Tag: Mill House antiques; woodbury

Did You Know?

Do you know the difference?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Do you know the difference between a tea table and a game table?

Quite simply, the tea table has a polished surface on the interior and a game table has a baize surface.   With the fashion of taking tea and other refreshments, the folding side table became quite common in 18th century homes.  While the tables with baize interiors were used for the most part as game tables, tea tables with their polished interiors were certainly more functional.

Take these simple, yet elegant tables.  Which do you think is a game table and which is a tea table?

Not sure, discover the answer for yourself at Mill House Antiques.  More than an ordinary experience.

Did You Know?

Did You Know that joint Stools were also referred to as coffin stools?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Did you know that joint stools were also referred to as coffin stools? Due to their sturdy nature, these stools were used in the home to support the deceased’s coffin as friends and family gathered to pay their respect.

Of course, unless you were wealthy in the 17th century, there was not much else for the common folk to sit on except a stool, which is why they were quite plentiful.  Certainly a very functional piece of furniture, the joint stool remained popular throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

With the Jacobean Revival of the 1880s, the joint stool also enjoyed a return to the limelight.  Take this Jacobean Revival stool with its handsomely carved legs and apron.  With its distinctive carving and drawer incorporated into the apron, it is not only unusual, but only at Mill House Antiques.  More than an ordinary experience.

MillHouseAntiquesJointStoolM

Did You Know?

Did you know that a spill vase was used to hold rolled paper or sticks and not flowers?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Mill House Antiques Spill Vase

Prior to the advent of matches, spill vases were placed on mantels from which a stick or rolled paper would be lit from the fireplace and used to light candles, lamps or even pipes. Spill is derived from the Middle English word spille or small piece of wood. The earliest example of a spill vase goes back to the 1500s and they were commonly found in English homes in the 18th and 19th centuries.

While utilitarian in nature, spill vases were often highly decorative and made in various materials, including, brass, porcelain and pottery. Take this wonderful Staffordshire spill vase with its quaint country theme. The wonderful metaphorical composition of the cow and the calf next to the dead tree, which serves as the vase, is an excellent example of Victorian ornamental design. This and other fine spill vases can be found only at Mill House Antiques.

More than an ordinary experience.

Did You Know?

Did you know that a housekeeper’s cupboard was more than a place to store linens?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Did you know that a housekeeper’s cupboard was more than a place to store linens?  These large and imposing pieces of furniture with drawers below and cabinets on top also stored the best china and glass, and occasionally, the more valuable staples, such as tea and coffee. Generally under lock and key, it was the head housekeeper, much like Mrs. Hughes in Downton Abbey, who oversaw the contents.

While most of these cupboards were utilitarian in their appearance, some were crafted to reflect the status of the household.  Take this superb housekeeper’s cupboard with such fine details as mahogany crown moulding and banding, as well as a fusee clock.  It must have come from a rather well-to-do manor house, but can only be found now at Mill House Antiques.  More than an ordinary experience.

Mill House Antiques Cupboard

 

Mill House Events

Maestro Leif Bjaland with the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra this evening at Mill House Antiques

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

We are looking forward to hosting the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra annual benefit this evening at Mill House Antiques. The event will take place in the gardens from 5:30 to 8:30pm.  Join us for wine and music.

 

millhouseantiquessymphony

Only at Mill House Antiques.  More than an ordinary experience.

Did You Know?

Do you know?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Do you know what the difference is between these two superb dining tables? About 225 years.

In 1789 you could have walked into an English cabinetmaker’s shop and selected the dining table of your choice. At Mill House, you still can – be it antique or custom. In fact, our custom tables are handcrafted with the same traditional 18th century methods that have stood the test of time. Choose from a variety of styles and sizes in mahogany, yew, walnut and cherry.

Whether you are looking for an antique or custom dining table, at Mill House you will not be disappointed.

Contact us at info@millhouseantiquesandgardens.com for more information.

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