Up on a PEDESTAL
Pull up a chair at the heirloom table of a Vermont homeowner and ironstone fan whose favorite finds are steeped in memories, and she’ll be happy to share a tale or two.
More than a decade ago, Heather Hoben inherited the pedestal table and chairs that have been in her family for generations. The set had belonged to her parents, her grandparents and possibly her great-grandfather. The table has four extension leaves, and Heather cherishes her memories of occasions celebrated around it. “I grew up with that table,” she reminisces. “I was one of 11 kids, and that thing was always full of people.”
Heather, an elementary school teacher and math specialist, previously owned a few family heirlooms and had long collected ironstone dishware, but the gift of that table inspired a strong passion for the past. Her style gradually evolved into a vintage cottage ambience injected with antiques, flora and a bit of whimsy. “I like things with a story behind them,” she notes.
Her masterful decorating talents and collecting interests prevail throughout the 1989 two-story Colonial she shares with her husband, Mark, in St. Albans, Vermont. The beloved pedestal table presides over the heart of the home, an openplan kitchen and dining room with warm yellow walls. The cozy space hosts many of Heather’s creative vignettes, and she frequently posts photographs of them on Instagram to inspire fellow decorators and collectors. “I’m just using what brings me joy and what I love,” she says.
Heather’s foray decades ago into ironstone was almost accidental. She owned one piece, a soap dish from her parents, which she initially thought was marble. She learned more when a neighbor offered several creamers at a garage sale, and then she was hooked. A couple years ago, she drove to a sale two hours away and bought 125 pieces of ironstone—some dating to the 1850s—at a bargain price. She kept 25 and sold the rest. She also collects jadeite dishware and antique scales, which bring color and extra character to her ironstone displays. “For the last five years, it’s been my world to be a picker and go antiquing,” she admits. “I had to start selling.”
For now, Heather is content with the look of her home and simply rearranges her treasures for the seasons and paints her rooms when a refresh is needed. But she’s always open to the possibility of adding another fascinating antique, especially if there is history behind it.