Buy in pairs! This is one of a pair of Herend cachepots, in the Chinese Bouquet Pattern in raspberry pink. They were given to us by dear, precious friends... somehow they knew I like pink! They grace our mantelpiece at Fox Hall and flank the English Staffordshire horse in the center. It is my favorite time of year when I can gather peonies and pink mountain laurel from our garden!
Lovely Living!
There is certainly cachet to cachepots! The French word cachepot, (pronounced as cash-poe!) translates to “hide a pot” and in particular, a flower pot. A cachepot beautifully enhances plants and flowers and is used inside a house versus outside, as they do not have any drainage holes. They are also referred to as planters and/or jardinieres, which are usually larger and placed upon the floor. To use a cachepot is tantamount to dressing up for a party, because a pretty porcelain piece will beautifully enhance any mundane, ho-hum flower pot and transform it into a “princess pot,” ready to have a ball in any room in your house!
The more ornate and formal the porcelain cachepot, the happier it will be in a formal room. Antique and reproduction porcelain cachepots can feature ornate or very delicate designs, have gold embellishments, and even darling little legs. All of these would be more befitting and proper for a living room, on a dining room table, or on a mantelpiece.
Likewise for the simpler, uncomplicated cachepot designs made of various materials such as metal, wicker, lacquer, bamboo, or brass, these are cheerfully content when displayed in informal rooms such as libraries, kitchens, or garden rooms.
Think of the pretty plants you quickly purchase at the grocery store, such as an azalea, daffodil, hyacinth, or even an orchid. They will appear more glamorously happy in a cachepot versus the standard plastic container with foil wrap.
A diminutive pair of delicate cachepots can elegantly adorn a mantlepiece! Filled with flowers from the garden, a graceful orchid plant, a tender topiary, or a simple English ivy plant, a pair of cachepots become smart, yet understated, exclamation points on either side of the mantlepiece. Alternatively, a narrow, rectangular cachepot can be centered on the mantel, a bookcase, or on a table flanking the backside of a sofa.
I find that petite, square cachepots work best on a mantlepiece because they sit easily on a narrow shelf. This French cachepot from Bernardaud, and sold at Scully & Scully, is the Le Gobelet du Roy. It is a reproduction, but was originally ordered by Louis XVI in 1783 and is decorated with friezes of myrtle leaves and wild cornflowers entwined with ribbon. It is 4 ½” square and 6” high, so it can easily hold a sweet little plant or perhaps flowers from the garden.
When purchasing cachepots, remember to consider the color and design scheme of the room so that the cachepot, and the flowers you choose, will all be harmonious wherever they are placed. I always encourage buying in pairs whenever possible. Not only does a pair of any decorative item contribute to the symmetry of design, but it also offers you an alternative as to where they can be placed, even if separated and put into adjoining rooms.
Millennial Tip
Cachepots have earned my respect as a welcomed wedding or birthday gift, especially when the design that adorns the piece is timeless. Not only are they extremely useful in any room, at any time of the year, but they also enhance a room, as well as the plant.
Cachepots can be used to hold the silver flatware for buffet dinner parties, too! This is another reason to buy in pairs: forks in one, knives in the other!
This hand-painted cachepot from Anna Weatherly features pink tulips and was inspired by the artisanal tradition of Hungary, where fine European porcelain with 24K gold accents highlight the design ever so quietly. It is 7 ½” in diameter and 6 ¼” high- the perfect size to pop a store-bought plant. It also holds a pint of ice cream brilliantly!
If you have a pint of ice cream and want to serve it at the dining room table, simply place it into a cachepot! Then, you will have the perfect serving vessel which disguises the pint container. And then, any kind of ice cream will taste yummier!
New Sponsors!
When you are on the hunt for that perfect piece of porcelain, here is your one-stop source: Lillian Grey! Owner Chelsie Hart has such a brilliant and keen eye for the most stupendous antiques and vintage treasures.
Each Wednesday she hosts a sale on her Instagram page, @lilliangreysvintagehome. Her specialty is blue and white, a classical choice for timeless interiors. I have received a few porcelain pieces as gifts from her, and Chelsie’s quality is second to none!
Remember: Buy in pairs! Flanking the antique Wedgwood platter in the middle, are a pair of porcelain Tobacco Leaf trumpet-style vases, and a pair of ginger jars. Just a sampling of the splendid porcelains that Chelsie tempts followers with on her lovely Instagram posts!