Classic culinary antiques possess a certain character and charm that I truly love. Maybe it’s because of all the time I spent in the kitchen with my dear grandmother and my mother, happily whiling away the hours while cooking and talking. Hand crafted wooden culinary antiques where part of our daily life so many years ago in Europe. The material to create them was readily available, and we could buy them at the food market in the city. Country craftsmen would bring wooden bowls, spoons and cutting boards from the villages along with the produce harvested every week. I remember it fondly as if it was yesterday ~ my grandmother drying her wooden cutting boards and stacking them at the end of kitchen table. Now after almost four decades I cherish these old memories which are revived by the patina in the grain of these old, much-used objects.
On my European buying trips I go to extra lengths to scour the countryside to find a great selection of culinary antiques for our stores. My trips to country flea markets require early morning arrivals, some times before dawn. We have gathered a wonderful collection of 19th and 20th century cutting boards in various shapes and sizes that are quite functional and beautiful in the kitchen and entertaining areas of the home. These can also be a stylish addition to your décor hanging on the wall, or just setting on the counter (as my grandmother use to store them). Below are some creative ideas on how to use and display antique breadboards to add patina and texture to a modern kitchen.
This European Tuscan style kitchen utilizes the great earthy texture of culinary antiques. Photo credit to Kevin Harris - Architect
Antique bread boards are readily available for cooking and entertaining while doubling as a rustic centerpiece. Photo credit to Elle Decor
One of our Antique Breadboards is also our exiting give away this month. We look forward to sharing this charming object of European kitchens with one of our lucky winners.
Let us know ~ how would you use an antique breadboard in your home or kitchen?
Giveaway Instructions:
To enter you must be a follower of this blog. First enter your email address in the subscription box (pictured below) on the right hand side of our blog. Then simply comment on this blog post and let as know how you would use an antique bread board to decorate your home.
You can also visit our Facebook page and “ like us” for an additional entry. The contest ends a week from today.
Good luck and thanks for entering!
I found this blog while perusing the internet in search of that bread board!
My grandmother and grandfather lived on an 180acre farm in southern Oklahoma for 80 years and we are now making our kitchen renovation to look much like hers. The memories of her daily baked bread, (sitting on the breadboard) along with homemade bisquits, bacon, butter, cheeses, and pies that she left out ALL day for us to snack on. They just celebrated their 73rd anniversary, 98years old and still cooks every single day. I would give it to her, since hers is long gone, and “inherit” it years from now, I hope, and sit it proudly on my wood topped island, creating memories for my five grandchildren, hopefully as memorable as hers.
I like you on facebook 😉 I don’t have a wood bread board this would look awesome in my older home
I could find a nice place for it and would be used with fine care!
This reminds me of houses in Europe that I visited. I would lovingly hang it in my home for gorgeous ambience. I would also love to serve bread and cheese to friends and family on it. I feel it would make a statement of how the old ways were so artful and beautiful; amidst the present they add richness and heritage.
I love that you incorporate pictures that display various ways to decorate with the bread boards. Having different shapes and sizes are what makes the boards interesting whether they are stacked on top of each other or leaning against the wall. I put grape leaves on mine while serving cheese during parties with crystal wine glasses~very casual and elegant.
I am a follower. I would love this for my kitchen.It would be perfect.
Inessa, dobry den, and thank you for hosting this wonderful giveaway.
My mother and I are avid European bread bakers (such as Borodinsky and Stanichny hleb) and I look forward to serving it on the beautiful breadboard fresh out of the oven!
Love the bread boards and would love to have one! Have been a fan of Inessa’s for years and still am!! Always inspirational!!
Love the rustic charm of these breadboards. Appreciate the history behind them and would love to display and use in my home.
I LOVE these antique bread boards. I have a circular one, but my favorite look is when several different shapes are leaning together. I love serving cheese and olives on these at parties. I’m very excited to know about this blog!
I’m so excited to know about this blog. I LOVE the antique bread boards. I have a circular one, and my favorite look is when several of different shapes are leaning together. Also, I love serving cheese and olives on these at a party.
I have been searching for an antique wooden cutting board for a while now, and while visiting your site noticed this beautiful piece! I would cherish this board, while also utilize it by serving appetizers, bread and cheese, or simply bread with Italian butter for the evening family meal. I am so drawn to old pieces of yesteryear, and know this piece would be quite content in my home for many more years to come, and then would be handed down to one of my children to continue being used and loved in their home as well.
I discovered your site by chance while perusing for antique bread boards and WOW..am I delighted to have found you! I spent 4 years in England many years ago and collected beautiful old treenware which I unfortunately had to left behind when I came back to the US in 1976. I now live in and old New England farmhouse and for the past 34 have been slowly filling it with the wonderful old things I love. A few items made it back from England with me, and old woodenware is by far one of my favorite things to collect whenever I can afford to. Recently I discovered a cousin in Germany I didn’t know I had, and we have been emailing with so much family info and old photos. I would consider using an old bread board (very carefully of course) as a backdrop for old WWII family photos, or simply display it in my old farmhouse kitchen along with other antiques.
I love bread boards for the character and charm they bring to a room and on a food buffet when entertaining friends and family.
Thank you for an awesome opportunity!
Kim Hawkins