China cabinets get their name obviously enough from their earliest function of housing and displaying a household's china sets. Traditionally, new couples beginning with their lives would receive beautiful dishware sets from their relatives and friends. From among these gifts, the most special plates and bowls are usually kept away, and taken out only during special occasions like Christmas or New Year. The rest of the time, they are stored securely in cupboards or shelves.
It goes without saying that these special pieces for the home should be stored - or optionally displayed - in a durable cabinet, which should be as beautiful and timeless as the pieces it will store. A good cabinet for the china should make taking out the special dishware a mindless task, and should eliminate the hassle of worrying whether they dishes are always clean and chip-free. A cabinet housing prized china or memorabilia will make a great conversation piece when entertaining visitors at home.
Tall Kitchen Stools
The erstwhile "hutch" or plate cabinet iss always made of wood, and the best ones are made of durable, genuine hard wood like oak, mahogany, maple, or cherry. These types of solid wood resist wear and tear and last for years and years. Also, when they are treated with a finish they gain a sheen which not only makes them look very attractive, but also makes cleaning so much easier. Only the glass doors of the cabinet would require special attention and care.
More Than Storing China
The structure of a china cabinet - tall, with even deep shelves, and fitted with glass door covers - make them very ideal for more options aside from blue porcelain plates. These cabinets can be used to store anything worth protecting and displaying at the same time. Here are some options which other people are using their china cabinets for. It would be interesting to try them out:
Some people display their kids and grandkids' trophies, framed plaques, and medals inside the glass and wood shelves. The wood shelves protect the metal, paper, and cloth materials of these laurels, while the glass cover displays them proudly as a testament of hard work and brilliance.
Some people like collecting one kind of things, like figurines, or crystal flowers, or even action figures. A tall, multi-tier china cabinet is the perfect display case for a prized collection. It can be very satisfying to see every piece one has collected so far with a single glance at the china cabinet in the living room or the hallway.
China cabinets can serve a purpose as an improvised photo shelf. Instead of classifying photos in an album, it can be a nice activity to organize photo frames along a china cabinet's shelves, either by a timeline, by family members, or whatever category one can think of.
If there are many purposes, there also are many styles and sizes of this kind of cabinet which is available ready-made. Or for really special demands in look and size, they can be customized at a good wood shop. The size and style of a china cabinet can affect a room and a house's aesthetics, just like the following:
Plates or plaques would usually require a plate stand so that they can be positioned upright in the china cabinet's shelf. These have to be very stable and should not topple over with a single shake of the cabinet.
A china cabinet is usually narrow and very tall. If a homeowner's collection cannot fit in a single cabinet, he or she can opt to purchase or commission two identical cabinets and place them on two adjacent spots in the room, with a sofa or a door in between. They can create a feel of symmetry and organization for the space.
Special custom made china cabinets called corner cabinets are ideal for small spaces or rooms. Made to fit on a corner because of its special triangle back, these can conserve space; and at the same time, it works to the benefit of adding an interesting dimension to a person's line of vision when he or she enters the room.
If preferred, the corners of the shelf can be outfitted with soft yellow show lamps that will illuminate a collection better (as well as provide alternative hallway lighting at night). The effect will be akin to that of a gallery or showroom, which can provide an air of grandeur or elegance to the home.
The lower half of these wooden shelves can come with pull out shelves, or a drawer, which can store things like silver ware, table napkins, or even wine.
Placing mirrors on the innermost side of the shelf can provide an illusion of depth and number to the items that will be placed inside china cabinets.
Care for a china cabinet is easy - just make sure to dust them regularly, and keep them away from direct sunlight and liquids. If you have no china and have no interest in displaying or collecting, then just think of china cabinets as yet another form of useful wooden shelves.
Investing in a beautiful china cabinet is tantamount to buying a piece of furniture that will last for life. So be very definite about your tastes and needs before purchasing or selecting one. That said, as long as a china cabinet is beautifully made, regrets will be hard to come by. It can last in the household as a testament of success or as a way to preserve and enhance memories.
