Curator's notes
We have collected transferware plates from French flea markets for six years, and as soon as we get them, off they go into new homes. We've finally amassed a big and beautiful collection that we can offer to our friends who are not local.
About ironstone
Ironstone is a type of pottery or stoneware that was first produced in the early 19th century. It is known for its strength, durability, and ability to imitate the look of more expensive porcelain. Ironstone gets its name from the iron-like properties it exhibits when fired.
Ironstone is made from a mixture of clay, flint, and ironstone (a sedimentary rock rich in iron oxide), which gives it its characteristic dense and heavy composition. The clay and other materials are combined and formed into the desired shape, such as plates, bowls, pitchers, or teapots. The pieces are then fired at high temperatures, resulting in a hard, vitrified surface.
One of the distinguishing features of ironstone is its white or off-white color, although it can also be found in other colors such as blue or brown. The white ironstone became particularly popular because it resembled the more expensive porcelain of the time.
Ironstone was initially developed as a cheaper alternative to porcelain, which was highly sought after but expensive. Its affordability, durability, and resistance to chipping made it a popular choice for everyday tableware, kitchenware, and other household items.
About transferware
Transferware china, also known as transfer-printed china or transferware, refers to a type of ceramic or porcelain ware that features designs or patterns transferred onto the surface using a printing technique. It emerged in the late 18th century and gained popularity throughout the 19th century.
The transfer printing process involves creating a design or pattern on a special transfer paper or tissue. This design is typically engraved onto a copper plate or roller, and ink is applied to the engraved surface. The paper or tissue is then pressed onto the ceramic surface, and the design is transferred through the ink. Afterward, the ceramic piece is fired in a kiln to permanently set the transferred design.
The most common color used in transferware is cobalt blue, but other colors like red, green, brown, and black are also found. The designs often depict pastoral scenes, historical events, landscapes, floral patterns. The intricate and detailed designs were achieved through the fine engraving on the copper plate or roller.
Transferware revolutionized the ceramic industry by allowing mass production of detailed and decorative pieces at a more affordable cost compared to hand-painted wares. Transferware was versatile and used in various ceramic items such as plates, teapots, bowls, tureens, and decorative pieces.
Today, transferware china remains highly collectible and appreciated for its historical and aesthetic value. Antique and vintage transferware pieces are sought after by collectors and enthusiasts.
We're a small sustainable, family run company based in northern California. We travel the world to bring you beautiful, mostly vintage things and a lot of inspiration for your home.
When we founded our company, we envisioned a small business with a human touch: each beautiful item selected by hand, each order carefully packed by someone who cares, each call and email personally answered by someone who can help, and most of all, each customer treated like a dear friend. And we were committed to giving a little back in the form of support to other small businesses like us, and donations to causes that tug at our heartstrings.
We believe that not making something new is the greenest thing of all, that a small business can make a big difference, that the human touch is a powerful thing, and that working side by side with your family is a really nice way to spend your day.
Meet our team. They're the best.
Occasionally we will earn a commission for products that we recommend on our blog. Our opinions are always our own, and we never recommend a product or service we do not use ourselves.
What we sell
We travel the world in search of ideas, inspiration, and beautiful vintage and hand crafted products for your home and your life from France, Morocco, Belgium and the United States.
Shop our collection of furniture including
cabinets, armoires and buffets
dining tables, farm tables and islands
coffee tables, side tables and console tables
upholstered sofas, couches, loveseats, chairs, chaises and ottomans.
accent furniture such as bistro tables, small dressers, coat racks and bars.
Shop our collection of things for your French kitchen including
cookware and kitchen tools, canning jars
vintage and re-tinned copper pots, pans, stock pots and pitchers
vintage and hand made plates and bowls
vintage flatware : forks, knives, spoons, carving knives and forks, spreaders and special silver pieces
vintage glassware : vintage champagne coupes and flutes for toasting, vintage wine glasses, lovely moroccan tea glasses and unique vintage bar glasses and decanters
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
serving platters and bowls, pitchers, tureens, gravy boats and trays
stoneware crocks, vases, pitchers and bowls
vintage silver: silver flatware, champagne buckets, trays and bar tools
Shop our collection of decor including:
art, travel and design books, cookbooks, vintage books
lamps, pendants and chandeliers
coat racks, coat hooks, baskets and totes
beautiful decorative accessories
Shop our collection of textiles including:
washed linen sheets, duvets and pillowcases and bed covers
items for the bath : towels, bath mats, soap dishes, towel racks and hooks, soap, candles, mirrors, trays, stools.
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
Shop our collection of vintage art including:
vintage etchings, sketches and drawings
We don't mean to brag, but our collection of vintage & custom furniture as well as lovely decor has made us a stylist and designer favorite. Whether you need one signature piece, or a layer of decor for the final mile, our special pieces can help bring your project to life.
When you join our designer program, you'll receive
15% trade discount
Tax exempt purchasing with resale permit
Support from our Designer Liaison
Private shopping by appointment for you & your client
48 hour approval period
Opportunity to pre-shop new containers
Contact us today with your business license, address telephone and email to get started.
Terms
Registered designers are entitled to receive a 15% discount on all regular priced merchandise listed on our website, or available in our SF area showroom and annex.
We do not combine discounts or promotions, so if shipping is required, we will advise which is most advantageous for you: 15% trade discount or free shipping promotion.
You will note that a small number of items are listed as "local pick up only.." Those items are not eligible for our free shipping promotion.
What we sell
We travel the world in search of ideas, inspiration, and beautiful vintage and hand crafted products for your home and your life from France, Morocco, Belgium and the United States.
Shop our collection of furniture including
cabinets, armoires and buffets
dining tables, farm tables and islands
coffee tables, side tables and console tables
upholstered sofas, couches, loveseats, chairs, chaises and ottomans.
accent furniture such as bistro tables, small dressers, coat racks and bars.
Shop our collection of things for your French kitchen including
cookware and kitchen tools, canning jars
vintage and re-tinned copper pots, pans, stock pots and pitchers
vintage and hand made plates and bowls
vintage flatware : forks, knives, spoons, carving knives and forks, spreaders and special silver pieces
vintage glassware : vintage champagne coupes and flutes for toasting, vintage wine glasses, lovely moroccan tea glasses and unique vintage bar glasses and decanters
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
serving platters and bowls, pitchers, tureens, gravy boats and trays
stoneware crocks, vases, pitchers and bowls
vintage silver: silver flatware, champagne buckets, trays and bar tools
Shop our collection of decor including:
art, travel and design books, cookbooks, vintage books
lamps, pendants and chandeliers
coat racks, coat hooks, baskets and totes
beautiful decorative accessories
Shop our collection of textiles including:
washed linen sheets, duvets and pillowcases and bed covers
items for the bath : towels, bath mats, soap dishes, towel racks and hooks, soap, candles, mirrors, trays, stools.
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
Shop our collection of vintage art including:
vintage etchings, sketches and drawings
sculpture, busts and hand made ceramics
It is never our intention to make money on shipping. We strive to always be fair and reasonable in both our pricing and our shipping charges.
Shipping Costs
Shipping Timeline
Packing Material
Read our Return Policy here
Shipping information can be found here
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Read all about us here
We travel the world in search of ideas, inspiration, and beautiful vintage and hand crafted products for your home and your life from France, Morocco, Belgium and the United States.
Shop our collection of furniture including
Shop our collection of things for your French kitchen including
Shop our collection of decor including:
Shop our collection of textiles including:
Shop our collection of vintage art including:
Now that you've decided to invest in a new piece of furniture, let's make sure it fits perfectly in your room.
Follow a general rule of allowing 36" of traffic pattern around an arrangement of furniture for traffic flow.
If you are looking to sit a certain number of people at your table, the size of your chairs is as important as the size of the table. Generally, allow about 20" of length per person (about the width of a placement).
A trestle base will give you more flexibility than four legs to seat more people along each side of the table.
Consider the size of the doors when placing furniture adjacent to a cabinet with doors. You'll want to be able to completely open the cabinet doors without bumping into a nearby piece of furniture.
If your cabinet has to be turned on its side to be carried through a standard door into your room, make sure it will clear the ceiling when it's placed upright. To calculate the diagonal measurement of the cabinet, dust off the Pythagorean Theorem: height of the cabinet squared + width of the cabinet squared = diagonal measurement of the cabinet squared. If the square root of the diagonal measurement is less that your ceiling height, then you're good. If it is more, then the cabinet will not fit into your room unless it is made in two pieces.
For coffee tables, rules are made to be broken, but these three rules should give you some structure to work with: generally speaking, you'll want your coffee table to be roughly the height of your sofa deck (about 20"), roughly 18" from the sofa, and approx. 2/3 the width of the sofa.
As always, if you have questions just contact us. We can help.
