Royal Doulton is an English pottery company that has produced collectibles and tableware since it was began almost two centuries ago in 1815. London born Royal Doulton has grown and expanded since its origins over 200 years ago. Today Royal Doulton produces not only porcelain and collectibles but fine dinnerware, glassware, giftware, jewelry, linens and much more.

Just as the Amish carry on time honored apprenticeships that carry their integrity and artisanship into each and every generation, the Royal Doulton company has a rich history and a time honored namesake. John Doulton was born in Fulham in 1793. Doulton’s trade was learned as an apprentice at the Fulham Manufacturing Company, a stoneware manufacturer.

Later, John Doulton began working with Lambeth Pottery’s owner Martha Jones and foreman John Watts. Lambeth was a tiny pottery located in Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, a borough of London, England. Together they formed Jones, Watts and Doulton in 1815. Martha Jones left in 1820 and by 1826 the company was Doulton & Watts.

Primarily producing salt-glazed pottery, Doulton realized there was money to make in glazed piping to replace the older porous brick sewers. Not as elegant as one would consider Royal Doulton, John Doulton built a practical pipe factory that helped with the health concerns of the community. The demand for these sanitary ware products was so great that within three years Doulton founded factories in Dudley and St Helens.

At the tender age of 15, Henry Doulton, the second son of John, realized his talent for pottery making and joined the firm. John Watts retired from the company in 1854. At this time John Doulton began experimenting with a more decorative pottery line and began using many glazes and decorative effects including faience, impasto, silicon, carrara, marqueterie, chine, and rouge flambe. Henry Doulton, following in his father’s creative footprints, took full control of the company upon the passing of his father in 1873.

Your Royal Doulton figurines, dinnerware and collectibles deserve a showcase equal to their heritage and value. The Amish craft hardwood display options in a timeless elegance, second to none. China cabinets, curios, bookcases, corner cabinets, shelves and more. Options such as antique leaded glass accent in the pediment, glass shelves, mirrored back and recessed lighting are a standard high end choice. Surrounded in well made heirloom quality design, your Royal Doulton collection will be a decor feature for generations.  

• FLOWERS & FOLIAGE-

Quite simply, flowers can create a theme. They can also indicate a seasonal direction to your celebration. While it would be nice to be able to afford a fresh cut bouquet from even the grocery your arrangements do not have to include even a single bloom or blossom. For instance, a contemporary theme, one of bold sparseness, can be reflected in a tall glass vase, weighted with river rocks or glass baubles and holding long, wispy wooden stems or branches cut from your yard. Seasonal fruit vines or branches, again found in the great outdoors, filled and flowing from a vase speaks to the local fruits you may serve. Even a bowl of colorful vegetables can add a pop of color.

By placing a coordinating wreath at the door you can easily carry the theme from your threshold to your foyer and living room and then to your Amish custom built dining room suite. If you have an old wreath just recycle and reclaim it by adding fresh touches to it, or create one from vines or bendable branches. A door piece does not have to be round but instead can be a gathered and beribboned bunch of florals or foliage.

Inexpensive candles always highlight the most simple table arrangements. If the theme is a tea party, why not fill the tea pot with blooms? A garden theme looks great with already owned garden tools as a center piece. Stop and look around before going out to buy a new centerpiece, but never skip on the center piece, since it is high impact for low cost and a focal point of the meal.

• TABLE LINENS-

Table linens can range from a coveted vintage lace table cloth, to an Amish quilt or to a crisp and inexpensive fabric piece or sheet. A set of plain white napkins is always a great investment. The napkins can be bound with something carrying the theme of the day or the theme of the floral and foliage arrangements. A simple ribbon makes an understated napkin ring. Large napkins can even be converted to placemats when unfolded. Stained napkins and table cloths can be bleached out or tea stained into a recycled and highly fashionable shabby chicness.

• WHO’S WHO-

If you want to provide a sense of elegance and thoughtfulness, make each guest a place card. The art of using place cards kicks any tea, lunch or dinner up to the next level and can be created for virtually nothing. While even nicely printing each guest’s name on a simple tent-folded, plain 3 x 5 card is a statement, you can also pick up a favor for each guest at a dollar store. A small frame holding their place card, a basket of candies with their name attached, a candle with a labeled name, a sachet with the name in marker…the list of place card favors is endless and very affordable.

Another fun thing to do is to create a menu for each plate. Today’s computers usually come with templates to create cards and menus, or you can search online. It adds a touch of fun and class.

• COLORS-

Something as simple as color can actually be a theme for your event. All white, or the latest trend of using only black and white, can develop a boring dinner party into something spectacular for no added costs. If you use bold colors remember do not mix even one pastel and visa versa and keep the coloring throughout the arrangements and the linens.

• MIX AND MATCH-

Can’t afford additional place settings or maybe you don’t have a set of fine china at all? Thrift stores hold treasured pieces of china and glassware that can be bought for pennies to create an eclectic and enviable dinnerware collection that no one else has. While an entire table of matching dishes is indeed very elegant it can also be cost prohibitive and even blah. Why not show some imagination and pick out the best of each find you can. You can even mix it with your own set of dishes to extend them when the guest list grows longer than your place settings.

 By using these tips and more to come here at Amish-Furniture-Home.com you can host and enjoy many cost effective and unforgettable events with your well appointed Amish built furniture investments.

New Year’s Eve parties bring together the old and the new to be celebrated and memorialized by one and all. The ritual of good food, great memories and celebratory toasts all mark the end of the old year and the beginning of a new and promise filled year. Unfortunately, some of those toasts are memorable for the wrong reasons. Wine stains and drink rings are often the markings left behind of a good time and not something you will enjoy seeing on New Year’s Day. Although your solidly designed Amish hardwoods and upholstered pieces are protected by ARESITOVAR and hopefully custom made elite table pads, the occasional mishap occurs. Here are some tips from the experts on salvaging your good New Year’s memories and furniture.

RED WINE- While ARESISTOVAR has a tested tolerance to alcohol spills your upholstery and carpets may not have that window of resistance. Wine, especially red wine and even non-alcohol grape juices, must be taken care of right away

REMEMBER- Heed any special care instructions that may have came from the manufacturer. Safe home remedies are best to try before turning to harsh chemicals or paying for a professional fabric cleaning. Whether it is carpet or upholstered furniture, these tips apply.

Some other remedies that many wine drinkers swear by are a simple application of carbonated soda water. This can lift wine stains and other food stains, like barbeque sauce, out of the carpets and fabrics. Another wine connoisseur tip is to deal with red wine spills by using white wine. Odd as it may seem, if you spill red wine you can then pour a glass of white over the stain. The white wine supposedly neutralizes the red wine and the stain seems to disappear before your eyes.

As always, use common sense and care when using any products on your custom upholstered Amish furniture, sofas, arm chairs and ottomans.

A personal home theatre complete with a custom built entertainment center may seem out of reach for many homes but, in fact, it is quite achievable with a good plan and the room. While you can easily spend tens of thousands to create a personal home theatre the good news is that even those on a tighter budget can produce a very satisfying theater experience.

The surge in home theaters is being seen throughout the country as electronics for personal use become more developed and user-friendly and prices become more in range with the average income. A home theater is not only personally pleasing but also socially and family friendly. Whether you want to sit in the comfort of your own home and watch a movie, create a private sports bar atmosphere around a major sporting event or host the next biggest New Year’s Eve party, a home theater can make it possible.

Planning out a home theater is essential to its success because of space, lighting, wiring, etc. Here are a few tips from the experts on developing your personal cinema:

THE SPACE:

While you can convert your living room or family room into a shared media center, a dedicated room works much better. A spare room can work but ideally a finished basement room works best because of the lack of windows letting light in. Darkness will always produce the best on-screen picture.

Think about the equipment you have or are purchasing when deciding on the space. For instance, a room with windows may do better with a flat screen LCD because it works better in brighter rooms.

VIDEO AND AUDIO:

Balance is imperative when matching sound and picture. The quality of each should be paired equally. There is no point in spending everything on one or the other since a bad picture will still be bad with a high quality sound system. By balancing them people’s focus won’t be drawn to one.

A basic home theater set-up includes a surround sound system with left, right and center speakers in the front of the room and then one speaker on each side of the room and two speakers and a subwoofer in the rear. An audio-video receiver will amplify the sound while routing video signals from satellite or cable boxes and DVD players.

ENTERTAINMENT CENTER:

There is no need to have high cost built in units for your media center. The Amish build custom entertainment media centers in solid hardwoods with high quality design and styles unseen anywhere. A four piece entertainment unit can be customized to fit televisions with an area size of 48″, 54″ or 66″w. Built from oak, maple, hickory or cherry they also have matching recliners for unparalleled theater seating.