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Tea Set vs Coffee Set – What's the Difference

January 5 2019

At Lavish Shoestring we typically stock 500+ tea and coffee sets at any time, and our central office holds a tea party almost every week.

Styles in Art and Design

March 3 2017

A style is like handwriting, it is unique. Each style has a defining set of features. When we look at any product, we can identify its style, and that allows us to unlock a lot of useful and cool information about the item. Some styles are well known and popular, Art Deco for example, others are relatively obscure. Often old styles become popular again — that’s called fashion.

Colour Patterns Explained

March 1 2017

A list of popular ceramic and glass groups named after certain colour patterns or decorative techniques. For example, Blue & White — it can be a ceramic of any type, any shape, with any painted or printed pattern and from anywhere in the world. But this group is called Blue & White, because its main decoration is a blue and white colour palette.

Body Shapes Explained

January 7 2017

When we talk about any item, we also mention its body shape. The names are given to help describe an item precisely with just a few words. Many shape names of 3D homewares come from geometry or the natural world, for example a “double gourd”. There is no right or wrong here, but there is an old accepted convention of a language that is both professional and understood by many.

Materials in Antique & Vintage Homewares Explained

January 4 2017

Each item is made of something. That’s simple. But some materials used in vintage and antique homewares can be confusing. We explain in a simple form what each material is, how it looks and where it comes from.

Historical Periods Explained

October 2 2016

Most historical periods have names and they help to describe an item by providing a context — it is like a code name that contains the useful meaning behind it. Say “it’s a Georgian table” and it will immediately suggest certain shapes and styles, even though the period lasted more than a century. Different countries and regions have different periods, often named after a monarch, political or social events. For example, French Belle Epoque ran in parallel with English Victorian and Edwardian periods.

French Lacquer and Japanned Furniture of the 18th Century

July 8 2016

Imported lacquer furniture from China and Japan proved to be extremely successful with the Europe...

Antique Bristol Blue Glass – a Brief History

June 8 2016

In 1651 the Iron Masters in the Forest of Dean, faced with problems in making the post in which t...

Types of Enamelling on Metal

April 19 2016

The origins of enamelling on metal are quite old, although the essential technique has not change...

What-is-What in the Lavish World 💯

March 1 2016

Lavish Shoestring lets you shop unusual homewares from the past 300+ years , all in one place. And this is a not-so-serious list of what-is-what in the lavish world. Not sure about a certain item function? Read on!

Antique Glass Port and Sherry Decanters

February 5 2016

Port has long been known as the Englishman’s wine. Since the early 18^thcentury Englishmen have manufactured it in Portugal and shipped home, and probably more than any other nation, they have drunk it in great quantities.

Antique Georgian Drinking Glasses 🍷 Wine, Sherry, Port, Punch and Everything in Between

October 5 2015

If you enjoy port, sherry, Madeira or any other dessert wine or aperitif, then read on about the traditional glassware used to serve these drinks. These are some of the classical antique English glasses from the Georgian to the early Victorian periods. You can easily find and add them to your drinks trolley.