"What IS That Thing??" Or, What Else You Can Do With A French Bottle Drying Rack... :)

It seems our metal reproduction French bottle drying racks are getting a lot of attention

at the moment.  

And I'm good with that!   :)

Recently here on the blog,

 I shared how at least two customers who purchased our bottle drying racks turned

 them into chandeliers -- one for her home, the other for her restaurant.

Also, we were blessed to have been contacted by Conde Nast (UK division) to have these

racks featured in their publication, The World Of Interiors.

And now all of the sudden we're getting orders from the UK for the racks.   ;)

But for all who know what a "bottle drying rack" is, there are many, I'm finding

who have never heard of them or seen them.

And in all fairness, if you think about it, they can look a bit

intimidating if not other-worldly.  

Some have even likened them to what looks like a torture device.  

We who love them, though, need no explanation and to us, they are 

s-h-e-e-r  b-e-a-u-t-y. 

One recent purchase of one of the last of the Jeanne d'Arc Living bottle racks was my

sweet friend and customer, Debra.

She did what I adore -- she sent me pictures of how she's using her new 

drying rack and just look at what she's done with it...

Now if THIS doesn't look like it came from the pages of Jeanne d'Arc Living magazine,

I don't know what does.

I adore the cheerful, feminine look she's created here and what I really love

is her use of the bottle rack is strictly for display purposes -- a base or foundation to hold her treasures

in a VERY unique way, but a base that is completely unique in itself.

The display "spills out" onto the table just enough -- not too much -- perfect balance.

The starfish, potted plants and Spring/Summer linens can all be later swapped out

with items that lend themselves for Fall/Winter... and I cannot even begin to imagine

what Debra will do with it then.

{HINT HINT, Debra... feel free to send pics then, too!}

Just this evening, when I got back home for the day, I quickly got out my camera

so I could shoot a few quick shots of how I am personally using my bottle drying rack

at the moment.  

"At the moment" being the operative, since no doubt it will be relocated and

changed up again before long.  I can't keep things the same for very long, you know.   :)

Here is how the rack stands for now, in my dining room.

{And for the record, I took these pics all soooo quickly without worrying if

things were "just so" anywhere in the house, so be kind if you find

dust or something out of place.

And do you see that old vintage grain cart that I did a post about last Fall?

It's there in the background to the left of the window.  Remember I had it in my

kitchen when I first brought it home?  Yep.  I've moved it.  It looks AWESOME 

in the living room, changing the room from looking all formal and stiff 

and giving it more of a funky Antrhopologie-style vibe.}  

  :)

It was placed there rather on the spur of the moment, as I brought one home

one day recently when I realized that if I wanted to be sure to have one of the

Jeanne d'Arc Living racks to keep for myself, I had to snap it up and out of the

shop before they were all gone.  

And I'm glad I did, as they are sold out now!

Not knowing WHERE I was going to put it (it is just so huge and bulky)

I quickly shoved a few things aside on the dining table and walked about 

the house gathering all the vintage books I could find to place on

the pegs.   

Quite honestly -- this may be my favorite way to use the rack.

I adore it with books all over it!  

{WOW!  LOOK at the chipped paint on those floors!

Ha ha!!  LOVE IT!!  I really do.

And NO, my dining room walls are NOT THAT yellow!

For some reason, they always photograph far brighter than they

actually.  In real life, they have a very warm umber glaze all over them

and are actually quite a warm mustard vs. the BIG BIRD YELLOW

you see here!!}

:)

But I have used other of my racks for mugs and glasses at parties 

(always a crowd-pleaser) 

and for bolts and bolts of ribbon in the shop for

packing and wrapping.

And another new idea I've thought of is putting the rack in a prominent spot

like the entry hall and deck it out with mementos (hung from lovely ribbon if

the item needs a bit of help to "hang on" to the prong).

Although I don't show it properly here, I can just see

vintage watch/clock faces, bundles of lavender, 

old pictures, nestle starfish among the prongs or laid on

the table nearby as Debra did... the sky is the limit.

And WHAT A STATEMENT it would make as guests first walk in.

It would be a "tree" blooming with all that says "you".

 {Photo note:  the last three pictures above show the rack we

currently have for sale on the site.  You assemble it ships flat and you

simply assemble it when it arrives.  The rack shown in the first seven

pictures is the now sold-out Jeanne d'Arc Living rack which will not be re-stocked}.

Well, that's about it.  I wanted to be sure and share Debra's pictures with

you and some of the ways I've been using one around my house.

How fun it is to experiment and play with the things we already

have -- turning them into something "new" all over again! 

From one drying-rack-lover to another,