Farmhouse Style- Get the Look with Tarnished Silver

Tarnished Silver

As a child our silver plated serving ware was hidden away for most of the year in the china cupboard. A towering piece of furniture that housed the beautiful baskets, bowls, and platters, which would tarnish almost immediately upon reentry as if spiting my mother for their lack of use. Dutifully she would break out a jar of silver polish each time we had a celebratory meal, using old fashioned elbow grease to make them shine and sparkle. This ritual cleaning colored my appreciation for this metal. In my head it was relegated to the corners of mind as "old fashioned", and "to much work". My lack of appreciation for these pieces was only exacerbated by the frequency with which they ended up at thrift stores and garage sales. It was as if our culture had done a collective purge of these labor intensive metal objects, but then one day I saw this beautiful creamer and my outlook on this forgotten metal changed forever!

With its deep blue hues, tones of pink, and accents of gold entwined amongst the silver its patina is unique to the piece. One look and I was smitten! What I appreciate most about this metal is how each piece has a distinct coloring all its own. Bringing these pieces out of the China cupboard and into the light allows me to appreciate the memories they harken back to during my everyday. The cake server from my wedding, a fork from my great grandmother's table all elicit fond memories that deserve to be out of the cupboard. 

Contrasting these tarnished pieces against textured ceramics filled with boxwood clippings and stoneware creates an exciting vignette for the eyes. I can' wait until we are post pandemic for many reasons, but one of the activities I am really looking forward to doing again is thrifting, and when I do I will be sure to keep my eye out for some new pieces to add to my collection. What better way to add a bit of farmhouse style to your home on a budget. I wonder what stories those new additions will hold, and how many tables they graced. Have you added any tarnished silver plated pieces to your collection? Let me know down in the comments below.