"Is the new mindset to buy generic-looking furniture ", "something like “get rid of all of that junk! Purge!!!” “OUTDATED!”" must be a new loving way to describe those who believe certain pieces of furniture do not work together. Dark heavy cabinets loaded with china and crystal glasses compliment traditional interiors but they do not work when posters want to create something different. These large pieces of furniture often dominate dining rooms and must be removed to achieve new look. If you are happy with your house, why be offended by those who might be not? Nobody bans China cabinets or prohibits mixing different styles but if someone wishes to update their room, the easiest way is to remove dominant objects belonging to another style.

IdaClaire my comment was directed toward the author of this post. Those were her words about "the new mindset."

Tat, most people don't care if everything is perfect, they care more about granny and feeling good about that "big, dark clunky piece of heavy wood in the house. One that reminds them of family gatherings or something else. Its nothing to get upset about.

Tatiana the op gave an example of what she has read others say.

“For example, one of the reactions I read when someone wants to update their dining room is something like “get rid of all of that junk! Purge!!!” “OUTDATED!” (Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and that’s just fine).”

I think most of us here know what she means by generic looking furniture. I’m not sure why that’s a big deal to say. Mass produced better?

I have enjoyed all the cabinets and reading the comments around them. They are beautiful and seem to be largely in bigger homes. Attached is an apartment kitchen in progress!

Old dishes, glassware and 'bits' exuding sentimentality, together with day to day dishes all within easy reach. The aesthetic is yet to be improved upon but its a happy work in progress!

I haven’t had a real China cabinet in years. In our last house, we had a little hallway between the kitchen and dining room with glass front kitchen cabinets on one side, so we kept the China there. It’s non-fancy China that we registered for and I’ve hardly used it in the last 10 years. I don’t love it but I keep it...in a buffet cabinet in the dining room, unseen. I also have my mother‘s China in boxes in storage. It’s totally not my style so it stays packed away. It’s very feminine looking, white with little violets. I have almost nothing from my mother (who died when I was 29) so I hold onto the China even though I don’t like it. Not exactly rational.

Meanwhile, we are about to renovate our kitchen and part of the plan is a built-in “China cabinet” with glass doors, a total of 5’ x 5’ display space. It’s not very close to the dw/sink so I don’t want to put our most-used dishware there. I’m thinking I’ll display my very fancy, valuable, heirloom Starbucks souvenir mugs there; along with my serving bowls (many are handmade pottery), some wine glasses and other glassware, ummm, maybe cookbooks? I’ll be rearranging those shelves for months after they’re installed!

It really isn’t about a preference for one style over another. Certainly we can appreciate contemporary design while still embracing our own preferences for traditional or other decorating styles. It is nice to see all of these various takes on China cabinets be they formal or country, or even more contemporary. Everyone’s personal style is worthy and should be embraced. Someone mentioned books and I wanted to share this cabinet; my parents ( now both gone) very kindly collected these wonderful books for us many years ago. I have loved them and was so happy to find this cabinet to store them in. It makes me happy to see it and think of them....

I love your story Caroline H especially regarding the bird watching on the fig tree. I think birds have a unique intuitiveness that is special! Thanks for posting your story.

TATIANA, you have misinterpreted Cindy’s post and quoted her words out of context.

The restaurant is no longer, but for years it was one of the go-to places. The dining room, in a large mansard roofed home, always was set wth style. Every table cloth was vintage, beautiful flowers in the middle of the table and every piece of china and cutlery was different. All pieces found over the years at yard sales, the hosts loved talking to patrons about the “hunts”. It was a formal presentation of informal pieces.

Lovely.

Sueb20, I am excited about seeing your kitchen remodel. You know I love built-in hutches, and *knock on wood* we will be closing on our last house in the next few weeks. It was on the market for awhile, but in the end there was a small bidding war. Funny how things work. I will admit, when I went alone to the house this week, I got teary-eyed leaving. First time that's happened. So much heart and soul (and planning!) went into this home. I will miss this kitchen, and these hutches.... and the island... the lake.... the list goes on and on.

In the main kitchen:

In the hallway between kitchen and laundry room (my gorgeous laundry room! :( ), and the first thing I would see coming into the house from the garage.

I believe antiques are not the problem! It's all about scale and how much other stuff is in the space. My dining room is the most "formal" space in my house since I have three antiques in there, but I added a lot of color and some more modern window treatments and a mix of vintage and modern pieces for a comfortable and casual vibe. The curio cabinet came from my FIL, the buffet from my stepmom. I have my mother's wedding China, a luncheon set from my Grandma that was used for my sister's wedding and other various pieces from my kids or family. The buffet is actually our mail and bill center and only has oversized serving dishes in the bottom cabinet (the matching milkglass punch bowl!). I edit my decor, but what is left are the pieces with history and meaning. As I've aged (now 44) I have gotten rid of my generic decor bought for a space and now let things happen naturally, over time. I have a close friend who is an interior designer who commented that everything in my house has meaning and that is true. That was the best compliment ever, and she meant it that way! Don't force it, follow your heart and BE PATIENT. If you want to keep the "clunky cabinet" then there is always a way to include the past and the present while moving into the future. I always think of European design which often mixes antique and modern. You don't need to throw out the past to embrace the present. You wouldn't have one without the other.

I too am very excited about SueB's remodel! And Allison, your built-ins are wonderful! I can totally see why you wouldn't want to leave those charming elements behind. The main kitchen hutch is positively swoon-worthy ... has such an old-fashioned, "been here for generations" look about it that is so lovely!

I love having a complete unbroken set of dishes to set the table with when we’re having a large group for a meal, usually at a holiday. We registered for china when we got married 13 years ago and I’m happy we did. In fact i made sure we’d have space for our secretary desk/china cabinet when we renovated the kitchen last year. I still love the pattern i picked too!

I love my china cabinet! I have thought about painting it and just doing away with the top half but I love china and crystal that I have obtain through out the years that I can't part with and are very precious to me. Therefore, I chose to keep it just the way it is and show case my Czech crystal champagne glasses, German punch bowl set along with English Bone China plates. I am currently making some changes to my dining room but the china cabinet is staying unless I decide to do a build in for display.

Oh allison, what a beautiful home! Lucky new owners who hopefully will love as much as you have!

fwiw deleted posts can be from action of the poster not necessarily from Houzz. You have two weeks to edit a post. One hour for the original post.

Thank you, IdaClaire and lynartist. I always teased DH I would take that kitchen with me if we moved (had never planned to move) since they are built like furniture with finished ends. The island came over on the ship in one piece (with the exception of the antique pine counter that was bought locally). I don't want to know what the new owners do to the house.

Love your china, Kim K. I have 18 place settings of our wedding china. After having it displayed or in the sideboard for 36yrs, it's been packed up the last 2yrs.

When we moved 2 years ago our daughter took 2 china cabinets and made them her own by painting them - they look fantastic. One she uses for display of things unconventional and the other is a work in progress. We now live in a much smaller home with open concept so I’m very careful how much ‘stuff’ I display BUT I do display because it makes me happy. I have a very tall and narrow cabinet I found that holds my antique brown transfer ware collection. I only display things that make sense to my eye, everything else becomes House dandruff. I love that everything has a story - in my home or someone else’ home - it’s a story:)

iheartsix: the brown transfer is fabulous!!!! I “heart” how you have displayed such a wonderful collection. A few years ago I had a client who had a collection and I used it as inspiration for her dining room. We did brown and white fabrics…very English in design.

I love TheSpruce; the site is like an encyclopedia.

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/transferware-timeless-decorative-art-147949

@JudyG Designs - thank you so much for your kind thoughts and for sharing this link - I’m checking it out now. Transferware absolutely causes me to sigh. :) What you did for your client sounds gorgeous - would love to see a pic.

New thought: We see that china cabinets are being used less ... while open shelving in kitchens is being used more. Is it that "display space" is being moved rather than eliminated?

This has been a fun thread. I have a house with zero storage. So I can't really rotate my stuff and I like to use different dishware for different types of table settings and times of year. To me it is enjoyable and fun. My husband is completely immune from this desire. He even mocks it, so not only does he not care, he thinks it's completely unnecessary. So different strokes for different folks. I think one does have to be raised up to appreciate nice things and entertaining, and if your family is not into it, it's unlikely that you will be. Of course there are always folks who go the opposite direction, and reject what they grew up with because they didn't like it.

And personality comes into play. I'm an extrovert who likes to entertain, and my husband is an introvert who is barely aware of others in the group. He may get to know an individual person, but at large family gatherings he is completely unaware of who most of the people are, even in his OWN family. He also hates variety, so that influences his decorating taste too.

When I and my late boomer age cohorts reminisce, what strikes us over and over again is how much more social our parents were, how many more times they went out or had folks over. I think the trend nowdays is for families to be more insular. I meet a lot of Gen X'ers and Millennials who comment on that to me. Usually it is a social person who feels sad about the trend. So some buck it.

Perhaps these trends wax and wane, but transience and moving a lot does tend to make you want to simplify, if you've packed and unpacked your stuff enough times. Thankfully, this trend of "get rid of it" helps me find great stuff for cheap at Goodwill and other second hand sources. When I was more transient I was more of a minimalist. And now with limited storage space, I do "display" stuff more. I hate the idea of ever having to move "Big Bertha" which is the name of my china cabinet, but it serves a good purpose now for storage in a house with few other options. My mom picked it up for a song at an auction many years ago, for the same reason, the people were moving and didn't want to lug it around any more.

I'm still kind of disturbed at how much stuff we casually throw away that our grandparents would never have dreamed of doing. Makes for a big waste disposal problem and the earth can't really handle that indefinitely. That's not the way nature works, linear. Nature reuses and recycles.

Following

Mrs Pete, I think you raise a very interesting and relevant point about open shelving in kitchens as far as display mindset goes. Every style is so cyclical. I think there have always been those that adopt and those that adapt. That being said I do think this tread goes to show that not everyone is throwing out their China cabinets and they are certainly being used in updated decor. You do not HAVE to get rid of them to lighten a room or change decor style.

It is fun to see the various styles of cabinets and decor. Kim & Sharon, I love both of yours!

I think the open shelving is great because there are no doors to open ..and no bulky boxes at eye level.. dinnerware can be displayed like a pretty pottery barn store...(never mind how much you have saved on cabinetry)....it also allows fuller views and light from the windows...now we can have better access with ...drawers ....in bottom cabinets ... ...these innovations accommodate our busier more casual lifestyles...with our tendency to spend so much time in a kitchen it feels less”functional”......our husband and kids can join us and learn about cooking and working and living together.........we retired young and I have enlightened my husband on how fix his favorite things and how to pick out a good peach...so now he goes to the grocery after golf to shop for me!..reducing that dreadful job to just every few weeks for me....and even fixes our dinner when I want to be lazy...

I had to post this picture! This is the sweetest repurposed curio or china display cabinet I have ever seen!!!!

Not mine obviously...no daughters or granddaughters here.

This thread is so long now I’m going to copy and paste. Gina did her silver pieces look rough from the dishwasher? I’m just curious. Also wondering if she used powder or liquid dishwashing detergent.

Gina said,”I recently stayed with an older woman. She is a woman with strong opinions and does what she wants. What I am about to tell you both makes me shudder and impresses me. She puts all of her "pretty things" in the dishwasher and uses them every day. I was helping her clean up and wanted to hand wash the fine silver serving bowls -- she said nope, that goes in the dishwasher. She feels that no one uses these things because they're inconvenient. She said they sell for cheap and told me to pick them up at estate sales and garage sales. I haven't done it myself but I will tell you that she completely enjoys using her china and silver and isn't sorry for letting them be imperfect. ”

Love this thread. My 94 year old grandmother died last week. We listed her China cabinet on Craigslist for $250 and got no takers. I did register for china when I got married 11 years ago (gen x’er) because we entertain a lot and I like the ritual of meals on nice dishes. Very few of our friends ever reciprocate and I don’t think any registered for China, either...different times.

We have a China cabinet that is really a bookcase that I bought at an antique market for a prior house in another style, and although it might not “go” with our MCM dining room (sorry Tatiana!!) I love it anyway. Even if it’s not styled as well as many of your beautiful photos.

I just bought a china cabinet to replace the one I sold when I sold my house. I am looking forward to chalk painting it in light and pretty colors.

Here’s mine

I will never tire of the look. This holds so many pieces of china, crystal, wine glasses, etc.

My great grandmother, grandmother and mother all had lovely china cabinets and I have wonderful memories of family meals. I have carried on that tradition for our family. This room holds 35 years worth of family dinners. Now my daughters are collecting lovelies for their dining rooms and are hosting some of the family gatherings.

I love my china cabinet filled with China, Waterford and silver that I have collected over the years. My mother’s special pieces are included and I definitely use these pieces, most recently for my dinner club in July. I hope my children have fond memories of holidays around the table with a festive place setting that is special and not a dreaded day. I do think children need to learn manners and how to use them, what better way than at home? I am unconcerned that others may find it outdated because it is my home and that is what matters more than current trends.

Such a beautiful, large China cabinet Design2girl! Chock full of gorgeous stuff!

I keep my dining table set all the time. I no longer have my china cabinet because we downsized and there wasn't room for it. So I opted for this instead. I use my silver serving pieces as well. I actually use my antique Tiffany china daily for my breakfast in bed. I use my Dior china for dinner during the week. I use my crystal and sterling silverware daily. I have other antique china as well and rotate them on weekends, as well as my crystal. I am now an empty nester widow and live alone. But I pamper myself with cloth napkins,tablecloths and all the things I love that make me feel good about actually using these things. I make sure I have soft music playing in the background while I eat. My daughters do the same. I never understood using those things only for special occasions and taught my daughters to use what have so you can enjoy what you have. they've passed that on to their daughters. Of course, when my granddaughters visit, we always have a tea party complete with silver service and finger sandwiches. I started that when they were little and they are now adults and still insist on the formal teas. They used to put barrettes and ribbons in my husbands hair and have him join us. I treasure those memories as do they. We no longer wear our hats, but they make scones and little cookies to add to our ambiance. They are now mothers and do the same with their children. I think you should enjoy your things and display them if that's what makes you happy. Life is way too short to worry about what other people think. Embrace your china cabinets!

After reading all the wonderful comments and viewing the photos of beautiful china cabinets, I got nostalgic and went down stairs to the “bunker” and opened a few tubs, just to have a peek. Sadly, those pieces won’t come out again.

Downsizing is something that relieves you of heavy duty upkeep. It makes you clear out and pack away. It makes me feel better that my daughter won’t have to come in after we are gone to weed through all the stuff she doesn’t want and not know what to do with it.

(Inheritance is a gift but comes with an emotional price to pay).

The downside of downsizing is there is no room for much of anything, so it does make you decide what is and isn’t that important in your life. Kind of like the old question of “if there is a fire in your house, (outside of your family and pets), what would you try to save"?

I’d save (and did) my grandfather’s pocket watches and four small oil paintings.

Just posted on my local reStore:

$20!? Thats crazy! I wish I could go have a look!

I changed out my dining room set and when i got this set i had planned on just using the bottom cabinet but i just couldn't put away the tea set from my Grandmother or the tea cup saucer sets from my great grandmother and Aunts that have passed , my moms gravy boat and things i am keeping to hand down to my daughter. The bottom cabinet holds all my MIL silver set and platters etc..I actually really like the whole thing, in style or not. I just noticed my cabinet is very similar to yours IdaClaire

$20 because they cannot get rid of them and they take up so much room. Like armoires!

I would be curious to get some opinions about the idea of using a china cabinet like this one in lieu of a bookcase in my office that's open to my living room. The seller is asking $100. My current dining room is 10' X 13' with several openings to other rooms so it doesn't really have the wall space for a china cabinet. I store my china in glass front cabinets in the kitchen currently, so I'm not lacking for a space for the set anyway. I would need to hire a mover to help me pick it up, although I'm also going to have the movers help move things around in the house while I'm at it since I haven't put all the pieces I've picked up over the last few months in place yet.

Re china cabinet as bookcase: I don't see why not. Many antique bookcases looked just like that. Here's an example:

Edit: here's one that's closer to your candidate:

I like the idea too...but I think the glass is a little too much on this piece....if the glass or doors could be removed it would be perfect for a bookcase....

bookcases with glass/hanging bookselves with glass were a default when and where I was a kid. Obviously they were more book dedicated so the glass part would be bigger. But we used buffets with smaller glass parts to store books too if we had them

the thing to check is..

-is there enough space for books? will your collection fit? are the shelves wide enough? etc

In short, if it all checks your boxes i can't see why not

In addition to will your books fit, I’d want to check the shelf support and thickness. It’s a beautiful cabinet.

Katmu, I would fill it with books and a few meaningful accessories.

We have a large breakfront in the upper foyer. Previously it held more books, but I wanted more of a cabinet of curiosities. It is not something I would have purchased, and I still may sell or brighten the interior back without destroying the piece (not paint directly). When it was moved to an adjoining room during painting, I had planned to not put the pediment back on and may still remove/store just to change it up if I keep. DH said "just paint it," but I cannot do that!

Yikes Allison! That’s gorgeous!!!

Alison's display is similar to what I'm going for, with maybe a few more books in the mix, but I would still be displaying a lot of accessories. I collect ceramic dogs and have just started collecting blue and white vases.

katmu - if I were you, I wouldn't hesitate. Go for it!

Yup, it’s a beauty katmup!

I mean Katmu!

Thanks, everyone. There are more books than you can see in the photo, but for sure more things. Layer, layer, layer.