Antiques dealer enjoys quirky home decorating

Antiques dealer Elizabeth Stetson leaves no stone unturned in her search for vintage furniture and accessories that appeal to her self- described tongue-in-cheek sensibility. And nowhere is this engagingly quirky attitude and clever eye more apparent than behind the doors of her historic Newport, R.I., home.

"Artistic training -- I don't have any," admits Elizabeth, the former owner of an antiques shop. "But I do think I have a flair for making something out of nothing. And I'm not afraid to experiment."

Elizabeth first fell into the business with friends. Until that time she had her hands full as mother to her sons, Alex, David and Joshua. Even though she has closed her shop, Stetson and Sons, Elizabeth continues to sell her wares on eBay.

Constantly reinventing the interiors of her historic two-story clapboard home, purchased in 1998, however, is an ongoing occupation. When she first moved in, the house required a new roof and kitchen. Elizabeth, by inclination as well as necessity, needed to renovate and decorate on a budget. Fortunately, her brother Bill, a contractor, worked for the "family rate," enlarging the kitchen by borrowing space from a powder room.

"Every room was originally painted blue," she laments. "Let's just say that, cosmetically, it needed work."

Elizabeth counts on many craftspeople among her personal friends. And often they are willing to barter their services for pieces in her inventory that they've fallen in love with.

"From a money standpoint, the arrangement works well for everyone," she says.

Currently, Elizabeth admits with a laugh, she is in a "deep phase," referring to wall color. In point of fact, it's this willingness to poke fun at herself that makes a visit to her home so enjoyable, with a subtle surprise to be discovered around every corner.

Age & beauty

In Elizabeth's office, the trompe l'oeil paneling painted by friend Odette Holty gives the wall a three-dimensional quality. Aged fabrics are also much loved by Elizabeth, who sewed her flowered throw pillows for her sofa from an old remnant of bark cloth. "To me, vintage fabrics have a special warmth."

Disarming displays

Because she has many collections -- particularly tole trays, colanders and clock faces -- Elizabeth often rotates the mini- tableaux she creates.

"It's something I enjoy doing," she says. "Usually, I group like objects together."

Elizabeth comes by this talent naturally; her mother once worked as a window dresser.

Personal palette

Found objects inspire Elizabeth's choices. For example, the deep blue background of a marine oil painting she restored was the catalyst hue for her living-room walls.

Copyright C 2005 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.