topic Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR in Home

WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Oznell — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 13:17:23 GMT

The one thing I've consistently collected, since I was a teenager, is old or burnished wood that tells a story. I just love the way it looks and feels. Don't have that many pieces-- a few boxes, a carved wooden cat, my antique barley twist candlestick.

But old dough bowls (or "trenchers" I think is another name for them) are a category unto themselves! They were used in the past to knead flour, and some have lasted since the 18th century. I don't have any that old, but have had a dough bowl for years, along with a wide wooden "scraper". Only recently acquired a second bowl, a real beauty, and a small third. It's a collection! And now I'll stop, and just enjoy the few I have.

Mine are a little out of round, and "wavy", much like this one with the leaves in it:

That antique dealer's Ann Arbor house re-ignited my love for the wavy, irregular bowls. Remember how she salted them through her rooms, casually stacked and displayed? Even in her TV room! I like to leave my two bigger ones stacked too.

The truly antique ones are stunning, but I'm not a purist. I want mine to "look" old, (and be somewhat battered) but they don't have to be a hundred years old. Just have that lovely patina and feel of seasoned wood and maybe some hand tooling. I got mine at a couple of antique stores, but you can get nice looking, new ones through Wayfair, Etsy, or even Amazon. Pottery Barn sources a few old ones fairly often, I'm told.

Summer time:

Fall:

Christmas, ahhhh:

The neat thing, depending on how they are displayed, they can look great and add character to many interiors, modern through "farmhouse" of course, and traditional. Just like a few pieces of antique furniture can add soul and punch up almost any type of room. If interested, a google search of "decorating with dough bowls" turns up these images and lots of other goodies.

They can be very dusty after sitting in an antique or thrift shop, and I gently clean them by sprinkling salt, and then rubbing a lemon half over them, then rubbing some vegetable oil in. Or you can sponge with damp cloth, dry, and then do oil treatment. Wood comes alive!

I like seeing them used casually too, for textiles, pillows, magazines and books:

I know all you other "woodies" out there feel this right along with me...

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

goldensrbest — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 13:39:29 GMT

I have two antique ones, one long one like picture,and a round one my grandma use to make her homemade noodles in.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

CAMOGIRL — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 13:57:50 GMT

Always like the look of these. Simple. Leave them empty or fill them - nice either way.

I have this very large antique one myself - propped up against the wall above one of my kitchen cabinets. Love it. Great find.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

GingerPeach — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 14:16:06 GMT

I love the natural, rustic look, which definitely includes unfinished wood.

"Rustic" is a word, a look, a feel, that I always gravitate toward.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

SXMGirl — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 14:22:33 GMT

@Oznell Thank you for the pictures. I really like the different looks of the bowls and never really thought about them, especially in decor. Maybe I should start looking for them and pick up a few. Maybe I should not thank you for getting me started on a new collection!

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

godi — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 14:53:10 GMT

They used the dough bowls well. Great ideas.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

vsm — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:16:22 GMT

@Oznell This is one of your loveliest posts ever. After a tense morning, it made me take a breath and relax and appreciate simple beauty. Thanks for getting my day back on a sane track, oznell.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

spiderw — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:23:37 GMT

I like your comment, Oznell, about being able to stop at buying only a few bowls!!! I, on the other hand, go over board with collectibles!!!

I am not familiar with dough bowls and thank you for your information, very interesting! I love all the ways they are used in the pictures. Hanging the bowls on the wall and using the one for a shelf were especially decorative! Every picture showed a lovely display.

I can see why you love this type of decor and its history.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Oznell — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:41:51 GMT

Your saying that makes my heart glad, @vsm. Doing posts here and there about things I like also calms me and helps me deal with the ongoing stress of life. Thanks for kind words.

I enjoyed reading every single one of the thoughtful responses on this thread!

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Peaches McPhee — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:59:53 GMT

Very timely. I decided I wanted a wooden bowl a few months ago. My sister gave me a square "bowl" she had, and I am very happy with it. Sits on my coffee table, and I put plants inside.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Oznell — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 16:24:45 GMT

Oh, I like that, @Peaches McPhee! Mine are currently on my coffee table too. (I change out my coffee table stuff almost weekly, ha.)

Having the plants in yours just increases that lovely, warm, organic feeling that the bowls have. I have on the table right now, a mirrored zinc tray, holding a rustic wood lantern, a tiny painted punched tin tealight holder, and a very old conical milk glass two-handled cup. And at the other end of the table, my two larger bowls just stacked, kind of haphazardly.

These bowls offer so much scope for decorating, don't they...

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

DREAMON — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 16:32:18 GMT

I really like all pictures except the 3rd one. Warm and cozy decor...so pretty!

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Oznell — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 17:29:36 GMT

Oh, I agree about that 3rd picture, @DREAMON, now that I look at it carefully. Drab! I wanted to reshow how casually and prolifically she displays her vintage bowls, but these other pix are better and brighter for showing how she scatters them through her house. She does have a rather sparse, primitive style.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

mousiegirl — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 21:10:02 GMT

@Oznell Wonderful informative and fun post regarding dough bowls. I don't have any, but I do have quite a few wood bowls, odd shapes, that I have bought through the years, one is enormous sort of leaf shape in that it goes out to a point on one end, very deep. Whenever I would take it full of something I had made, to a party, the comments were first about the bowl, lol. It is so big that I still havn't figured out where it could go in this house, need more table top space, you have me thinking again, very dangerous, lol.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Sooner — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 21:14:58 GMT

Thanks @Oznell I would love to have a really old one--but you won't see a lot of really old stuff in Oklahoma! We're not that old! LOL!!!

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Oznell — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 21:37:01 GMT

Your carved leaf bowl has me very intrigued @mousiegirl. I have a few "non-vintage" wood pieces too, like that cat I mentioned, which I think was done in Thailand and looks very midcentury modern. I love the leaf motif in anything so would love your bowl.

True, Oklahoma is not old, @Sooner, but unique and highly prized!

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Oznell — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 11:51:30 GMT

Couldn't find any images yesterday of the "scrapers" (for lack of a better term) that you can find as a companion to dough bowls. The nicest ones also have that wonderful, seasoned tactile old wood finish of the bowls. I have just one that looks alot like some of these:

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

spud188 — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 13:11:43 GMT

I also enjoy your posts Oznel,often like this one I will open and read just because I am sure to learn something new.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

Oznell — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:21:18 GMT

That is such a nice compliment, thank you @spud188.

Re: WOODEN DOUGH BOWLS BRING HISTORY TO DECOR

nomar — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 17:14:01 GMT

Love all of the pictures and ideas. I see the repro ones a lot, but never could think of what to do with them. Might have to head to Hobby Lobby after seeing these.