Pretty Ways to Store & Display Your Favorite Dish Patterns

Welcome to the 703rd Tablescape Thursday!

(Update: If you were interested in the Burberry Bag I shared that sold out so quickly on Tuesday, it’s back in stock. I’ve added a link to it at the end of this post.)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Do you have anything special planned for today? I was thinking of setting a St. Patrick’s Day table to share, but since I just did that last week, I thought it would be fun to do something different for this week’s Tablescape Thursday.

Many years back, I gave my kitchen a much-needed update. During that process, I had the kitchen cabinets painted to help brighten up the kitchen. I also had the center panel of each cabinet door cut out and replaced with glass. I love the look of glass cabinet doors and thought it would help the room feel more open.

Stained Kitchen Cabinets Before Painting

 

Before I had the center panel of the cabinet doors removed and glass installed, I spent an evening playing around with the dishes to get an idea of how they would look once the glass doors were in place. I was surprised and delighted to see how easy it was to arrange the dishes where they looked pretty but were also easy to access. That was important since they were going to be visible full-time once the glass panels were installed.

Kitchen Cabinets before Painting

 

I loved how it turned out!

 

The kitchen felt so much more open and brighter. The glass doors made such a difference and viewing pretty dishes was much nicer than staring at a row of cabinet doors. For today’s post, I thought I’d share a few close-ups of how I placed the dishes in case you’ve thought of changing some of your cabinet doors to glass-paneled doors.

 

 

This Blue Willow dinnerware is the set I use pretty much every day. The bowls, dinner plates, and salad plates are all easily accessible as you can see in the photo below. Since I have so many place settings, I decided to arrange some of the dinner plates across the back of the cabinets, along with some of the larger platters.

China and Dish Storage That's Pretty

 

To keep the plates and platters upright and secured across the back of the cabinet so they don’t fall, I cut small sections of felt strips–the kind that can be used on the bottom of furniture or chair legs to keep them from scratching the floor. The felt pads stuck down really well to the floor of the cabinet, and in all these years, I haven’t had a single one pop up or come loose. The little felt strips aren’t visible when the cabinet door is open since there’s always at least one or two dishes in front hiding them from view. You can see the felt pads I used here: Felt Pads. I bet clear silicone-type pads would work just as well if you wanted an even more invisible option.

Display Plates Standing Up in Cabinet

 

Skipping down to the far right end of the cabinets…

China Storage Behind Glass Door Cabinets

 

I have a vintage/antique set of Spode-Copeland Tower stored in these cabinets. I think this set dates back to the 1920s–it’s the oldest china pattern that I own. I really love having it on display full-time since it’s such a pretty pattern.

Displaying Vintage or Antique Dinnerware, Spode Copeland Tower

 

This set rarely gets used so I didn’t mind stacking the plates and bowls together. The plates and platters across the back are again held in place with felt pads. A couple of the serving bowls are displayed on plate holders/racks.

Decorative Storage for Vintage China in Kitchen

 

Between the Blue Willow on the left and the Spode-Copeland Tower on the right, I had one cabinet left to fill.

Displaying Dishes, Storing and Displaying China

 

I filled it with the only set of white dinnerware that I own, an inexpensive set purchased from Big Lots. The white creates a nice separation between the two colorful patterns on either side. I had a few more dinner plates from this set than I could fit in this one cabinet so those ended up underneath the Blue Willow dinner plates.

White Dinnerware, Displaying Dishware

 

If you look closely, you can just barely see them under the Blue Willow dinner plates in this photo below.

China and Dish Storage That's Pretty

 

Across on the other side of the kitchen, above the little built-in desk, I have one more set of cabinets with glass doors.

White Kitchen with Granite Countertops

 

These cabinet doors were originally open with a dark, heavy wire mesh that caught dust and dirt. I was forever having to clean out this section of cabinets. I replaced the unattractive, heavy, wire mesh with glass to match the other cabinets. In this cabinet, I store a pattern that was my everyday dinnerware for around 15 years, Villeroy and Boch’s Melina.

Kitchen China Storage That's Pretty

 

I still use this china from time to time. If I used it every day, I wouldn’t have the bowls stacked on the plates, but this works fine since I don’t use it that often. Again, the dinner plates across the back of the cabinet are supported with the felt pads shared earlier in this post.

Fun Ways to Store and Display Everyday China Dinnerware

 

A few more close-ups…

Villeroy & Boch China, Kitchen China Storage, Pretty and Practical

 

The small, white, clay candleholder was a gift my son made when he was 4 years old and in preschool.  ♥

China Storage, Dinnerware Storage

 

I still love this Villeroy & Boch pattern that I chose for our everyday dinnerware approximately 35 years ago. I love using it when my son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons are here because it reminds me of how it was our everyday china when my son was growing up.

Villeroy & Boch Melina China, Displayed

 

On the top shelf, you can see how I like to store the cups and saucers. I don’t drink hot coffee and when family is here, they normally use some larger mugs that I brought home from a ski trip many years ago to Breckenridge, Colorado. So storing them this way works fine since they are so rarely ever used, but they are accessible if I should need them.

China Storage, Pretty and Practical

 

I need to create an Alice in Wonderland table setting and use this fun teapot in the centerpiece. Doesn’t he look like he belongs in a whimsical AIW tablescape?

Decorative Way to Store and Display China

 

If you’ve ever thought of opening up your kitchen by adding glass-front cabinets, I hope this post is helpful for sparking some ideas on how to arrange all your favorite dinnerware and collectibles. It really is possible to create storage that’s both functional and pretty for your kitchen.

China Storage Behind Glass Door Cabinets

 

Update: If you were interested in the Burberry Bumbag I shared on sale in Tuesday’s post, it appears to be back in stock here: Burberry Bumbag.

Looking forward to all the beautiful table settings linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!

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Tablescape Thursday

 

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Comments

  1. We live in an old house that has built-ins with windows in the dining room. Last year we bought a new dining room set with a server with windows. I display several plates and platters across the back of these cupboards but always worried about them falling forward. The felt pads from Amazon are in my cart! And I love how you stack the teacups and saucers. Another great idea! Thank you.

  2. Thanks for the ideas, I always struggle with how to display dinnerware in my kitchen cabinets and my china cabinet in the dining room.

    Now I have to ask a question and I hope it doesn’t sound rude, you mentioned that the only totally white set that you own is the one in the picture… is that set “Butler’s Pantry?” It doesn’t look like it to me and I’d swear that you had a post a year or two ago that included pieces of Lenox “Butler’s Pantry”… it stuck in my head because I loved it so much.

    Or Maybe I need my eyes examined and it’s the one in the cabinet!

    • No, I do have 12-place setting of Lenox Butler’s Pantry Gourmet, but it’s more of an ivory color. The dinnerware in this post is really white, much whiter than Butler’s Pantry Gourmet. It’s by Gibson and was an inexpensive box set purchased from Big Lots. I’m drawing a blank right now on the pattern but I really like it and use it a lot in table settings.

      • Thanks Susan…. I didn’t realize that Butler’s Pantry is ivory… I’ve never seen it in person and that’s probably why I thought it was white…. My computer monitor is terrible it often make peach look pink and other visual oddities… I remember seeing your Butler’s Pantry and it was love at first sight!!

        • Catalynn, One thing to know, I think there’s a difference between Lenox Butler’s Pantry and Lenox Butler’s Pantry Gourmet. The pattern I have is Lenox Butler’s Pantry Gourmet. If you Google for each of the patterns, I think you’ll see the difference in the dinner plates. Also, the dinner plates are huge in LBPG! I have trouble mixing salad plates from other china sets with LBPG because the salad plates will look lost on the huge LBPG dinner plates. I have 12 place settings of it and rarely use it which is a shame.

          • Oh that’s good to know thanks Susan….
            I have older cabinets in my kitchen that aren’t as deep as some of the newer cabinets.. a few years ago i purchased a full set of Le Creuset dinnerware with several extra pieces and I was so disappointed when they arrived.. none of the dinner plates would fit no matter if I laid them flat or stood them, I had to send it all back… I’ve been seriously considering Butler’s Pantry so I’ll make sure to get the smaller set.

            • Butler’s Pantry may be large also…not sure. I just know that the plates for Butler’s Pantry Gourmet are large. Just compare the measurements first I guess to make sure they will fit.

  3. Hi susan! I didnt know your cabinets were painted….wow what a difference it made. Love the glass front!! And your dishes are lovely as usual.

  4. Elizabeth says

    Good Morning! I looked up your Blue Willow pattern and there seems to be more than one Blue Willow pattern! Would share which one yours is? I hope this questions makes sense! Thank you,Elizabeth

  5. Good Morning!

    Wow, what a difference in your kitchen – it’s beautiful. You gave me some really great ideas on how to stack my dishes!
    Happy St. Patrick’s Day – it’s corned beef (made with Guinness), colcannon potatoes, Irish soda bread and Guinness Stout for dinner tonight!
    May Irish angels smile on you today…

  6. DawneMarie Anderson says

    Your cupboard arrangement is beautiful! Love the glass doors touting all the gorgeous China! So interesting. Museum quality. Something fun to look at. Thanks for sharing.

  7. warren giering says

    Love your kitchen and the painted cabinets. We are getting ready to redo our kitchen and you have given me some inspiration and good ideas.

  8. Your cabinets look great, and the felt pads are a great idea! Thanks for the table fun today~

  9. I love your cabinet dish display. We down sized a few years ago and I left my dream kitchen behind missing my buffet with glass doors. My husband promised we would put in a new one after we moved. It took a couple years and I do not have as much display area but he rebuilt it as closely as we had room to. I change my dishes seasonally and then some! One addition to these cabinets was to add tiny LED strip lighting and plate rails. Your table and cabinet displays are always so pretty and a reflection of your style and personality. Thank you for the inspiration!

    • I love that idea, changing them out seasonally! The lighting you added sounds wonderful. I added undercabinet lighting when I redid my kitchen and it’s definitely one of my favorite things from that makeover. Thanks so much, Sherry!

  10. Anne Lovell says

    I’m sure you noticed that your cabinet is red, white and blue! Very nice and the painting really brightened the kitchen. I have a couple plates of the Copeland, very pretty.

  11. Sharyn Kimbrough says

    Susan, love this post. Our kitchen eating area has a built-in buffet with glass doors. Several years ago we changed the plain glass for “leaded” glass doors-beautiful focal point now. Always love your ideas.

  12. I didn’t like glass cabinet doors….until I saw yours and how your dishes looked in them one time when you were showing something in your kitchen. I love how it made your kitchen more “open” and love that you did a post about it. Your dishes are gorgeous and I think that anyone that has gorgeous dishware should do this in their kitchen! Thanks for sharing with us Susan, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Hugs, Brenda

    • Thanks so much, Brenda! I know a lot of people are afraid to have too many glass cabinets but I really love how they look and they def make a kitchen feel a lot more open.
      Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope you had an awesome one!
      XXX

  13. I notice that you also re-did your backsplash and countertops too.

    • Yes, I kept the cabinets and had them painted. I primed and painted the inside and had the outside professionally painted. I replaced the 1982 Formica countertops that were melted in one spot (probably from a hot pan placed there by previous homeowners) and I replaced the Formica backsplash with a tiled one. I also replaced the sink and had already started replacing appliances before the kitchen reno started. I love a white kitchen, love how bright they are. When I replaced the countertop, I had it extended out to create an eat-in bar. Oh, and I had the overhead light fixture removed and added can lighting. I also added LED under-cabinet lighting. The under-cabinet lighting is probably my favorite part of the renovation. It’s beautiful when lit up at night.

  14. Your cabinets are lovely Susan – those glass doors are really pretty! We’ve thought about it from time to time. I’m inspired by yours! 🙂 Hope you have a fun St Patrick’s Day!

  15. cheryl sinks says

    I love the Alice In Wonderland large teapot-where did you get it? I hope its available somewhere

    • I purchased it several years back in an antique/flea market shop called A Classy Flea. They are no longer in business now. Not sure where you would find one now, I would check eBay or Etsy.

  16. Can you share the name of the adorable tea pot? Thanks in advance.

  17. Tina Reynolds says

    Thank you, Susan! Now why didn’t I think of using the little felt stick-ons before? Now I am excited to get started because we do get a lot of vibration in our house. We live in the oldest part of our little town. Once upon a time it was filled with the big family homes so often found in areas like ours. However, in the late 70’s, our state routed the two east-bound lanes of a state highway project right in front of the homes that once lined our quiet residential street. For many years it was a mild nuisance, now the trucks make no effort to obey the residential speed limits and any bump in the road makes noise and vibration. I have walking and dancing china! Naturally, some of the big old houses are now abandoned and many have been torn down over the decades. We know that we will move someday but we love our big old house (you’d think my husband was married to it!). Let’s face it, my big old cabinets give me plenty of room for the “dish addiction”! You have made incredible improvements to your kitchen! I love the look you created!

  18. And we’re POSTITIVE that that’s not the elusive transferware pattern from “Christmas Vacation?!” UGH. One of the, albeit small, unsolved mysteries of my life… ‍♀️ – hrplo

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