Demijohns

Demijohns have made the rounds through the blogsphere lately and I thought I would educate myself a bit more on where they came from. I’m glad I did. I am eager to use these in some of my room designs.

The word demijohn was taken from the French, Dame Jeanne, meaning Lady Jane.

In Britain, demijohn refers to a one-gallon glass brewing vessel.

In Southeast U.S. slang, a demijohn jug, of any size, is referred to as a jimmyjohn.

The shape of the demijohn can be ovoid, kidney, cylindrical, round, teardrop, apple and heart shaped. The sizes vary from a few ounces to twenty gallons or more. The very large containers are called carboys.

The original purpose of the demijohn was for transport and storage of bulk liquids.

The demijohns were usually wrapped in wicker to protect them from breakage during shipping. Today, however, most demijohns have had their wicker removed to better reveal their color and shape.

Three color variations of the demijohn.

From the European Antique Market's website. These demijohn’s have been used for candles and the wax has dropped down the sides. Lovely!

Jayson Home and Garden has an antique green demijohn that sells for $125.00.

Fill one up and put your favorite branches or flowers in it.

19th Century Demijohn

Set of three antique demijohns from Alhambra Antiques

25” tall demijohn! $300 from modernicus.com

Here, designer Steven Gambrel uses a demijohn on the coffee table in this Dunes house. Although they kind of get lost because of the clear glass. I think a colored (perhaps blue like the lamp behind the sofa) would stand out much better.

A shop in Paris with demijohns hanging. From the blog A Brooklyn Limestone in Progress.

Demijohns shown on a furniture project from the blog Design Sponge.

Now for the fun part….

I was just at Homegoods near my home doing some shopping for a client when whaddayaknow… Demijohns in all shapes, sizes and colors…. I couldn’t resist. They are very good quality and at $19.99 a piece, I had to pick up a few.

My digital camera is on loan this week, so I can’t show you my great find… but I will soon!

Note…. I’m off to Catalina Island for a few days, so I won’t have an updated post for you for about 10 days! Hang in there with me, as I have an incredible interview and giveaway coming up! Here’s a hint… it’s all about junk!