The French Hutch

Meet Emily of

The French Hutch.

This charming lady loves to travel, is inspired by all things French, and delights in feathering her nest. She is my kind of person! In fact she recently discovered HFTS and wrote to me. She thought we were kindred spirits. I do believe we are! Let's take a look.

This is a peek into Emily's breakfast

room where the French Hutch resides.

Do you see it?

The shelves of The French Hutch

are filled with Quimper pottery!

And this lovely lady is also a fan

of MacKenzie Childs Courtly Check!

Emily @ the Faiencrie de Quimper, 84 Rue St Martin, Paris

Emily and her husband started traveling in Europe in 1998. With each visit to France, Emily would return with pieces of Quimper as her souvenirs.

This pair of Paysan plates were Emily's first French faience purchase. Jim and Emily had taken the train from Paris to Chartres to tour the Cathedral, and after the tour they wandered into a nearby gift store where they made this purchase. These plates hung above Emily's kitchen windows for many years, but now rotate among various spots in her home.

Want a closer look at some of the

special pieces of Quimper displayed on

The French Hutch?

This platter painted with the Anjonc

decor takes center stage on The French Hutch.

The platter is 

painted with exquisite details.

It's no wonder this beautiful 

piece caught Emily's eye.

The three large chargers on the top 

shelf are also favorites among Emily's collection. 

 Each one measures fourteen inches.

Marked HB Quimper, 

these pieces are very old, and they found their 

way into Emily's collection by way of an interesting story.

For many years these plates hung on the walls of a local restaurant that Emily and her husband and young son frequented. Emily would sit and admire the pieces of Quimper on each visit. One day while Emily & Jim were in the midst of the construction of a new home, Emily marched herself into the restaurant to visit with the manager. She asked if he would consider selling these pieces to her.

To Emily's amazement, he agreed to let her have one of them. After relating the story to her sister, sometime later her sister arrived at her door step with the other two. She had convinced the manager to sell the others.

In fact, the restaurant was closing, 

and Emily eventually had the opportunity 

to buy two more plates from that collection.

The previous plate and the one above are both plates that hung in the same restaurant with the chargers. They are both Revolutionary themed plates produced by the HenRiot Quimper factory.

Emily enjoys moving her collection around as she changes things about her home. The three plates above feature a decor riche border. They are also HenRiot production.

Two plates in the Mistral pattern 

sit on the kitchen counter.

Another souvenir from France is this large platter produced by Moustiers. It was found at the antique market in Nice, France. Emily and Jim happened upon the market near closing time. The dealer, not wanting to return home with this large 14 inch long platter, began to bargain with Emily. He made an offer, she countered, and he accepted. Emily says it was the bargain of her French Faience Life. She hand carried the heavy piece home on the plane, safely stowing it on the floor next to her seat. Emily thinks it is one of the prettiest pieces in her collection.

The French Hutch isn't the only piece to

hold French faience in Emily and Jim's home.

Look at this china cupboard in the formal dining room.

Emily has been collecting Quimper for twelve years, 

but she has dreamed of this yellow pottery 

since she was a young girl.

As a child, Emily loved to tag along with her mother while she shopped local flea markets and antique shops. It was during those trips that Emily first noticed the bright yellow dishes of Quimper.

The memory of those cheerful dishes remained with Emily all these years. On her second trip to France, it was the yellow Quimper, the Decor Soleil, that Emily selected as her souvenir.

Through the years, 

Emily has added many special pieces in the Soleil pattern, 

such as this sweet tea service and candlesticks.

And all these wonderful 

special serving pieces.

The Soleil pattern has been produced since the 1920s. After the World Wars much of it found its way into the hearts and homes of Americans. That's certainly true for Emily. She now has a complete service for eight.

Emily has set a lovely table for a spring brunch featuring her special Soleil Quimper. Click here to view the complete post on this cheerful tablescape and welcome Emily @ The French Hutch as she shares @ Tablescape Thursday for the first time.

Emily began her blog in January 2011 with the intent of sharing her love of travel, France, and creating a beautiful nest for her family. I hope you'll visit Emily @ The French Hutch and follow along as she continues to share her travel experiences and love of family and home.

Thank you to the hostesses

of the following weekly memes.

Click the links to join in.

Thursday:

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ Blue Creek Home

French Inspiration Thursday @ The French Cupboard

Friday:

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Saturday:

A Few of My Favorite Things

@ Bargain Hunting & Chatting w/ Laurie

Tuesday:

Three or More Tuesday @ The Gypsy's Corner

Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life

Wednesday:

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Southern Savvy Style

Whassup Wednesday @ Elements Interiors