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Scandinauianfurnisbings and
accessories
rtnd a welcoming home
in a Colonial New Englandfarmhouse-turned-antiques
shoP
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN RANDAZZO PRODUCED BY JENNIFER VREELAND
"f '\
eople always say you should never go into business with a friend," says antiques
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d."1". Rhonda Eleish, "but for Edie and me, it has been the fulfillment of
a
childhood dream." Three years ago, Rhonda, a former merchandising executive, and her best friend, Edie van Breems, a photographer, opened Eleish van Breems Antiques, aWoodbury Conn., shop specializing in Swedish antiques and home design. "starting a business together is something Edie and I had talked about since middle
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school," says Rhonda. "And when fie time was right, the idea of opening a shop devoted to Scandinavian antiques just seemed natural." Ediet mother is Swedish-American, Rhondas aunt deals antiques in Stockholm, and both women loved the elegance and accessibility of Swedish country interiors. "One day we found this 1760s farmhouse labouef , and by five o'clock that evening, the deposit was down," Edie recalls. Required by local zoning to be 50 percent residential and 50 percent commercial, the properry leant itselfwell to Edie and Rhondas concept of a shop that looked and felt like a fully functioning family home. "\7e want our customers to feel almost as if they were step-
ping into another country," says Rhonda, whose private residence is located upstairs from the shop. "... A country very close in spirit to their own," Edie concludes. APRrr.2ooo r (i()uNiRY LIVING
143
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Sweden embraced international decorative arts and culture during the reign of Gustav
III (1745-1792), who hired English, Dutch, Italian, and French cabinetmakers, painters, and plasterers to redo his royal palace in the neoclassical fashion favored by
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Thr*e fuall*r*rl.Es *f pericd &ustavia* p;eses: grx*efail sgmmetry, r**ding ar'!d/$r $at*raii$tic er ne*elps*ic*i re,lef eavviilSs, *nd pate-grffy, b*tter*reeiln, a*d lsirite finish*s,
At home in rooms both formal and plain, Gustavian side chairs make perfect partners for American country antiques-especially when upholstered in classic Swedish ticking stripes in blue/white, graylwhite, or red/white. Gustavisn"styl* fur*ishillgs anjoy*d a r*n:arkakly i{ng reid* in $rvcdistr i'..,,.,1,_.j i j j-'r i il"'i r i i, interiors, serfiaining in produeti** fronn X?S& ihr*ilgh the 186*s,
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'Where winters are as long and as dark as they
in Scandinavia and New England, every effort is made to make the most of are
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available light. Crystal chandeliers reflect
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sunlight by day, candlelight by night. 18t* *handelier is fitted witil ha*td-elippsd be*swax c*ndies ts i'educe drips; *l*a11il1g the crystcl with vin*gar a*d w*ter mmkes it gli$t*m.
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Reiy on a few well-chosen acces, i ... i r",''rii. r, sories to round out a room.
',.,' Verdigris copper garlands and an oval "ancestral
portrait" echo the delicate neoclassical swags and medallions found on Gustavian-style furniture. Bold checked upholstery and subdued colors keep the mood calm, quiet, and country. Amtiques and rspr*duetisns r*ix *asily, Look for the
up*aming set*isgile fvrr* Eteish van Br*ems as weil *s pieees fr*n'r Elo$d*il &ntiques end &eusltry $wedislt"
rs a very
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ect," $ays fdie van Bree*is. 'Just follclv tfis ifistrijCt!on$ on the pick!€ iabel!"' $ $anci
flo*r. +, Apply lvhite "pickle" ,availal,;lc dt hard!/are stor€s, fniily thickly. and lei $ee!r ii'rter
the gr*in, Apply addition*l toals as nec*ssary. 4 Wipe
off e^cess tr itlr ,r sort. crry c!*th" + Let flfisr dry thoroughiY. rF A.PPiY satin P*iYLrrsthelne-*four or fi',re Iay*rs
in heavy-traffic ff rea$.
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Freestanding painted cupboards, hutches, and armoires furnished 19th-century farm
kitchens around the world. Cherished for
their folk painting and practicality, the pieces maintain a piace of honor in 21stcentury homes. A good size for smaller kitchens, this diminutive dish cupboard was built in Austria-Hungary c. 1870. **pp*r r$ifi!$g lves qlxe *f Swed**r's larg*st lr,du*trie* ifi tt'r* l.$th s*mtury, axd *v*ry kitctue* !m the l*nd kaq", !{s *lnars *f c*pper Fst$- fi$h p***fu*rs, elid fititk h{,rskstfr,
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0stie*tsr* e*n *{Se*t te p*y *trS* exd xp f*r a*{iq** **pperlryer*.
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[l; 1. dinavian cooking l,i,r
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features a wide
arrav of "mid.,, summet asprcs and steamed pud-
dings. Today, the durable .i::3;. j..tr" ......,..-:,.
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?fld highly glazed yellowware molds such culinary delights took shape in are appreciated for their sculptural qualities.
?wi*e the weigfut *f ?errm-*stta, $wedish yeiiowr+xr* ffi*lds ar* b*th d*rabl* a*d des*rativ*, 0ispf*y thei$ *r'! G shcif *r {,i$e th*ffi *e h*wl* for fresl* prad*e*.
During Scandinavia's bleak, bitter winters, farming families filled their spare hours and supplemented their incomes by making and selling crafts, including woven rag rugs and runners. The earliest rugs bear the subtle colors ofvegetablebased dyes; examples from the 1930s, '40s,
and'50s exhibit brighter, bolder hues. *W* *lw*ys l,5*v* {it l&e6t ** t# 3* reg r4j$s i* *t**k,
ir: *l{
*ie**," *it*r:da **y*. "F**,:le l#$* theffi fue*ssr** they *s* **ft, **l*rfes$, **d v*ry r**sern*biy pri*ed, ra*ging fr*m cfo*st S$# 9*r * f**r" by $ix-fe*t rug {* St*S f*r * 93-f**t ru*ner,"
147
A birch table made by a Stock-
holm cabinetmaker around 1820 provides a delicate perch
for bedside essentials-a favorite picture or photograph, fresh flowers, a glass of watet eyeglasses, a
book. Swedish cab-
inetmakers favored light-
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colored woods: birch and alder-
wood for formal pieces; pine
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and beech for country ones.
fi****i*e*:i*d r+**inS: "Wh*ii try
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$i5t€;', i*grld, *t!{5 I we.e litti+, *#r iath*i *'**iql *iv;rv* **;rd i* us fr**: i!*r** r$yt**i*gli et h*dti,!1e,"
il*lI*:n1fu*i* fld!*, "!iJ* !Y*r* ir*ag*ry iir*y r:*;rjxr**--l:;l! f*law*y pia*ers*-*n**;ri*il #* l* *f *!1di*eyi;{* ,i*si**."
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Handwoven white linen pillowcases and sheets were once part of every Swed-
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ish bride's trousseau. "\7e like to use embroidered lingerie bags as accent pillows," says Rhonda.
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A simple painted-beechwood nightstand comes from a line of reproduction furniture Eleish van Breems imports from Stockholm. "Originally, the accordion-style front would have hidden a chamber pot," Rhonda reveals. "Now it hides clutter." &ls* ch*rk *,it !-*ts!{:gtsr}'s S'rig*rd*ir li**.
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