Duck, Duck…Swan?

I thought I was imagining it. I really thought there was no way that the heart-stenciled-ribbon-wearing-nursery-rhyme-looking white goose that adorned kitchen crocks and wallpaper borders in the 80’s and 90’s was making a comeback. And as I poked fun at the thrift store items featuring these geese I completely missed the reemergence of the mallard duck and white swan until I came face to face with this brand new shiny ceramic bird on display in Bath and Body Works, gleaming gold beak and all!

Since that day I have observed the fowls of our past hiding in plain sight, integrated into displays for bar glasses, lurking in art and otherwise reminding us that the new “dark academia” trend is a re imagined version of the past’s jewel toned study from the traditional Colonial floor plan. You may recall these rooms for their leather wing back chairs, gold topped pokers for the brick fireplace and an assortment of wildlife art and duck decoys. What’s old is always what’s new again!

Here’s a peek at what is making a comeback and how you can incorporate these birds into your interior design.

First off- Hart Mercantile in Ripon is doing the best job of reintroducing the vintage pieces we might recall from our parent’s or even grandparent’s homes. The pieces do tend to reflect a masculine color scheme with nice accents of green and orange. This also makes them feel especially fresh against a dark and moody background (which is kinda the whole vibe over at Hart).

This store even made me appreciate these swan accessories in a new way. My initial impression of the return of the swan was to remember them as soap dishes in guest bathrooms (the kind that you filled with the fancy soaps that you never used because they were either wrapped in a floral paper or shaped like a seashell). As a collection these swans have a more elegant representation. The addition of a small leaning mirror and a stack of tattered books is the perfect way to dress them down.

Across the street at Patina Vie of Ripon the duck makes an appearance in a more subtle way. As a paperweight dipped in gold it still resembles its previous role on an over sized masculine desk, however, it finds a charming new place among the delicate collectibles of a curio cabinet.

A fully feathered taxidermy pheasant hides among peacock plumes and blue ferns in another display. Reminding us how there was once an elegant hunting lodge look that began in European estates where people enjoyed tea from fine china.

This little needlepoint pheasant caught my eye in much the same way over at Water Street Vintage in New London. Picker Patch is an unusual and sparkly display of quirky nostalgic pieces and hand made glittery mushrooms. I enjoyed seeing this ordinary piece of wildlife art among the fray. The color and texture are actually really great and it only needs someone to give it a fantastic black or deep teal wall to make it pop.

We end here with the most conventional of mallards. Those primary green and blue colors that are true to life when you see this compact little bird swimming across the water. This presentation has yet to elevate these nostalgic pieces, at home among the creel and honey pine bench of a fisherman’s cottage. But that is part of the fun of the hunt. When you know you can scoop up something like this, take it home and make it look like you bought it from a high end store. The question is- which bird speaks to your senses? Are you a goose or a mallard or a swan? And- are you up for the challenge?

Take the Quiz- Are you a Goose, a Mallard or a Swan! Find out now!

Just Kidding!

But we will be seeing more from the Ripon shops including Hart Mercantile and Back Porch Gatherings in future posts! See you then!