Spotted! Dame Jeannes Doing More Than Holding Wine
As pretty as they are practical, these utilitarian glass bottles make a chic addition to any corner of your home
Samantha van Egmond
17 January 2017
Houzz Australia Contributor. Freelance writer specialising in sustainable, natural and ethical living.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Freelance writer specialising in sustainable, natural... More
Also known as a demijohn or carboy, these oversized glass bottles – traditionally protected with a wicker cover – date back to the 1600s and were originally used to transport beverages and other liquids. Translating from French to mean ‘Lady Jane’, a dame jeanne is both elegant and ornamental while having myriad creative uses. Discover a few of them below.
Prettify your indoor plants
More polished than a terracotta pot, a dame jeanne makes an eye-catching addition to your living room. The narrow neck might mean your choice of greenery is limited, but one large plant – or alternatively try a magnolia branch which is long-lasting and dries beautifully – is all that’s needed to balance out the base.
More polished than a terracotta pot, a dame jeanne makes an eye-catching addition to your living room. The narrow neck might mean your choice of greenery is limited, but one large plant – or alternatively try a magnolia branch which is long-lasting and dries beautifully – is all that’s needed to balance out the base.
A clear glass bottle looks modern when paired with a crisp white palette. Use yours to bring interesting detail to an awkward space in the home such as a narrow corner or underneath a staircase – a few sprigs from the garden or an oversized palm frond will add a fresh touch.
Bring tropical style home
Bring tropical style home
If you’re lucky enough to find two of the same then pair them together, but don’t be afraid to mix different shapes, sizes and colours for an eclectic look.
Make a statement lamp
If you fancy yourself as a DIYer, why not try making your own lamp? There are plenty of step-by-step tutorials to be found online (including this vase-to-lamp DIY guide). Once you’ve chosen your bottle and lampshade, everything else you need – a lamp socket and a couple of other bits and bobs – can be picked up at your local hardware store.
If you fancy yourself as a DIYer, why not try making your own lamp? There are plenty of step-by-step tutorials to be found online (including this vase-to-lamp DIY guide). Once you’ve chosen your bottle and lampshade, everything else you need – a lamp socket and a couple of other bits and bobs – can be picked up at your local hardware store.
Play with scale – the size of your lampshade will affect whether your bottle appears on the smaller side or oversized. I say the bigger the better!
Darker shades such as deep teal and sapphire are great for lamps as they look beautiful when reflecting the light. When it comes to the lampshade, neutral shades of tan, taupe and antique white work best with these richer hues.
Browse contemporary rustic style
Browse contemporary rustic style
Serve water in style
There’s no need to be overly creative when it comes to finding uses for your dame jeanne – simple is sometimes best. Traditionally used to store wine and other liquids, these large bottles are super-practical and chic at the same time when serving guests.
There’s no need to be overly creative when it comes to finding uses for your dame jeanne – simple is sometimes best. Traditionally used to store wine and other liquids, these large bottles are super-practical and chic at the same time when serving guests.
Look for bottles of the tall, narrow variety for a more convenient water-pouring jug that’s easier to handle. If the opening is large enough to fit ice cubes and diced fruit, a summer sangria will look beautiful when presented in a lightly coloured dame jeanne.
DIY pendant lights
This is one upcycling project guaranteed to be copied by guests. If you’re short on time or would prefer your lights readymade, you might be able to find this style or similar at your nearest design markets or interior decorating store.
This is one upcycling project guaranteed to be copied by guests. If you’re short on time or would prefer your lights readymade, you might be able to find this style or similar at your nearest design markets or interior decorating store.
Rustic and reclaimed materials of glass and timber alongside contemporary elements make the perfect pairing, keeping a DIY pendant light project looking fresh and modern.
Pair with a matching colour palette
Introduce like colours to make a tinted bottle really pop – think ocean-inspired shades of blue and green on textiles and artwork, married with a neutral backdrop.
Stunning watercolours for laid-back summer days
Introduce like colours to make a tinted bottle really pop – think ocean-inspired shades of blue and green on textiles and artwork, married with a neutral backdrop.
Stunning watercolours for laid-back summer days
Vibrant pots, cushions and window shutters work to enhance these pendant lights, helping to tie in a blue-hued colour scheme in this simple outdoor space.
The more the merrier
The growing popularity of dame jeannes mean they are becoming increasingly hard to come by – those of the affordable, secondhand variety anyway. If you’re lucky enough to find a few, they look great when grouped together as a table centrepiece or on the floor.
The growing popularity of dame jeannes mean they are becoming increasingly hard to come by – those of the affordable, secondhand variety anyway. If you’re lucky enough to find a few, they look great when grouped together as a table centrepiece or on the floor.
Add a collection of dame jeannes to a French provincial-style home – creamy, white walls and timber finishings make the perfect pairing for these ornamental bottles, with or without a wicker cover.
SHOW US
What do you use a dame jeanne for? Upload a photo to the Comments.
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Browse more country-style kitchens
SHOW US
What do you use a dame jeanne for? Upload a photo to the Comments.
MORE
Browse more country-style kitchens
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Those jars, very in now, remind me of growing up in the sixties, my dad found whilst fishing, a glass bouy, it was in essence a very large green coloured thick glass bottle with a long neck, which once had a seal of some type in the top. My mum loved it, she grew a water plant in it and let it grow out of the top. One day whilst cleaning it, best done with a few stones inside and swishing it about, she hit the side of our laundry tub, concrete as they were in those days, and that was the end of that, she was so upset, I can still see her face. She had a good eye for style and loved design as I do