What Can I Do With My Coat of Arms? Part 21 - In the Bedroom

Having looked at a few ways to display and use your coat of arms in the bathroom, today we're going to move just one room over and see how you might use your heraldry in the bedroom.

A couple of applications that should be fairly obvious is, of course, on what is normally the primary piece of furniture in the room, the bed. Such an application could take the form of sheets and/or pillow cases embroidered with your coat of arms:

Another is a bedspread or quilt that is also a display of heraldry:

Then, too, a chest at the foot of the bed is another vehicle on which to display your coat of arms:

And if you have a four-poster bed like the one above, the hangings at its head and surrounding it, or a canopy, can also be a place to show off your coat of arms:

And finally, even a lowly chest of drawers can become a display of heraldry. Here we have such a chest with straw marquetry showing the arms and marital alliances of the Jordan de Sury family:

So there you have it! Several different, and often complementary, ways in which you might use your coat of arms in the bedroom.

What Can I Do With My Coat of Arms? Part 20 - In the Bathroom

Moving on from the kitchen and the dining room in the house, we now come to a room that, at first blush, doesn't seem like a great candidate for a place to display your heraldry: the bathroom.

And yet, there are indeed opportunities there.

Fairly obvious ones, like towels and bath mats embroidered with a coat or achievement* of arms:

Some of the "everyday" items often used in bathrooms may also serve as a display of heraldry. For example, a soap dish, a toothbrush holder, a glass, or even a shaving mug are elevated a bit by bearing a coat of arms on them.

And another, one that you may not have thought of before, the cistern of that useful bathroom appliance, the lowly toilet, can be used as a display of heraldry.

Of course, it may make a greater impression on your guests if you have an elevated cistern like the one above, rather than the more common one attached directly atop the toilet, but still ....

I hope that these examples have served at least as a springboard to get you thinking about some of the often overlooked places in your home where you might display your coat of arms.

* A "coat of arms" generally consists of just the shield; an "achievement of arms" will include the shield, helm, torse, mantling, and crest.

What Can I Do With My Coat of Arms? Part 19 - In the Dining Room

Today we're going to finish up our suggestions for ways to use your coat of arm in the dining room with a few final ideas for the dinner table, and then end with a few recommendations for those of you whose budgets are perhaps a little more limited (and I often include myself in this category).

But for now, place settings!

We've done the plates, bowls, silverware, glasses, even a napkin ring. Still, we might be yet missing something that serves a useful function at the table and displays your armory at the same time.

Have you considered heraldic coasters? These slate coasters help protect the table top and tablecloth, while at the same time displaying the owner's laser-carved crest. They are also large enough to have room for a coat of arms, and possibly even a full achievement, with shield, helm, crest, and mantling if done carefully.

But, moving on, how will your guests know which seat at the table is supposed to be theirs? One way to let them know is to use something like these armorial place card holders.

Each of these useful little items not only can display your heraldry, but hold a card with the guest's name on it indicating their place at the table.

Of course, if your friends are like mine, many of them have their own coat of arms, and thus may have their own table banner ...

... or table shield ...

... which might also include helm, mantling, and crest, as here:

As you can see, such table banners and shields can be made in several different forms using different media, at least some of which can fit just about any budget.

Speaking of budgets, there are some less expensive ways to display your heraldry on items useful both in the dining room and elsewhere. For example, the humble coffee cup:

and the ubiquitous travel mug:

as well as the personal water bottle. At least with your coat of arms on it, it is less likely to be purloined by a co-worker or gym buddy:

There are any number of businesses on-line who will sell you such a cup, mug, or bottle with just about any design you submit to them printed on it at quite reasonable prices. Just go on-line and do a quick search for "personalized coffee mugs" and/or "personalized water bottles" and you will find a plethora of places who for just a few dollars -- less than $20, and many items for less than $10 -- will create something that will be uniquely your own.

But wait! There's more. We still have a few other rooms in the house to check to see how your coat of arms might be used. Find even more ideas here next time.

What Can I Do With My Coat of Arms? Part 18 - In the Dining Room

Now, where were we?

Ah, yes, in the dining room, finishing our armorial table settings. Having last time looked at ways to include your heraldry on the china and silverware on the table, today we're going to look at various armorial drinking ware.

Now, such drinking vessels may be of glass etched with your coat of arms:

Or you may "kick it up a notch" by going all out for pewter or silver goblets adorned with your heraldry:

And in the center of the table, or if you have more than one, several placed strategically around the table, you can have the armorial "table salt", a small dish of ceramic or metal used to serve the salt which your guests may choose to add to their meal:

If you look back over the past several posts about the use of your heraldry in the dining room, you should be building quite an image of how many different ways you may display your coat of arms and/or crest there.

But wait! There's more.

Next time, we will finish up our table settings with a few more armorial items, and as a bonus, include a couple of lower cost ideas for your consideration.

What Can I Do With My Coat of Arms? Part 17 - In the Dining Room

Now, having looked a places in the dining room to place heraldry directly on the table, as a table decoration, and the serving dishes, we now come to that part of the dining experience that I expect many of you have already seen in one place or another as a way to display your coat of arms in the dining room: the dining china.

This most commonly takes the form of the plates, which may be decorated with heraldry in any one of several different ways, both fancier with complete (or nearly so) armorial achievements:

And somewhat more "low key", with the owner's crest and monogram:

And not just plates, but bowls may be so decorated:

And let us not forget, as I am sure many of you have not, the silver service at each place setting. You will no doubt notice that, owing to its smaller size (and thus less space for such engraving, that most silverware carries just the crest of the owner:

And to complete each place setting, we have the armorial napkin ring ...

... and knife rest, a useful and elegant way to keep knives from soiling the tablecloth:

Next time, we will finish off the place settings with what you have probably already noticed is missing in this post: the glassware.

What Can I Do With My Coat of Arms? Part 16 - In the Dining Room

Having looked at ways to turn your dining room table into a display of heraldry on its own, today we're going to see how your coat of arms might be displayed on the various serving dishes and service ware in the dining room.

Naturally, one of the first items that springs to mind is the service platter or serving tray. While many such platters are created in silver and pewter, the example here is done in brass.

Other serving pieces, for example, a soup tureen, can include a display of your coat of arms.

Of course, you and your guests will need something to drink with your dinner. How about a nice cup of coffee served from an armorial coffee service, accompanied by its own armorial tray?

Or, in a look back at more genteel days, an armorial cider jug.

This one has the arms, helmet, mantling, crest, and motto on the upper portion of the jug. And in the photo above, the crest has become the handle for the lid.

And, of course, wine often accompanies a dinner. Yours could be served from a beautiful etched glass armorial wine decanter.

Look around your own dining room. What serving items can you find that could be a display of your coat of arms?

What Can I Do With My Coat of Arms? Part 15 - In the Dining Room

Having looked at a few ways to use your heraldry in the kitchen creating food, today we're going to start looking a ways to use your heraldry where that food is eaten: the dining room.

Why don't we start with what is usually the largest piece of furniture in the dining room: the dining room table.

There are several different ways that the dining room table can be used for a display of heraldry.

The first, of course, is the table itself can be such a display, like this table which has the arms of the municipalities in the Canton of Glarus, Switzerland, painted onto its surface:

Too much, you say? Well, maybe you're right.

How about something a little less "in your face"? For example, a tablecloth with embroidered coats of arms on it? Here are a couple of examples of ways this might be done.

Still maybe a little excessive? (Though, "Extremism in the pursuit of moderation is no vice" according to one comedian.)

Well, then, how about just an armorial table carpet or table runner?

As you can see from these examples, there are a number of ways to turn your dining room table into a display of heraldry.

What Can I Do With My Coat of Arms? Part 14 - In the Kitchen

The kitchen has often been called "The Heart of the Home". Is it also a place where you can find uses for your coat of arms and/or crest?

I hope to give you a few inspirational ideas about that today. For example:

Cakes baked in the kitchen have often been used as a way to display one's heraldry. Examples of such range from the fairly simple to the quite complex, as you will see in the examples below:

(This last was the christening cake of Princess Maria-Carolina of Bourbon Two Sicilies, now the Duchess of Calabria and Duchess of Palermo, back in November 2003.)

Of course, it's not just the cake itself that might be a display of heraldry, as in this example:

I can only assume that the armored knight, above and in detail below, is there to help prevent any early noshing on that cake.

And what else gets baked in the kitchen and could also serve as a display of heraldry?

That's right, cookies! Either plain ...

... or frosted.

They don't all have to be decorated with real coats of arms, either. The examples below have been used to teach some basic blazon terms in a fun, and delicious, way.

And finally, we come to another tasty way of displaying heraldry: Chocolates!

Cakes, and cookies, and chocolates, oh, my! Okay, now I'm hungry!

Next time, we'll look into a room that is usually kitchen-adjacent and see how heraldry can be used there. See you in the dining room!