BEN SEIBEL

American designer Ben Seibel 1918-1985

 Several months ago I showed you some pictures of a set of Ben Seibel tableware Braxton and I snagged at a local consignment shop.  At the time I didn't know anything about Mr. Seibel and promised to do my research and let you know what I found.   Turns out Ben Seibel was quite prolific, producing designs for a number of American tableware manufacturers.

Ben Seibel studied painting, sculpture and architecture at Columbia University until WWII had other ideas.  After serving in the Air Force for four years, he returned to his studies, this time at Pratt Institute where he changed his focus to industrial design.

After leaving school he set up a small studio for himself and his few employees where he worked until his death in 1985.  Because he produced a large body of work, mostly in the early 50's into the 70's, his designs are still relatively easy to find.  I have found Ben Seibel designs on replacements limited, etsy, 1st dibs and ebay, and of course my local consignment shop.

I'm telling you, once to begin to study and collect mid century tableware, you become addicted pretty fast.  We love our vintage glassware and Ben Seibel tableware, and we're always on the look out for more.  Luckily there seems to be plenty to go around.  Enjoy.

This one is called "harvest time" and was produced for Iroquois.  As you'll see later, this is the set Braxton and I are collecting.

I wanted you to see a close up of this "lazy susan"....isn't it adorable?  It's currently available on replacements limited, and I think it must be mine!

This set of salad plates and salad bowl is currently on Etsy.

Also found these cheery yellow mugs on Etsy, unfortunately too late.

 The following is our set of "harvest time".  This we love.

Jaunty salt and pepper.

I love the organic shapes of these bowls.  Typical of mid century design.

Besides tableware, Ben Seibel also designed cookware, fine china, stoneware, flatware, ashtrays, glassware, furniture, clocks, and lamps.  I did say prolific, right?

What are your plans for the weekend?  Anyone hitting the vintage stores?
Have a beautiful day everyone!
YANCEY

MID CENTURY DINNER PARTY

Mid Century Dinner Party

 Apparently there was a day when people had dinner parties.  Real dinner parties, where people dressed up, drank before dinner cocktails, sat down at a table set with china, crystal, and silver, probably smoked at the table, then had coffee and dessert in the living room.  They told amusing stories while looking into each other eyes, flirted with each others husbands and wives, and the telephone (which was on the kitchen wall) was ignored.  There was no television in sight.  People paid real attention to each other.
Or so I've heard.

 

 Appetizers  would be fruit cup, shrimp cocktail, cheese filled celery sticks and deviled eggs. 

 As a main course kabobs are in order, or perhaps Swedish meatballs or chicken croquettes.

 There would be frozen vegetables cooked in a butter or cheese sauce and white dinner rolls with real butter.

 For dessert...a chiffon pie or coconut cake with lots of hot coffee.

 After dinner music would be provided by records played on the turn table.

Have you ever hosted or been invited to a dinner party?  Would you like to?

Have a beautiful day.
YANCEY

BAR WARE: THEN AND NOW

Bar ware from the mid century to the present

Anyone who's ever watched a movie set in the mid 20th century, or watched an episode of MadMen knows that the cocktail party ruled.  If Don Draper and his co ad men are to be believed, drinking was even tolerated (or in some cases expected) in the office during working hours.  I wonder if there's any truth to that?
Let's check out some bar ware from the mid century....

                                                                    Then

Every bar needs a cocktail shaker...love the dots.

The glasses above and below are typical of the mid century.  Braxton and I see this kind of thing in vintage stores a lot...simple repetitive motifs in one or two colors and gold.  Notice how small the glasses are compared to modern drinking glasses.

Lots of glass shakers had recipes printed on them.

Braxton and I actually have these glasses and ice bucket, but I've never seen the shaker in person.

It was very popular to have sets of things in the mid century and to display them together in a metal carrier.

These are very unusual...I've never seen anything like them.

We have a similar set, but without the etching.  Ever notice that Don Draper drinks from a similar glass?

I would love a vintage bar cart.  This one is gorgeous!

                                                                           Now

I love the modern minimalism of these martini glasses and shaker...like something in a laboratory.

Cocktail parties are a great way to entertain when you live in a small house, as we do.  They usually don't last longer than a couple of hours, therefore you don't need to provide a chair for everyone. 

Graphic modern black and white.

Monogramming is so hot right now...these would make great gifts.

Only looks old.

Cool and Burtonesque.

I assume these were a promotional item...waaay to delicate for actual human begins who have had a cocktail or two.

This just strikes me as a really bad idea, but I do think they're funny and I love the colors.

I love glassware with a substantial bottom.  Pretty yet sturdy.

Interesting...again like a science experiment.

Could this be any more beautiful? 

I don't see many modern bar carts that I really like...this is an exception.  Very cool.

Do you host cocktail parties?  What's your secret to a successful party?  Do you collect bar ware?

Have a beautiful day.
YANCEY

TABLEWARE: FROM MID CENTURY TO MODERN

Let's set the table!  Tableware : from mid century to modern

Braxton and I always try to eat in locally owned restaurants.  Even when we travel I try to research locally owned restaurants before hand, or we just ask the advice of a resident of the area.  We've found some fantastic restaurants around Virginia (Briar Patch in Sweet Briar I'm looking at you!).  We've found  locally owned restaurants are usually more veggie friendly, better priced, and there's always something we've never tried before.

This past weekend we traveled to Danville Va. to visit an antique store we had head about (more on our finds later in the week), and I forgot to research places to stop for lunch.  My bad.  So there we were, hungry and cranky and the gps really really wanted us to eat in a mid priced chain restaurant. The first one we came to is famous for it's white square plates and it's salad bar...and we knew from the last time we had eaten at this chain that they had a veggie burger on the menu...so we reluctantly pulled in.  On the way to our seats I eyed the salad bar, to my surprise it looked pretty dang pristine, no doubt due to the fact that there were no other customers.
Once seated, we checked out the menu....no veggie burger!, in fact this was the least vegetarian friendly menu on the planet.  Seriously, I have a real aversion to salad bars and buffets...I'd rather use a public restroom, you have no idea, but we could either leave, or risk our lives at the bar.  Salad it was.

We hurried to grab our plates, people were actually coming in to eat and they might, you know, breathe in the general direction of the salad bar! Act fast.
I was first in line, and began to assemble what I considered a really good looking salad...mostly green (lettuce, spinach, peppers), red tomatoes, and orange carrots....pretty!  I chose the balsamic dressing knowing the color would go nicely with my creation.

I sat at the table waiting for Braxton and OMG, he assembled a masterpiece!  Cheese, croutons, and not one but two dressings...the man is nothing short of brilliant.  He chose the balsamic and the french dressings, artfully drizzling each one over half of the salad on the diagonal!  Piet Mondrian was not laughing (nerdy art joke there).

So, before the fork even hit the salad I said to Braxton..."you know white plates really make a difference...look how great the salads look against the stark white".  Then we ate.
The point is (if anyone is still with me) the color of your tableware is important for creating a pleasing looking plate.  I couldn't stop thinking about it all weekend...thus this weeks muse...tableware!

Let's talk about colorful modern tableware.  I love fiesta ware!

Let's talk about astrays.  No, we don't smoke but we have a few great mid century ashtrays.

Let's talk about glassware....we actually have this set.

We also have this set of Ben Seibel Autumn Harvest dinnerware.

I love that so many mid century cups and bowls had this fabulous blue glaze on the inside.

This is early Eva Zeisel...remember her from last week?

Anyone collect holiday plates?

Love the atomic pattern.

Let's talk dinnerware, glassware, bar ware...everything! 
How many of you chose wedding china when you got married, do you ever use it?  Would you choose the same pattern again?  Let's talk.

Have a beautiful day.
YANCEY