Friday, August 11, 2023

Little project: china cabinet

Wherein a mid-century modern china cabinet that used to belong to Mark's mother, becomes a set of decor shelves just for fun.
The things in the upper part of the china cabinet do not get used. Mostly because china is impractical!  And I don't think my peeps will ever be interested.
This china was purchased by my late MIL when she married her second husband, so it had no real sentiment to me.  And I will eventually donate it, but for rightthisminute I will place it in a safe spot*.
Anyway!
I unloaded the whole thing out onto the dining table.
Did I already say we never used these?  We never have.
Pretty, but so impractical.  And really not my style.
I vacuumed out the entire thing, hit it with some Endust, then pulled all of my Fall thingies out of their storage box. (in future, I am hoping to use this as a place to just decorate for the seasons)
I only placed items in here that I love.
They spark joy!
My childhood bible, the Book of Common prayer we took with us to pre-marriage counseling and beyond, handmade crochet thingies, a photo of Mark and I at Christmas, the flutes we toasted with at our wedding, my MIL's ironstone cookie jar, owl snack plates that were a birthday gift from a good friend, wine corks from happy times in a glass dish that also belonged to MIL, a crochet pumpkin from The Girl, and a few pieces of that china (because why not).
Is it to early to decorate for Fall?  Oh. Well.
I left the glass doors off - they were impossible to clean.
I think I will put fresh batteries in those fake candles, too.
And of course, I had to tweak it...again.
I love it!
The two lower drawers have placemats, coasters, real candles for the next Icepocolypse power outage.
I went through all of the linens and assorted S&P shakers, and did a bit of purging before I stowed it neatly away.  And who knows?  Maybe now that the china is out of the cabinet, I could use it for special family meals!  We'll see.


Gina


*baby steps.  It still feels sometimes like I am being disrespectful (?) with all of these things lovingly cared for by my MIL and later, Mark and I.  But they are just "things" and do not, for the most part, hold any sentimentality for me.  After a while, they became part of the landscape of my home with no real connection to my past.  Something to think on!

4 comments:

Lisa B said...

I have struggled with the same sentimental items. My kids absolutely do not care about the history. I have had to make decisions to let go of items because of this. It is hard but feels freeing also if that makes sense. You do you lady!

Kim said...

I love it without the doors and what you’ve chosen to display looks wonderfully warm and charming!

LaNell said...

Great move! Looks so much better. Sell it all or donate it. It truly won’t be used. You’ll never miss it.

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

It looks FABULOUS!! As long as it pleases you that's really all that matters. My life is wrapped up in sentimental storage. Some days I tear up over things, others (like today) I donate with reckless abandon (although,truth be told l I did retrieve one item from the pile before collection).