, save perhaps the seat. These seats had a particular design and were upholstered elsewhere and slipped in to a frame, thus they came to be known as “slip seats”. Cabinetmakers went so far as to ship their seats to upholsterers in other areas when no tradesman was available in town. The alternative to upholstery was rush. A rush seat was originally woven with heavy strands made by twisting cattail leaves. Now rush may be pre-twisted natural rush or fiber rush-a material made from heavy brown paper, twisted to form a strand.

Now the Amish craftsman is the modern answer to the cabinetmaker. Not only a style setter but style preservers, the same traditional designs of the eighteenth century are still available to you in the same solid American hardwoods along with custom stains and finishes.

In the Victorian era, from about 1880-1910, a well appointed table was not complete without individual butter pats. One of the reasons that the Arts and Crafts Society revolted against the Victorian period of excess was because of frivolities like the butter pat. Formal Victorian tables were always set with great opulence and excess utensils. While the traditional table of the time was set with bread that was unbuttered and placed in the folds of the guest’s napkins other courses required a good buttering. The pats of butter were served on small plates, about 3 inches in diameter, placed left of center of the service plate.

Butter was perhaps given such a place of honor not just because of its decadent flavor but because of the labor involved in creating it. Store bought butter was unheard of and many hours went in to making each pound. Some families even had their family crests carved in to a butter stamp and embossed their dairy with the familial signature for effect. Even the butter pats may have been personalized with hand painting. The Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876 created a movement among genteel women to begin painting porcelains. Butter pats were a popular and simple dish to complete for their home or to give as gifts.

The 1908 Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog sold a 100 piece Haviland dinner set with a dozen butter pats for a mere $23.50. You cold even get a sample pat for a dime to preview the china set. That same butter pat is many times that now.