Mora clock

Before I moved to Germany, I had very little knowledge about antiques and home decor.  Don't get me wrong; I've always liked to decorate and make my house pretty.  But I stuck with simple items from Target or Marshall's.  It wasn't until I started living here that I learned more about the beauty and elegance of antiques and "shabby chic" style.

The nice thing is that here in Europe, antiques are so accessible.  You don't have to travel too far to find beautiful things.  There are antique stores all around the local area.  There are also many independent sellers locally, and one of them happens to be a dear friend of mine.  Her house is just beautiful, and one of the first things I noticed were these gorgeous clocks (like the ones pictured below):

They are called Mora clocks, named for the region of Sweden where they were produced in the 18th and 19th century.  My friend Andrea said to me, "Every woman has to have a Mora clock... or two!"  She told me Mora clocks are "all the rage" in the designing world, and are sometimes hard to come by.  In the States, many of these clocks sell for upwards of $10,000.

Well I wasn't willing to spend that much; but thankfully because they are more prevalent here in Europe, they don't cost quite as much.  So when Andrea listed one for sale, I jumped on it!  It was originally white, but I asked her to paint it a turquoise-blue.  The result was simply stunning.  I LOVE my new clock!  And now, I kinda want another one....  

Isn't she a beauty?