HOW TO STYLE YOUR CHINA CABINET ‣ Decorate with Tip and More

Hello Friends! Thanks for stopping by. It has been pretty busy around my house this week and probably will be this coming week. Still working on the kitchen table, chairs and hutch. It is coming along nicely, it is just a slow process. Hopefully, next Sunday I will be sharing with you my kitchen nook makeover. I am so pleased on how things are turning out. I have to share a: guess what?, I posted a picture on facebook and my instagram page about wanting wainscoting and not wanting to rip the back off of my hutch to get that, I took washing tape (why washing tape? I didn’t have any other thin tape to get the look I wanted on hand. I did have a very thin roll of washy tape) and added straight lines to the back 4″ apart. Painted like normal. Removed the tape. Let me just tell you………BINGO! I won. Can’t wait to show you.

Today’s topic is the large piece of furniture in my dining room. This piece of furniture is my biggest nightmare. I never know how to arrange my china cabinet. I fight with the arrangement where sometimes I just say, “I am done with it today”. When I get into those moods, I jump on the computer and search for ideas. There are so many different ways people style their cabinets. I have seen pictures of cabinets where books are displayed in them. They look good, but you just have to have a certain room to make it work. I have seen cabinets where people showcase their quilts, dolls, and sovereigns. The display of their treasures are really nice, but I want to display my china in a more unique way. SO…I keep searching. I want to walk into the dining room and smile when I see the china cabinet. I found a couple I liked and just combined some of the ideas and did a few of my own touches.

I love my dining room furniture. We found it on ebay. We searched all over for what we wanted and I just couldn’t find anything that just said “take me home”. When I stumbled across this, I knew that it was the one I wanted. When it arrived, the cabinet came into two pieces. I never imagined how heavy it would be.

Here is my dining room cabinet.

Wooden Wrist Watch

Let me show you the inside of my cabinet and how I display not only my china, but my crystal that my husband gave me for a Christmas present when we were dating…..OK, you have to think about that. Two young kids in high school, what was he thinking about buying her crystal? Well….ha! You have to know my husband. He is very practical. My gift from my parent’s was a hope chest that year. I guess he wanted to help me get ready for our life together. AWE!!!! I love my crystal and the iron skillet set he also gave me……have we stopped laughing yet? Back to my china cabinet, please.

In my cabinet I have 3 glass shelves. The back is made out of mirror. The only thing that I don’t like about the cabinet is the middle wood divider where the two doors meet. It makes it very hard to display the middle section, you can’t see anything that is behind it.

Here is a view of the inside of the cabinet with the doors open.

Here is photos of each side

While searching, I have read on a lot of different people’s blogs on “How to” decorate a china cabinet. I found that they all have a lot of the same tips. I have use these tips on other things, like decorating a table or just a vignette. Here are some of the tips in case you are interested in reading them. I thought I would give you just a few. These are just the top 5 that I keep in mind while decorating.

GROUP OBJECTS IN ODD NUMBERS – Things grouped in odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye.
USE DIFFERENT TEXTURES – Texture adds interest to a groupings.
COLORS IN A VIGNETTE SHOULD WORK WITH A ROOM – Color can make or break a vignette when viewing it in context of a room. Create a vignette using colors inspired by what you already have in your room.
Tuck in a few special extras – Vase filled with flowers or greenery or a candle.
Have an “Anchor” piece – Choose an item as the center of interest.

I could probably name several more tips. I just wanted to give you some main tips that are helpful when decorating.

Just like anything else, china cabinets can take a bit of practice (and a lot of trial and error) to get right. I still go and adjust things or move things from shelf to shelf. I will keep playing with the arrangement until I get totally happy with how it looks. I haven’t mastered the look yet.

I hope you all have a safe and happy Labor Day! Thank you for stopping by and hope you come visit me on my next blog. I would love to hear your comments or if you have any great tips that you would like to share. PLEASE share.

Stay strong and stay blessed.

Terrie

Decorating our home on a budget is my thrill. I think a home can look beautiful without breaking the bank. Your home should bring the best out of you and make you feel happy. You should smile every time you enter your home. 🙂

4 thoughts on “HOW TO STYLE YOUR CHINA CABINET”

Amanda says:

August 6, 2021 at 10:07 pm

How did you get all your plates to stand up?
Great article. Thank you

1. Terrie says:
  
  August 9, 2021 at 2:43 pm
  
  I use plate easels. They are little metal easels. I can add 3 plates to one easel.
  
  1. Renee says:
    
    May 6, 2022 at 1:17 pm
    
    I have 5 piece place settings plus a decorative accent plate. How to you suggest I display my china?
    
    1. Terrie says:
      
      May 7, 2022 at 9:26 pm
      
      Renee, I also have a 5-piece setting in my China hutch. I place the dinner, salad and bread plates together on one easel and place the coffee cup on the saucer in front of the plates.