For that vintage look

Long ago, most saucepans, rolling pins, glasses, plates, mugs and jugs were made of copper and brass. We still see many brass idols, bells, door knobs, vases and door handles in many houses and apartments. They add an old world allure even to the most modern houses. Many celebrities showcase their proud possessions to beautify their homes.

Rekha Bayanker, Gardening expert of Secunderabad has a wondrous collection of copper and brass utensils, most of them over a hundred years old. She proudly showcases her gleaming vintage artefacts to all her visitors and takes the time from her busy schedule to explain the usage of each one.

Rekha Bayanker has her grandmother Motapalli Ranganayikka Amma’s trousseau collection of unusual utensils displayed in pristine condition. Her grandmother was the daughter of a Chief Engineer of the Railways during British Era in Machilipatnam in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. The various utensils are kept as decorative pieces in Rekha’s kitchen in her grandmother’s memory. Her grandmother married at the age of 16 and brought with her several unique pieces like the Santosh Cooker, 5 in 1 vintage serving dishes, a Rukmini Cooker and milk dishes. These vessels are good for time management and organic cooking.

Rekha’s grandfather was a Tehsildar in the Civil Services and the old utensils were taken while travelling in bullock carts to keep the food warm. Space management for travelling in those days meant that there were eight beautiful water dishes fitting into each other. The Rukmini Cooker is a marvel with three cooker boxes, tongs, sieve, folding spoons, idli cooker, rice strainer, cast iron kadhai and an assortment of spoons.

Aruna Bahuguna who was the first lady director of the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, displays her Santosh cooker, copper water boiler, rice measuring dish from Kerala and various brass containers to good effect, adding beauty to her well-planned home. Big brass dishes are used as plant holders in her garden.

Gourmet cheese-maker Shernaz Sethna’s beautiful heritage home in Coonoor in the Nilgiris has various items displayed to make her kitchen and dining room look even more gorgeous. Copper saucepans, brass rolling pins, old antique lamps, an old copper gas boiler, and a Santosh Cooker all go a very long way in terms of antique appeal. Shernaz also uses many of these items regularly. A lot of big brass utensils are used for flower arrangements too.

Old Enamel baking trays, dishes, plates and mugs can be found in a lot of antique shops. These can be in various pastel colours or floral prints too. A bread bin, enamel and china spice boxes will fit well with the vintage look. Add a few old-fashioned china plates as kitchen wall hangings to complete the look.

Brass handles and doorknobs add allure to your front door too. Old fashioned egg beaters, graters and spatula can make good conversation pieces if displayed well. Look for them in garage sales, antique shops and auctions and even flea markets.

Find an old green glass wine bottle and add a plant in a corner to fill in an empty corner. One just cannot go wrong with old metallic kitchen items. Some effort has to be made to periodically clean brass and copper utensils but it is well worth the effort when you have appreciative visitors.