The art of combining two or more letters together into one beautiful symbol or monogram is centuries old. Once upon a time, only royalty or nobility could afford linen adorned with their own initials. Household linens were painstakingly embroidered with white satin stitches and great finesse, each piece finely executed by hand.

These days, antique monogrammed linens are collected for their artistic beauty, and collectors don’t mind whose initials are emblazoned on them. Antique one-of-a-kind pieces with monograms have storied pasts and are one way to express your own personal style at home.

History

Antique linens with hand-embroidered monograms took months of patient and devoted stitching. Household textiles comprised a large part of a family’s wealth, carefully preserved and handed down from generation to generation.

Throughout history, every bride took great pains in providing her trousseau. The French word trousseau stems from the verb trousser, which means to “wrap up as in a package.”  The package of linens that a young bride took with her as she left her home, the size of which was commensurate with the wealth of her family, consisted of linens embroidered with the monogram of the bride and future groom.

From early adolescence, the bride-to-be spent many years sewing and embroidering her household monogrammed linens. Often linens were only embroidered with the bride’s initials at first, but always leaving a space for her future groom’s initials, until his identity went from dreamy mystery to known.

Stitched with expert workmanship, each delicate satin stitch was carefully done. These linens embroidered with monograms of the future bride and groom were a true labor of love. Esteemed for their beauty and function, antique monogrammed linens bridge the past and the future. And there is a certain romance to weaving your own stories into their provenance.

Truly exceptional antique monogrammed linens are getting more difficult to source. As the old chateaus and family homes are being sold, fewer heirloom-quality linens are coming on the market. Buy the best antique monogrammed linens you can find for your collection.

Monogrammed linens are not just for the bed or table. You can repurpose large antique monogrammed sheets as upholstery or drapes. Use them everywhere—these treasures were meant to be seen, and pull on your heartstrings.

How to cherish linens forever

1. Put them to use. Monogrammed linens were meant for daily use, for the lifetime of a husband and wife, and then they were passed on. Most have been used over 100 years. These linens still have plenty of years left to make your home beautiful.
2. A gentle soaking with a product especially made for antique linens is usually all you need to get out spots. You can carefully rub a combination of lemon juice, white vinegar and salt on a stain and lay the piece in the sun for a few hours. Avoid bleach, as it’s too harsh on the natural fibers.
3. Line dry. Skip the dryer, which removes lint from antique linens and makes the fabric less smooth. Hang your linens outdoors to dry; they will be fresh and smell wonderful.

4. 

   Iron if needed. Time your ironing so that your pieces are still damp. This makes it easier to press out wrinkles. Use a spray bottle of water to spray each piece; then roll it up in a little bundle. Place the monograms right-side down over a terrycloth towel on your ironing board, so as not to flatten the embroidery, and press. Iron the linens completely dry.

5. Gently fold each piece and store it in your linen closet. Add some lavender sachets for fragrance. Drape heavy hand-embroidered tablecloths or sheets over a padded hanger, and place them in a clothing closet. Never press on folds, as this weakens the fibers.
6. Mix and match antique shams with different monograms together with a contemporary duvet on your bed, or a different napkin at each place setting. There are no rules!

For more on Lidy, visit frenchgardenhouse.com.

Every woman’s boudoir or vanity should have gilt—gold plating, or gilt with just an “i.” The term “boudoir” derives from the French word bouder, which means to sulk or pout, and it originally pertained to a room where a lady could withdraw to sulk.

By the 18th century, this sulking room was transformed into a lavish dressing room with a vanity table resplendent with costly gold ormolu perfume bottles, mirrors and jewelry caskets. True ormolu pieces are rare to find, and quite costly. Ormolu gilding went out of fashion in 1830, as the danger of the process was considered too high.

Today, collectors are gathering more contemporary gold-plated vanity pieces made in the early 1900s through the early 1960s. Collected to create a feminine dressing table or vanity space, or simply to display in a glass case, these jewelry caskets, perfume bottles and dressing table sets covered in a layer of pure 24-carat gold are exquisitely made, and beautiful to look at and use.

History

Gold-plated vanity accessories are most often Rococo style with ornate filigree work, birds and floral designs. Feminine and romantic, they made a luxurious statement. These extravagant vanity accessories were created with considerable attention to detail, which is why they’re a favorite collectible for women and even men.

Many manufacturers specialized in gold-plated vanity items. Apollo Studios was the earliest and most prestigious firm. A contemporary of Tiffany Studios, Apollo Studios produced many of the same items, creating pieces of exceptional quality from 1909 to 1922.

In the early 1940s, many companies began producing vanity items with a 24-carat gold-plated finish. Some of the most well-known include Matson, Stylebuilt, Guildcrest and Globe. Production of most of these types of items ended in the 1960s, although Stylebuilt still creates gold-plated pieces today.

What to Look For

Familiarize yourself with the shapes, designs and workmanship of the good vintage pieces. The most common design elements include roses, birds and filigree work, at times accented with faux jewels. Sometimes brushes and hand mirrors have faux mother of pearl or guilloche enamel behind the filigree, which is always plastic and not the real thing.

1. Mark: Most of the vintage vanity and dresser items plated in 24-carat gold are marked by the manufacturer. Some were marked only by a paper label, which may be missing. But the quality is unmistakable; you’ll know it when you see it.
2. Jewelry caskets: The jewelry caskets will have elegant feet and beveled glass held in by diamond-like prongs or accented by jewels. Most have velvet-lined board bottoms, tufted or not.
3. Perfume bottles: Most perfume bottles are large filigree bottles with beveled glass. The bottle should retain its original glass dauber attached to its gilt filigree stopper. Another style, theatomizers, have siphon tubes inside.
4. Dresser sets. Trays withmirrors or lace enclosed between glass are either large enough to hold an entire brush and hand mirror set, or small to showcase a few special perfume bottles. Most have little feet and ornate filigree handles.

When you display your collection, the more the merrier. One piece is beautiful on its own, but a display of gilt accessories can be captivating. A collection of jewelry bottles or a selection of jewel caskets on a mirrored tray will be the highlight of any space. These gilded vintage treasures are sure to add glamour and sophistication to your home.

Care

1. Display your collection away from direct sunlight. Keep your vanity accessories away from moisture, which can loosen the gilding and damage any jewels you may have.
2. Dust your pieces regularly, using a brush to get into the little filigree areas. I recommend a medium-size paintbrush—the stiff bristles will loosen dirt and debris in the ornate designs.
3. If you polish your gold-plated pieces, do so very, very carefully. The gold layer is thin and easily polished away. Use a Q-tip dipped in a high quality, silver-gold polish, and gently rub on a small area; then buff it out to a shine. Most collectors, however, prefer the beautiful unpolished patina that their boxes, perfume bottles and vanity accessories acquire over time.

For more on Lidy, visit frenchgardenhouse.com.

Don’t let all the time you’ve invested into piecing together the perfect Christmas tree or dining set go into shambles…literally. Treat your decor and ornaments like the precious pieces they are to avoid a tree or table boasting scratches and chips—especially if the pieces are vintage.

Diane Sedo, a featured Romantic Homes stylist and photographer, gave us her tips on how to preserve and store your holiday decor so they’re just as bright, glittery or shiny—and most importantly, in-tact—next year.

Preservation

• To prevent scratches, always remove the metal hooks from ornaments and store them in a resealable storage bag.
• Dust your ornaments with a feather duster or soft artist’s brush.

Storage

• “I store components of vignettes together so I don’t have to search through boxes to put them together again,” Diane said.
• “Store like ornaments together. I label the containers to identify the category of items such as glass, fabric or plastic.”
• “I store my ornaments in sturdy boxes with several layers of divided compartments. Storage and organization stores sell a large variety of storage boxes made specifically for holiday decorations. I individually wrap fragile ornaments in acid-free tissue before packing them away.”
• “Vintage hatboxes are perfect for large or odd-size pieces. When I can, I store each piece in its original box,  but that’s not always possible. Egg cartons and plastic containers protect fragile pieces. I store them in a hall or bedroom closet where there is no drastic change in temperature or moisture like in an attic, basement or garage.”

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