By any chance, do you remember the December 2004 House & Garden article that featured this lovely table, seen above? The table was set with pieces purchased from the online gift shops of various museums, whose locales included Sweden, France, and Massachusetts. It was such a memorable article, not to mention photo, because the table accessories were absolutely gorgeous. (The pink cloth and flowers didn't hurt, either.) If you didn't know better, you might think the china and crystal were purchased at auction or from an antiques shop.
I thought about trying to recreate the article's concept, but unfortunately, I don't have the time or budget to go on a freewheeling shopping expedition. But, an online perusal of museum gift shops did yield some really interesting finds for the home, from furniture to tea towels to candlesticks. Although a real-life trip to a museum is best, the next best thing might just be a virtual visit to their gift shops.
2014 Versailles Calendar Tea Towel
Reproduction of an 18th century Delftware candlestick- Rijksmuseum
Outdoor folding chairs from Musée de la Toile du Jouy
Reproduction Sandwich glass cobalt dolphin candlestick- Sandwich Glass Museum
Lion decanter from the Hermitage Museum.
Sèvres Gold and Turquoise Tin Plate from The Wallace Collection
Tiles from Museu Nacional do Azulejo, Portugal
Zodiac plates, based on illuminations from a 15th c. Italian Book of Hours, available at The Morgan Library and Museum.
Pillows based on the elaborately decorated Red Bedroom of the Herrenchiemsee Palace, the Bavarian palace that was modeled after Versailles. Available from the Bavarian Palace Department shop.