Turn An Old China Cabinet Into Useful Storage For Things Other Than Dishes
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With freestanding kitchens becoming more popular, you might start seeing furniture like a china cabinet in the space. Where else would you put your dishes, after all? However, old-time kitchen storage isn’t the only way to use a china cabinet. An old china cabinet from a thrift store is good for so much more than just holding your dishes. Everything from books to collectibles can find a home in one of these.
Which china cabinet you choose for the job depends on, well, the job. For example, if you’re thinking of using it to create a display cabinet to stash collectibles, like souvenirs or small sculptures, you may be better served with a curio cabinet. This kind of china cupboard typically features a couple of sets of drawers on the bottom portion of it and glass-fronted cabinets on top. The upper sections will sometimes have adjustable shelves — a nice feature if you’re displaying something extra tall.
The other thing to consider is whether it comes in one piece or two. Some china cabinets are constructed so that you can remove the top cabinet. This leaves you with a separate set of drawers and a set of shelves. A feature like this comes in handy when you’ve decided to use the cabinet as a room divider. A set of drawers, or a single glass-fronted cabinet, may work better than a tall cabinet might behind a sofa or on the edge of a rug that divides the living room from the kitchen. The lower stature of the unit prevents light from being blocked while still allowing you to break the room up (visually, at least).
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Fill your china cabinet with books, decor, jewelry, and more
A woman holds a stack of books by a china cabinet – Oleg Opryshko/Shutterstock
How you use the old cabinet depends on the room you’ll put it in. For example, if your bedroom doesn’t have a closet, this is a good option, particularly if you live in an older home that doesn’t have many closets. From a decorative perspective, an old china cabinet will fit in with the style of many older homes, which were built in an era when many people preferred to fold their clothes rather than hang them up. Folded clothes can go into the drawers of the china cabinet. If the top has removable shelves, install a tension rod to create a place to hang up your clothes. Boots and shoes can be stored at the bottom of the glass cabinet or underneath the unit if it stands on legs.
In your arts and crafts room, the cabinet’s drawers give you a place to store painting canvases and drawing pads, tubes of paint, paintbrushes, rolls of yarn, and knitting needles. Hang JINSHUNFA Large Adhesive Hooks on the back wall of the upper cabinet. Store necklace chains and undecorated hoop bracelets for your jewelry crafts on those hooks.
Finally, use the china cupboard as multipurpose storage for the dining room or den. Store cookbooks and decorative objects like sculptures on the shelves. Drill a hole in the back of the top portion and run an extension cord through it. Use this to plug in a small lamp you can use to light up the cabinet. In the lower portion, stash extra blankets, board games, magazines, batteries, flashlights, and other essentials.
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