Purple Pride

I’ll bet you don’t think we’re interested in the Ravens, but we are! We are happy to see everyone so excited about the Super Bowl, and united behind one team. So in the spirit of PURPLE PRIDE, we’ve looked around Halcyon House and found some pops of purple for you.

What could be better than this black and purple resin bracelet? It’s the perfect accessory to show your Ravens spirit.

Pale purple shagreen china box.

Gorgeous purple resin links necklace. Wouldn’t this look perfect on a black cashmere sweater?

Grey cashmere scarf with pale purple polka dots.

Two pairs of purple gloves.

A selection of purple ribbons for wrapping anything and everything. From raffia to grosgrain, we’ve got them all!

Agraria’s Lavender and Rosemary diffuser in a lovely purple.

An Agraria Candle in Lavender, in a cane-woven basket.

Pale purple and abalone necklace.

Last but not least, a selection of grape Dum-Dum lollipops!

Everyone at Halcyon House sends the Ravens
all the best at the Super Bowl!

For information on any of the pieces in this blog, please contact Eric at Halcyon House!

Our Little Red Barn

A few years ago, we had a crew of Amish builders come down and put up this little red barn for us. It never fails to bring a smile when we see it nestled in the meadow just outside Halcyon House.We love the way the sun lights the tips of trees in the woods behind the barn, and we get such pleasure out of seeing the little red barn in all sorts of lights, in each season and every part of the day. 

Brightside Gardens @ Cylburn Arboretum

Our friends, Chuck and Amy Newhall have the most gorgeous gardens, which they’ve been working on for more than 10 years. Beginning Friday, January 25th, and for the next month, Cylburn Arboretum is having an exhibition of photographs of the gardens. Local photographer, Alan Gilbert, has photographed Brightside throughout the years in all seasons, in all kinds of weather and in sunshine and in shadow. For more information on the opening reception, the exhibition and the associated lectures, please check Cylburn Arboretum’s website, here.

The Mantel

Halcyon House is fortunate to have several wonderful fireplaces, which all have great mantels. And it’s always fun to see what Stiles and Jonathan and Eric have done to decorate them.

Here’s the mantel in the upstairs accessories room just before Christmas with the Buddha draped in beads, surrounded by pearl trees and green beaded topiaries. It looks like a lush forest scene. The mirror is done in verre églomisé, which is reverse gilding and painting on glass. This is just after the holidays. The pearl trees are moved to the sides and the mirror is much more noticeable.

Same scene, in September 2012. Blue vases are the predominant feature. The Buddha’s ivory and gold beads bring out the gold in the mirror.

This is the mantel in the “living room” on the main floor.  The green hurricane lamps and green plates emphasize the green in Sam Robinson’s painting of the Green Spring hounds.

Although the focus of this image is on the books, you can see the mantel behind the table, with the green hurricanes, and two green parrots.

The fireplace mantel in the front hall is also decorated according to the season, and if it’s a chilly day, there might even be a fire going!

Next time you’re at Halcyon House, be sure to check and see how the mantels have changed! They’re always creative and fun.

Wedding Presents!

Do you know that Halcyon House has a wedding registry? It’s one of the services that we offer to our customers. Whether you’re getting married and want to make sure you get the gifts that you want, or you want to give a unique gift, Halcyon House is your answer.

From wonderful pieces by John Derian, to this great carafe and glass set for the guest room or your own bedside table, to great amazing melamine pieces, which look like pottery from Italy or Portugal, there are a range of styles, prices and ideas for everyone on your list, or for your own wedding list!

As always, contact Eric at Halcyon House to make an appointment to set up a wedding registry, or for information on anything pictured here.

Think Spring!

With these desolate days of winter upon us, we can all use some cheering up around this time, and there’s no better way than with some flowers.Jonathan’s a master gardener with a two green thumbs and eight green fingers. Each year in December, he begins the process of forcing the paper-white narcissus bulbs which will eventually enliven the house and the shop. Just pop a few bulbs into a shallow container, add pebbles, small river rocks or glass marbles to stabilize the bulbs, and then fill to the widest part of the bulb with water. In a cool room, blooming paper-whites will last for up to two weeks. If they get top-heavy, just tie them up, or give them a shot of vodka – that’s supposed to keep their stems stiff!  They’re so cheery with their bright white petals, sunny yellow stamens and long green stems. You might not know it, but you can cut paper-whites just like you cut daffodils and they’ll keep for several days in a vase.

If you aren’t crazy about the scent of paper-whites, Halcyon House has another cheery option.How about these great botanic print pillows? The pillows have antique, hand-colored botanical prints screened onto silk and made into pillows. A row of these across the back of a sofa would certainly let everyone know that spring is coming!

Say it with me: Spring is coming soon!

A Jewel of a Shop: Halcyon House!

At Halcyon House Antiques, we pride ourselves in selling items that you won’t find anywhere else.

Over the summer, while in Italy, Jonathan stumbled upon a small jewelry shop and was intrigued with what he saw in the windows. It was late in the evening and the shop was closed, so Jonathan returned in the morning to check it out.What he found was a small atelier, with women working making necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more. The owner, Angela Caputi, an elegant Italian woman of a certain age, designs the jewelry and creates the color variations. She sources the materials and then has her artisans make it up. Her jewelry is chunky and fun. And you won’t see it on every other woman at the party!

Another line of jewelry is made of bone and shell and resin. These three-ring earrings are very light-weight and would work from winter, with a black cashmere turtleneck, to summer, with an exotic linen tunic. Some of the bone pieces are painted, which gives them a unique look.There are great sets of bangles in tortoiseshell and a fun red.

For jewelry that’s been classic for millennia, you can do no wrong with these wonderful glass intaglios, set in gold and hung from chains. Since the sixth or seventh century BC, Greeks and Romans have been carving faces in glass and using them to adorn themselves.

The opposite of intaglio is relief, when the decoration stand out from the surface, like this piece below. Almost all of the intaglio and relief pieces you see are of classical Greek and Roman figures, although this one is a lot more contemporary. With her Marcel-waved hair and its bobbed style, I’d guess she is from the early 20th century.

As always, if you’re interested in something you’ve seen, please contact Eric at Halcyon House!

Ahhhh… Cashmere!

There are still two full months of winter left here in Baltimore. So if you find yourself getting chilly, wrap yourself in cashmere!  You might have noticed a lot of cashmere in some department stores recently, but it’s not high quality fiber; China is flooding the market with lower quality cashmere. In order to ensure you’re getting the best, you should shop where you know you’ll get the quality you expect. And of course, that’s at Halcyon House!

We have some of the most beautiful cashmere wraps we’ve ever seen and felt. These shawls are featherweight and as soft as a kitten. They’ve been specially woven in a twill weave, and then printed in classic equestrian motifs in the most beautiful colors. Rusts, blues, browns, pinks and greys.

This is a wrap that you can knot around your neck, drape across your shoulders, or tie around your handbag. It’s so versatile, and will soon become one of your favorite pieces. This is a wrap that you will be able to wear year round – even in the summer, as it will keep you warm in some of the over-air conditioned restaurants around here.

If you’d like a cashmere wrap that is a little heavier, Halcyon House has two other options: These are knit, rather than woven as the ones above. They have a fun ribbed ruffle around the edge, and the colors are terrific.  This shawl is a wonderful heavyweight knit in a paisley print. It would be amazing to toss around your shoulders.

If you’re interested in any of the items featured, please contact Eric at Halcyon House for more information.