Vintage Feature – We’re Back with Lots to Share!

Our July blog hiatus has ended and there’s so much we want share with you! With help from Jami and Priscilla, we’ve made much progress on our studio, inside and out, and we think it looks amazing. So, how did we do with our three July goals?  We invite you to read on!

Goal one was to make a farm table top for the workbench so clients could experiment with different place settings and tablescapes. Instead of the top, though, we now have an actual table, set up in the back, that works even better.

This mother-daughter team came to our studio a few weeks ago and experimented with a variety of different looks. After admiring several possibilities, their lovely reception table plan emerged!  So far we’ve had four clients use this design table to plan their reception tables and several more have appointments to visit us in the next few weeks. Yay!

The next item on our list was to finish and print our brochure.  After my business mentor shared some key editing suggestions, we had a small batch printed.  More editing was done, a reorder placed, and now we are waiting for them to arrive!

Southern Vintage Table

The third and final goal – finish moving our inventory. Whew – we are VERY pleased to declare “DONE!” After three months of steadily packing and unpacking, everything is in the studio and now we’re busily staging and organizing.

Our opening photo and the one below show vignettes in our studio created by Priscilla.  We love them all but the second one down is crazy fun!!  We took the glassware out of the crates, lined the shelves with white lights, and shazam – they sure do sparkle!

Southern Vintage Table

Three goals on our list all checked off!  There’s one more thing we want you to see and it’s the final thing we brought to Studio 238. She happens to be the sassiest, baddest, smartest, wisest, and outright best character EVER created – ta da

Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager!

“Ma’am is acceptable in a crunch but I prefer Captain.”

She’ll be here to greet you and keep us focused on providing the very best service to our clients.  Yes, you can count on us, Captain!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Three Assignments for July

We are taking a blog break during the month of July but that doesn’t mean we won’t be hard at work!  In fact, we have three assignments to have finished before the month’s end and here they are:


1 – Construct a farm table top.

When clients visit our studio, we want them to explore our vintage offerings and be able to set sample table place settings for their guests. We recently added this work table, as seen below, and we’ll be making a wooden farm table slab to place on top. Can’t wait to get the power tools out and start on this assignment!!


2 – Finalize and print our business brochure.

With all of the beautiful photos from the many talented professional photographers, it’s been so delightful to work on this project. We still need to add more text and the photo credits but it’s close – at least this draft.


3 – Finish moving our inventory.

Yep, we’ve got more to pack and move to the studio, including this heavy vintage store shelving unit. Although this is our least favorite assignment, it is the one we can’t wait to finish! 


Check on us in August to see how we did on our assignments.  ‘Till then, wishing ya’ll a fun, carefree July!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table

Southern Vintage Table Event – Rain or Shine, Devon & Brian’s Wedding Day Was Wonderful!

Today we have some spectacular photos from Devon and Brian’s April wedding. Their Duke Chapel ceremony and Merry Hill reception, captured by Jessica Arden Photography, demonstrate how fun a rainy wedding day can truly be!

After getting married at the grand Duke Chapel, the wedding party moved to the pastoral beauty of Merry Hill Farm to celebrate. For their reception meal, this lovely couple used a mix of our vintage floral patterns with blue and white china to create a colorful table for their guests. On the dessert table and decorated with delicious cupcakes, our vintage tiered stands presented a yummy display for friends and family. Although their celebratory plans had to change a bit when the evening rain began, perhaps a little rain can create the best memories!

“Thank you so much for providing the amazing china and being such a pleasure to work with for our wedding.  The plates were so beautiful and the tables looked amazing when everything came together!  It ended up being rainy on our wedding night, so we had to move everything under the tents and lost some of the pretty Merry Hill scenery, and I was so happy that we had beautiful table settings to add some color and charm to the tent space!  And don’t worry, we ended up having the most fun ever despite the rain!” – Devon

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Gosh, this final photo at Duke Chapel is simply perfect! Congrats, Devon and Brian, and best wishes for a fun-filled future together, rain or shine!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Move Update!

It’s almost been 2 months since Amy and I first got the keys to our studio and we are getting so, so close!  The sign is on the window, more shelves filled, inventory shuffled, Amy’s shelves and flower cooler are in, and – the most exciting news for SVT – the commercial dish machine is being installed tomorrow!  Whoop, whoop!


Here’s the day we got the keys….

… and here’s today!



We are working from our new space and meeting with clients as we continue to move in. Please let us know if you’d like to come by and we’ll schedule a time to meet!

The next update will be our last when everything is in place!

PS – Brainstorming with the Yayas is always fruitful.  Thanks for the “Studio 238” combo name – we love it!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

Vintage Feature – Read all about it on Green Wedding Shoes!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Photographer AJ Dunlap put it perfectly. “IT’S UP, IT’S UP, IT’S UP!!!!!!!!,” she emailed to all of us, meaning that Olivia and Joseph’s wedding is now on the prestigious wedding blog, Green Wedding Shoes. The feature, “A Vintage Wedding with Meaningful Details,” showcases this beautiful occasion and we can’t be more excited!

Be sure to take a moment to enjoy this lovely article – you’ll fall in love with this sweet couple as all of us have!  And, definitely watch the video at the end – it’s amazing!

(PS – note the vendor listing, too. We just love seeing our name among these incredible wedding professionals!)

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – Kelcey & Isaac’s Vintage Wedding

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

We have been looking forward to Kelcey and Isaac’s wedding day for over a year and yesterday was the day!  All of the designing, planning, and organizing culminated in one of the most beautiful weddings we’ve ever seen. With our vintage place settings set on Greenhouse Picker Sisters‘ farm tables and Springwell Gardens‘ oh-so splendid flower arrangements, the reception area at Merry Hill Farm was transformed into a gorgeous sea of color and textures.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

At each table were vintage vessels filled with beautiful floral bouquets, including a collection of teacups collected by Kelcey for her wedding day.  Springwell Gardens also created lovely aromatic bouquets in our vintage silver creamers, milk glass vases and compotes, and stoneware pitchers.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Final vintages touches included framed table markers, biscuit/tea tins, and books, Votives and candles in vintage brass candle holders added the sparkle of light at each table for the evening of fun and celebration.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Now we can’t wait to hear all the details and see the evening through Kelcey and Isaac’s professional photos. It was such a pleasure being part of this wedding day and working with a team of incredible vendors. We don’t have the complete vendor list but we’ll share them when we post the “real” photos!

Thanks to my sweet sisters, Rowena and Sharon, and dear friend Priscilla, for your help yesterday!  And, you’ll want to know that the “bury the bourbon” Southern tradition came through with a gorgeous North Carolina day!

And, of course, a heartfelt congratulations to Kelcey and Issac!  Best wishes for a loving, joyful life together!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Shelves Are Filling Up!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Oh my goodness, it has been an incredible week! My aching muscles and feet are a testament to the progress we have made on our studio move. Look at these shelves, filled with our vintage treasures and wares. No longer crammed in crates or drawers, they now are easily admired and seen!

Southern Vintage Table

Southern Vintage Table

Southern Vintage Table

There’s still more to do to get our new studio ready but we are making progress every day. We even greeted three clients this week. Gotta run – my car is loaded up and ready to go!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Our First Studio Update

Yep, we are getting there! The floor, first covered with blue carpet, now has two fresh coats of paint.  Stuff is coming in, load by load -thanks to Randy, Taylor, Cameron, and Sam – and we are now working on our primary shelving for our vintage wares.

Don’t you love these shelves? They were part of a store liquidation sale in Burlington. Carrie, Bill, and I loaded them up and brought them to our studio.  (Believe me, that’s saying a lot – those shelves are heavy!) The skeletons of both rows are now assembled, shelves are being covered with pretty wallpaper, and soon will be filled our inventory.

But, the best news is that we had our first client pickup from our new digs and met with several clients as well. Both Amy and I are trying to enjoy each step along the way but we also can’t wait until it’s all ready!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – It’s A Grandmother Shower!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Springtime is here, and right on nature’s schedule, the dogwood and redbud trees, the tulips, daffodils, and azaleas are bursting into bloom across the green landscape, making the whole world a bit more lovable!  And, it is with great love for the sweetest of friends, the perfect time to celebrate her life-changing role as grandmother.

Nothing much is as exciting as the birth of a grandchild, and naturally, Mary, the quintessential Southern belle, is tickled pink that her first grandchild will be arriving this summer. Her friends, pleased as punch for Mary, couldn’t help themselves and threw her a surprise grandmother shower this past week.

Any time spent together is a precious time for this group; however, party decorations, games, gifts and a delicious dinner definitely made the evening more memorable. A vintage tablecloth with a floral pattern in pinks and blues laid the foundation for the table setting. Creamy white dinner plates were topped with salad plates in pinks and blues. Vintage linen napkins, candlesticks, porcelain baskets filled with Easter treats, and Fernrock Farm‘s spring flowers added to the festive atmosphere.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Fernrock Farm Flowers

Since the gender of the baby is still a mystery, the guests placed bets on whether Mary’s grandchild will be a boy or a girl, the date and time of birth, and the birthweight. Their guesses were sealed away in envelopes to be opened after the birth this summer. Gifts of books, blankets, and soft cuddly toys gave everyone a chance to “ooh” and “ahh” and anticipate the joy of passing this new bundle of joy from lap to lap.

Hosting a grandmother shower is a wonderful way for friends to celebrate old friendships and a new baby, sure to bring love and wonder. We now await the day when the baby arrives, when we find out who wins the baby lottery, and when we learn what Mary’s new name will be. One thing is for certain; he or she will be adored by all!

Thank you, Jami, for your help with today’s post!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – We’ve Got Big News!

Yep, this is big. Really big. Hugely big. This month Southern Vintage Table is moving to a studio space in Hillsborough!  Yay!!

This is incredibly exciting for both SVT and our studio partner, Amy Wurster of Knots ‘n Such. We both are eager to take this step in building our businesses and it just feels so right!

Behind this door will be Knots ‘n Such and STV’s shared studio!

April and May are going to be incredibly busy for us as we pack, unpack, and organize our wares but, nonetheless, exhilarating. I can’t wait to see shelves and shelves filled with vintage plates, goblets, and other treasures for our clients to browse through. Be on the lookout for progress reports and an invitation to come visit!

PS – The “M” on the keychain is for my given name, Michele, and the Tile, well, that’s probably self-explanatory…

PPS – Amy is the cutie holding the keys and that’s me fantasizing about all those shelves. Haha!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC