Object of the Day - Silver Overlay Ice Bucket

Top Design premieres tonight on Bravo and to celebrate, I'm propping the bar with everything I love, including this 1930s sterling silver overlay ice bucket from—can you believe it?—the Salvation Army.

If only my good friend, Pottery Barn tabletop designer Tony Leo were here to turn out the drinks with me! As designers, Tony and I are always looking for our next inspiration, so whenever he's in town, the two of us are sure to hit up the New York City flea market. This piece, I know he'd appreciate. It's the perfect size for an intimate cocktail party. Plus, I love the silver overlay monogram adhered to the glass, a technique that dates back to 1889. Sometimes, you'll find vintage ice buckets in the shape of barrels; others with silver-plated handles and etched monograms. I love running them down a table all mixed together, each with a different style of monogram and filled with a single type of flower.

Comments

[The Scarlett]

Hi Eddie,
You're one of my early favorites! So adorable on the show and I just love your aesthetic.

Best of luck to you!

[Eddie Ross]

Hi Keri!

Thank you for writing in! The set sounds gorgeous. My first thought would be to use a heavy duty clear epoxy that you have to mix together yourself. For the polish, I like Gorham silver polish in the pink container. But before doing any kind of gluing, take it to silversmith or jeweler first. For something that small in metal and glass, they'll probably be able to suggest a better epoxy that won't damage the silver. The set sounds beautiful, and be sure to send me before and after pictures. You're the best!

[Keri]

Hi Eddie, congratulations on all of your success as well as tomorrow night's premiere... I was so happy to hear that Top Design was coming back for a second season, and I can't wait for it to begin! I can already tell you are going to be one of my favorites (your design aesthetic is after my own heart), and I hope you are in it for the duration. I am writing with a question about restoring an antique silver bar set. I found a beautiful Gucci bar set at the flea market, but after years of neglect, it needs some love. The glasses have these silver bottoms which were glued to the glass itself to give a really beautiful effect. Most of the bottoms are simply in need of some shining, however a few of them have become detached from the glass, and you can now see the glue residue on the glass. Even if I glue the silver part back on, I think you will still see the glue. Do you have any tips for removing the old glue and/or can you recommend which glue would be best for reattaching the bottoms? Also, do you have a favorite silver polish? I know you probably won't have time to respond (what with your impending fame), but I would love any amount of help if you do. And regardless, congratulations and best of luck!!!