Tablescaping Storage for Dishware, Flatware, Napkin Rings, Napkins and Glassware

Welcome to the 464th Tablescape Thursday!

Update: Since I had some issues with the shelves that came with these cabinets not holding the weight they are “supposed’ to hold without bowing, I had melamine shelves cut to the size needed at Home Depot. I replaced every single shelf that wasn’t a “fixed” shelf with the Home Depot melamine shelves at the cost of $7 a shelf. The HD shelves are thicker and much sturdier and held the dishes without any bowing. The photos in this post were taken before I replaced all the shelves, so you may see some slight bowing.

Yipee! The garage cabinets are at last complete!

Attractive Cabinet Storage for Garage, Home, Basement

 

Let’s throw back the doors and see how they are being used. The cabinets I purchased for this project are available here: Cabinets.

You’ll notice I’ve stored a lot of the things I use as centerpieces and when decorating across the top. You’ll get a better view of some of those in this post, as well.

The garage has a heated/cooled space on three sides of it: Laundry Room behind the cabinets, kitchen at the front of the garage and a bonus room above, so that helps it stay a bit warmer in the winter and a bit cooler in the summer than a lot of garages that are exposed on more sides.

Cabinet Storage for Dishware, Glassware, Flatware and Napkins

 

Here’s a photo detailing what’s inside each cabinet. Starting on the far left and moving across:
Cabinet 1: Miscellaneous sets of china/dishware
Cabinet 2: Napkin Rings and flatware in bins with napkins in the drawers below
Cabinet 3: All Christmas dishware except my Lenox Winter Greetings and Lenox Holiday which is still stored in my dining room
Cabinet 4: Alice in Wonderland, Easter, 4th of July, St. Patrick’s, ending with fall/autumn dishware on the bottom two shelves
Cabinet 5: Charger Plates with napkins in the drawers below
Cabinet 6: Glassware

Cabinet Storage Ideas for Dishware, Glassware, Flatware and Napkins

 

Cabinet 1:

Here are a few close-up shots starting with Cabinet 1 on the far left. This first cabinet is filled with miscellaneous patterns that I use from time to time in table settings.

Please ignore the little stickers/post-it notes. Those are just little notes I made of the exact weight of each stack, so I wouldn’t exceed the weight allowed for each shelf , which is 35 lbs except for the top shelf and bottom shelf. The top shelf can support 40 lbs and the bottom shelf will support 50 lbs. I’ll be removing the post-it notes soon, but I still need them there for now since I may swap out some of the shelves for melamine shelves from Home Depot–more on that in just a sec.

Cabinet one doesn’t quite open all the way due to the garage laser safety thing at the bottom of the garage door, but I placed a cabinet here since it does open plenty far enough to access that cabinet.

 

Cabinet 2:

Napkin Rings are in the top three rows of bins, followed by flatware. As I share these close-up views, you’ll catch glimpses of some of the lanterns I’ve stored overhead on 3/4 inch plywood.

As mentioned in a previous post, all the cabinets are anchored to the garage wall and the plywood along the top is anchored via screws to the side wall(s) of each cabinet. I attached the plywood that way so I wouldn’t have to worry about it sliding around as I pulled lanterns off the top.

Also, all the cabinets have the soft-close hinges/doors. So when you close the doors, they close really gently, no jarring or movement at all. I love that feature about these cabinets!

Cabinet for Flatware, Napkins and Napkin Ring Storage

 

The top drawer in this cabinet is filled with napkins in mostly white, cream and pastel colors.

 

The bottom drawer is filled with Christmas napkins and other red/green napkins.

Store Napkins on their edge

 

Cabinet 3:

Cabinet 3 contains all Christmas dishware, not including my Lenox Holiday and Lenox Winter Greetings.

The second shelf down that holds my “snowman” dishes, appeared to be slightly bowing when I shared my progress on these cabinets in THIS previous post. I turned the shelf over and that seemed to correct the issue.

By the way, I used my cellphone to take these photos since it handles low lighting so well. The wide-angle lens though tends to sometimes make shelves appear to be bowing when they aren’t. You’ll see that when we get to the cabinet that’s filled with glassware.

A BNOTP reader had mentioned that Home Depot sells melamine shelving, I checked it out and discovered it is slightly thicker and I think a bit stronger than the shelves that came with these cabinets. I purchased two shelves, having Home Depot cut them down to the size I needed.

I swapped out the shelf that has the snowman dishes, just to see how it worked. It’s probably hard to see, but that shelf is slightly thicker than the other shelves that came with the cabinets and that I purchased extra from the company that makes these cabinets.

I’m going to buy a few more since they are just $7 each and I plan to replace a few more shelves like the ones underneath the flatware stored in Cabinet 2.

Cabinet Storage for Christmas Dinnerware and Glassware, Lantern Storage Overhead

 

A little closer view: Fortunately, I had space in this cabinet to also include some of my Christmas glassware without adding too much weight to each shelf.

Christmas Dishware Storage, White Cabinets

 

Cabinet 4:

I added three additional shelves to this cabinet and other than the Alice in Wonderland dishware on the top shelf, it is mostly filled with holiday dishware, not including Christmas.

 

Starting with the top shelf you’ll find Alice in Wonderland dishware followed by Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, ending with fall/autumn dish patterns on the bottom two shelves.

Alice in Wonderland Dinnerware, Holiday Dishware, Autumn Dinnerware

 

Cabinet 5:

Cabinet 5 is filled with all my charger plates, except two sets of ceramic chargers that I have stored in my dining room sideboard and grapevine chargers that are a little too large to fit inside. I’ve also tucked in my six little Bee Skep soup tureens to take advantage of the space in between the chargers.

Charger Plates Stored in White Cabinet, Napkin Storage Below

 

In the top drawer below the chargers, you’ll find the rest of my napkins. The bottom drawer in this cabinet is mostly empty except for a some miscellaneous holiday stuff I tossed inside. I may save it for additional napkin space, not sure.

Ideas for Napkin Storage

 

Cabinet 6:

Cabinet 6 is all glassware. I still need to finish washing that yucky film off some of them–See yesterday’s blog post HERE for more info on that.

You’ll notice that I’ve often interchanged how I have the glasses stored: some are upright and others are turned upside down. Alternating the glasses this way provides a bit more space for storing them, depending on their shape.

I would never recommend storing expensive glassware on its rim, especially delicate crystal, but the glassware stored here in this cabinet isn’t that type of glassware. Most of the glassware in this cabinet came from Pier 1, HomeGoods, Tuesday Morning, Marshalls, Dollar Tree, TJ Max, Kohls, etc…

Cabinet Glassware Storage Ideas

 

I started with blue glassware, blending into green, followed by clear, then amber/gold/leaf glasses that are often used in fall table settings. The bottom shelf contains snowflake-covered stems and glassware in various other patterns, including “redneck” wine glasses and chicken/rooster glasses.

This isn’t all my glassware, just what I had stored in my laundry room cabinets. I still have 3-4 more sets in my kitchen cabinets, not counting my everyday La Rochere “bee” glassware. My Waterford crystal is stored inside my china cabinet in my dining room.

Notice how the second shelf appears to be slightly bowing. It’s not, I promise. The glassware stored in this cabinet doesn’t come even close to exceeding the 35 lb weight limit for each shelf, but a combination of the angle and the wide-angle lens causes some shelves to look slightly bowed, even though they’re not.

Glassware Collection for Table Setting, Tablescaping

 

I used my DeWalt drill for some parts of this project, but for some of the assembly a drill would have been too powerful. A recent purchase that was super helpful in putting these shelves together was this ratcheting handle/screwdriver.

I first purchased it when I was looking for a way to speed up the process of assembling chairs for some deck furniture I bought recently. They were designed with screws that required an Allen wrench, and the process was super tedious. This ratcheting screwdriver arrived too late to help with the deck furniture, but it was great for assembling these cabinets.

Ratcheting T-Handle Speeds Up Assembly and Tightening Screws

 

It contains bits for all the different types of screws like Phillips, Flathead, Allen, etc… You can read more about it here: Ratcheting Screw Driver Set. When I think of all the things I’ve assembled over the years, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t buy this set many years ago! I would have if I had known it existed!

Have you ever gotten a new car and found yourself in those first few days going to the garage and opening the door to see if it’s really there? I’ve done that a time or five with these cabinets. lol

After wanting storage down this wall for so many years, only back then I was thinking garage storage for gardening supplies, I’m so happy to finally have it completed. It was a lot of work, but definitely worth it!

The cabinets I purchased for this project are available here, Cabinets and here: Cabinets.

Attractive Cabinet Storage for Garage, Home, Basement

 

Pssst: I post almost daily to Instagram. Follow Between Naps on the Porch on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch.

Looking forward to all the tables linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!

Tablescape Thursday

If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address.To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address showing in the address bar, into the “url” box when you link up.

You’ll need to include a link in your post back to the party to link up and participate. That’s so visitors to your blog will be able to find the party and the other Tablescape Thursday participants. Requiring a link back also prevents businesses and scammers from linking up to sell their products. (Yup, that really happens, unfortunately.)

Please Note: After 1 week, party links are still available to view by clicking on the blue button below.

*If a post is sponsored or a product was provided at no charge, it will be stated in post. Some links may be affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. *



 Never miss a Between Naps on the Porch post! 

*Subscribe to have updates delivered to your Inbox. 



Comments

  1. WOW! Seeing it all together is quite a presentation. You’ve been working your buns off! How spectacular to have everything in one location instead of several. Big thumbs up!!

    • Thanks, Liz! It was some serious work, for sure. lol Can you believe, I just realized this morning, I have one more small set of Christmas dishes that I forgot about. I wonder if I can squeeze them into the Christmas cabinet, especially if I purchased the thicker shelves at Home Depot. lol

  2. Sara Hathaway says

    This is amazing!!! So much work like you said but I can see how it will be so worth it!!! Thanks for sharing! Simply amazing!! Would love to do something similar only on a smaller scale!

  3. I’m drooling over all your wonderful storage AND your wonderful dinnerware. What a smart idea. I just have to ask if your garage always looks this clean? My grands could host a slumber party on that floor!

    • Thanks, Laurie! I purchased a cordless blower a few months back that I love. I store it in the garage so I can blow it out about once every couple of weeks. For some reason, the way the wind drafts around the house, this garage is like a giant suction for fall leaves. If you leave the garage door up, they get in somehow. I never had that issue with my last house, maybe because I didn’t have so many trees near the garage. Unfortunately, the floor has oil stains from many years ago. I would LOVE to have the floor made over with the garage floor “granite” looking surfaces. I love how those look and how easy they are to clean. Maybe one day… 🙂

      • Same here re garage and dirt. Also garages are not mice proof and neither are the cabinets. Would put these in the basement to stay away from dirt and mice. Hope your cabinets does’t get dirty or mice.

        • Basements get mice, too. I have a friend who has been fighting them in her basement for years…she lives near a big forested area. I’ve never had an issue with rats or mice in the 26-27 years I’ve lived here. I’ll be in and out of these cabinets every single week so I doubt any self-respecting mouse would have the nerve to think of moving in with all that activity. lol

  4. Bonnie Bee says

    E N V I O U S… on steroids!!!! just fabulous..

  5. Susan, I am so envious of your organized cabinets…I so need to do this! I spend too much time trying to find something that I know I have for tablescapes! Good for you, a project completed! Thanks for hosting us each week!

    • Thanks, Pam! Yup, I was doing that, too! What finally pushed me to do it was a few weeks ago when I wanted to set a table using four sunflower plates and could only find three. What’s weird is after I cleared some stuff out of my small dish closet in the breakfast area, I noticed that 4th sunflower plates stacked with the others. I don’t even remember finding it in that closet but I guess it did because there it was neatly stacked with the others. lol Maybe I was just so tired, I was too out of it to realize it when I found it and placed it there.

  6. Peggy Bostic says

    WOW!! This is very impressive. I would love to be this organized.

  7. My first thought: you had all that stored somewhere in your home? What a great job getting this all organized and in a pretty way.
    Second thougth: I immediately noticed that Mr. Rabbit is not there. Other rabbits are, and Mr. Turkey is, so where is the big guy?

    • I know, I started to take pics of all the empty spaces but I just didn’t have time to do that. My laundry room cabinets are totally empty now and a laundry room closet is about 1/2 empty. My dish closet in the breakfast room is so much more open with nothing on the floor of the closet at all. I cleared out almost all my centerpieces from an upstairs closet…and have a lot more room under the eve where I store my Halloween decorations…and previously my Halloween dishware. This will help so much if I ever move, having everything in one place for boxing up.
      I almost put Mr. Rabbit out here, but I just ran out of room. I still have him and two other bunnies stored in my upstairs closet…and a Christmas Goose in my guest closet. lol I may eventually get rid of some things, or maybe move the greenhouse from the end so I can move them to the garage.

    • Helen Rice says

      I’m with Mia. I missed Mr. Rabbit. Glad to know you have not gotten rid of him. I’ve been looking everywhere for a rabbit similar to him without any luck. I love the tablescapes where you have included him.

  8. Julie Williams says

    What an exciting thing to have all that perfect storage. One question–what about exhaust grime, dust, bugs, mice, etc. marring the stuff stored on top? Maybe your climate keeps all that out of the equation? I couldn’t do that here but would have to wrap or box everything. JW

    • I’m not worried about exhaust grime since the cabinets have doors and I have them adjusted fairly tight in so there aren’t too many big gaps. I have the exterior of my home treated/sprayed quarterly to keep the GIANT roaches we have here in the south out of my house. I also drive a hybrid SUV so when I first start it, it’s in battery mode. That may help a little, too.
      I just added these http://amzn.to/2vmrWVB to the garage a few months ago and since then, I’ve only seen a couple of Daddy Longlegs in the garage. Not sure if they help or if it’s having the exterior treated, but it seems to be working. I also put one in my upstairs hallway and a couple on the lower level near the doors leading outside. I haven’t seen a single spider inside since doing that, so maybe they are working.
      I’ll have to report back in a few months how this is working out. If I find the things on top are getting too dusty, I can do what a reader suggested and put each item inside a clear trash bag where I can still see them, but they will stay covered. I’ve got these saved on a list on Amazon, just in case: http://amzn.to/2fwoKS6
      I’d rather not do that, though if I can avoid it. I’m used to dusting things off before using them in a centerpiece, so I don’t mind if things get a little dusty. I wonder if anyone make a mini-blower so I could just stand on my little step ladder and blow off the top area every few months. I should look into that. lol

      • Re: mini blower. I think it’s called a hairdryer. That would be how my old one wore out. LOL
        Susan, you are a one woman army and truly amazing. I have garage envy.

        • Good idea! I could just put it on the “cool” setting! 🙂 Awww, thanks Myrna! I think I’m just stubborn and it comes in handy sometimes. lol

  9. That was an ambitious project. Great job. I’m impressed. And fun to see all your dishes together. I showed the pictures to my husband so he couldn’t keep saying things about all my dishes. They are nothing like your collection. But I have a whole little closet off my dining room with different sets. I love having different patterns to use. I hardly ever use my pattern I got when we were married. But I keep them just in case.

    • kddomingue says

      Lol! I was coming down to the comment section to say basically the same thing! Have to show this to the hubs and son and daughter to prove to them that there IS someone with a MUCH BIGGER dinnerware obsession than me! Maybe they’ll quit teasing me now!

  10. Wow, it was nice to see someone things so organized, even if it’s not me. You did an AWESOME job!

  11. Celeste Breen says

    Absolutely lovely and so practical. My garage thought is full of spiders and other creatures so I don’t think I could do this but what an inspiration.

    • Celeste, these have been working great for me in my garage: http://amzn.to/2fvzBLO

      I’ve only seen a few Daddy Longlegs since I plugged one in out there.

      • Celeste Breen says

        I will have to give those a try. I love reading about your tablescapes and travel. I have bought several things based on your recommendations and all have been great.

        • Celeste, after I wrote that comment, I went into my entry where I have another one plugged in and for the first time in all the years I’ve lived here, there’s no spider web in the two places spiders are always build in my entry. I have the worse time with spiders building in the little crook where the staircase goes up from the floor and in the corner under the entry table. So, that makes me think that they really do work, which frankly, I find amazing! I purchased the set of 4 and have one in my living room near another door, one in the entry, one in the garage and one in my upstairs hallway. I was pretty skeptical when I purchased them, but I guess all the good reviews are true.

  12. They look great! You must feel so good to be finished with that huge project! While I am looking at the photos of your lovely new storage I can recall the various tablescapes with the different dishes and getting excited about all of the new tablescapes to come. I can’t wait for the first Fall tablescape!

  13. This is amazing Susan! I am so jealous of your fabulous storage. I have plates stored in every nook available and glassware in liqueur store boxes for safe keeping not to mention accessories boxed away in my storage unit. There is a method to my maddness, but it would be so much easier to tablescape with everything accessible in one location. Thank you so much for sharing this process. I’m adding this post to my tablescaping bucket list!

    Catherine
    Smashing Plates Tablescapes

    • Thanks, Catherine! I definitely came across several dishes/items I haven’t used in ages, so hopefully I can start using those more, now. Storage is definitely an issue for us dish lovers. I wish I could do this down the other garage wall! 🙂

  14. Susan, you are truly inspiring. All my “goodies” are in bins stashed through out the house, garage, closets. How wonderful to have everything easily accessible and within view. Ha, have you ever bought something to find out you already had something similar since you cannot see it? This project will definitely go on my “TO DO” list! Absolutely love it!

    • Thanks so much, Gina! I haven’t done that with dishes but I have with groceries and things like that. It’s a miracle that I haven’t though! 🙂 I do sometimes forget that I only 4 of an item and get ready to set a table and realize I can’t set a full table for 6…hate when that happens. I’ve been gradually trying to feel in the gaps by purchasing those missing plates on eBay.

  15. This is truly amazing. All your hard work is finally complete. You did a wonderful job with your organization. You should be very proud! I would love to have that setup in my garage. It looks so pretty, too.

  16. Drool! You have some amazing organizational talents Susan. Job well done. Thanks for sharing.

  17. Wow! You did it, and this is a fabulous solution to your tabletop storage. Kudos on a job well done and for thinking of this great storage idea. As I said before, you have me rethinking my tabletop storage. I’m not there yet, but on the way. 😉

  18. DOUBLE WOW!! Please tell me you have everything insured…I love it all. Fantastic job!

    • Thanks, Lisa! No, none of these things are insured or really worth of being insured. Many would be difficult to replace since they are no longer available, but none are antiques are valuable in a monetary way.

  19. Years ago when you posted about a linen closet you redid to store your dishes, I copied you and did the exact thing and love it. Now you’ve “upped the ante” but alas I have no where in my home or garage to copy you! SO, I’ll just have to enjoy yours this way. Great job. You are a master organizer!

  20. This post should be titled TA DAH! awesome…you are an organizing woman after my own heart. Which reminds me..I have work to do in the garage. Looking great, loved seeing all your pretty things in one place this way. Now you have all that inside space to reorganize. The fun never stops 🙂

    • lol I like your title way better! 🙂 That’s perfect, Jillian! Exactly! I’ve been shifting some things around inside and I’m loving the extra room to spread out a bit.

  21. Just curious, What is your tried and true, everyday dishware?

    • The majority of the time I use my Churchill Blue Willow. Sometimes I use Villeroy and Boch, Melina that I purchased from Macy’s in my early 30’s. It was a big investment at the time and was our everyday china for many, many years. I still have it in my kitchen cabinets where it’s easily accessible.
      Here’s a couple of photos showing how I store the Blue Willow that I use the most.

      Storage

      AND

      Kitchen

  22. Wow and more wow, how beautiful and organized it all looks. You are very ambitious.

    • Thanks so much, Brenda! It’s a good thing we don’t fully know what we are undertaking sometimes when we first start a project or get an idea. 🙂

  23. Rhonda Storey says

    Wow! Looks great Susan!! Now I want to come “shop” your garage. Lol!

  24. Mary Boger says

    Bravo!!! Looks fabulous. It’s so nice to have the majority
    if dishes, etc. all in one place. If you can see it it’ll be
    such a time saver. Now about all those places that previously
    stored the dishes. Loved seeing this project come together.

    • Mary, you totally hit the nail on the head. One of my pet peeves is wasting time searching for stuff, so it’s totally makes me happy if I can go right to what I need. That’s the best part of this project in my eyes. Thanks, Mary!

  25. OMG!! You had all this inside your house? You must of emptied two or three rooms, a couple of closets and half the kitchen!! I’m truly amazed, it looks beautiful to have it all together. I personally would grab a chair, open all the doors and just stare at the accomplishment (sometimes it’s nice to ogle at our horde isn’t it). I think it would be funny if you posted pictures of all the spaces left empty by this. Now, time to go shopping…

    • lol no rooms, just several laundry room cabinets, closets and a little eve space off the upstairs family room. That’s one thing about this house, it has tons of storage. My last house had very little so that was a big selling point when I purchased this house.
      Ha, ha…I should do that…preferably with a glass of wine in hand! 😉

  26. I am saving this! I have a dish room, but it is in the basement, so I have to schlep everything up and down the steps. I wish so much I could have it all more convenient. I also LOVE how you have everything organized! I am going to change things in my dish room now. Thanks!!!! This is just wonderful!!!! Thanks for hosting too!!!

  27. you are amazing! Just WOW!

    • Aww, thanks Gina! I was like the donkey with the carrot dangling in front of its face. I had a picture of the end result in my mind and couldn’t shake it. Wish that wall had been about two cabinets longer, though. lol

  28. Also, I noticed you don’t have too many coffee cups/mugs with your dishes; for me it’s one of the most difficult things to store because they take up so much room. Do you usually not buy cups with your dish collections, or are they somewhere else? I only see a few sets…just being nosy s’all.

    • Yeah, those take up so much space that I decided when I was first planning this out, that I would store all those in sturdy file boxes I buy on Amazon. They filled up around 4-5 of those boxes. I currently have those in the garage but I think I’ll move them to the basement since I so rarely use them.
      I doubt I will ever pull them out though because when I entertain, I already have a lot of cups/saucers inside with my other dishwear, so I’ll probably use those to serve coffee after dinner.
      I don’t drink hot coffee myself, just iced coffee 2-3times a week, so I never use coffee cups. I sometimes use deep mugs for hot chocolate and I have some of those inside and in the hutch on the porch. Elena, if you don’t use your coffee cups that you have for all your sets, think about boxing them up and storing them somewhere. It really frees up a lot of space.

  29. Organized heaven Susan! Thanks for sharing~

  30. This is the ultimate in tablescaping storage! Everything is all in one place and easy to find. Hats off to you for being so organized. Thanks for the party and the inspiration!

  31. Elizabeth Roderick says

    OH wow! This is wonderful! You have done a great job and I know it was a lot of work! It was 112 in our part of Texas this summer so storing candles etc in the garage wouldn’t work for us, but I would put everything else out there. Thank you for sharing your ideas, collections and hard work with all of us.

  32. Shelia Nelson says

    Oh gosh!!! The cabinets, filled with your beautiful things, are so pretty to look at!!! I just loved an organized space!! Might I suggest something? The teacups that are stacked one inside the other–maybe you would want to place a piece of muslin between them? They might jar against each other if something happened…oh, I don’t know…an earthquake or a big wind…lol….I was thinking a piece of muslin or a paper towel tucked between them might steady them a bit and keep them from moving against each other. I always enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it Susan!

  33. Absolutely gorgeous! So very worth all the aggravation you had. I admire you tremendously for sticking through it.

    I fully understand your concerns about the shelves bowing; my husband reinforced all my bookcases with pieces of 2×4 along both sides of each section of shelving, since we have had many a collapse over the years.

    It looks so beautiful and organized! Well done!

  34. SANDY PARK says

    WOW all that hard work and PATIENCE finally paid off. Congratulations. Everything looks wonderful.

  35. AMAZING!! All stored by seasons and perfectly arranged, not to miss anything or forget like some of us do because our stuff is all over the house.
    Congratulations Susan, you did an AWESOME JOB!!
    Thank you for hosting again this week.
    FABBY

  36. Hello Wonder Woman!!! How amazing is that and……don’t you feel good???

    Walking in sunshine and don’t it feel good!!!

    I have placed paper napkins between some plates to avoid scratches from rough bottoms. And I have used paper coffee filters between cups and bowls for the same reason and to protect in case of jiggleing and shaking.

    I would also cover the pieces on the top to protect from dust and insects.

    Looks great!! You rule!!!

  37. What will you do with all the empty space that you now have inside? Alsolutly blows me away that you have so many dishes to play with. Your collection is a dream and I admire you for all the work you put into getting it all together. The one thing that I enjoy reading about your everyday “doings” it’s not just useless stuff you really teach and show us how you take care of things. Even as I have said before it gets into my budget sometimes! LOL!

  38. It looks wonderful! I would love to be as organized as you – something for me to work on.

    I usually read your blog thru Bloglovin, but it’s not showing up there at all. I finally went directly to your webpage and found all the posts that weren’t showing up. Have you noticed this?

    One more thing – I’d love an update on your Peloton/fitness/diet journey. Are you still in love with your Peloton?

    • Yes, I love it still! I’ve been riding more scenic rides lately than the classes. It’s like a meditation almost, I feel so relaxed after a ride.

      Megan, I’ve been trying since 2014 to make Bloglovin remove my blog from their scraper site. I should really do a post about all the stuff that I’ve found out about them over the years. I finally had to tell them I was considering taking legal action if they didn’t remove my blog. They removed it then.

      Here are some articles that have been written about this issue, but this doesn’t begin to describe all the damage they’ve most like been doing to blogs for many, many years:

      https://www.nosegraze.com/bloglovin-is-stealing-posts/

      http://prettycontent.net/2017/07/04/block-bloglovin-scraping-feed/

      http://www.makeupsavvy.co.uk/2017/02/could-bloglovin-be-doing-your-blog.html

      https://a1websitepro.com/bloglovin-stealing-your-page-views-block-them/

      http://offbeat-ya.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-bloglovin-ate-my-blog-and-yours-too.html

      There are many more articles/posts online about this issue, but those are some of the ones that I found helpful.

      For many years they’ve even been signaling to Google via “Canonical URL” that THEY are the original source of the content they’ve been scraping from our blogs and showing in full on their website! That makes us look like the thieves to Google!

      You can read where they admit to the Canonical URL issue in the comments on this post: https://xomisse.com/blog/bloglovin-issue/

      I’ve seen them leave that same comment on other blogs, too…so they’ve been scraping our content, even from blogs like mine where the content was truncated, posting it in full on their website and telling Google they were the original source/author.
      The result is, if you Google the words “Between Naps on the Porch and Bloglovin” and look at the “Images” tab in google, you’ll find a lot of my photos that when clicked take you to Bloglovin and NOT to my blog, the original source. So Google thinks Bloglovin was the source of those images.

      Now they even have it set up where readers can comment on the posts at their website. I found where several BNOTP readers had done that and I didn’t even know the comments were there. In my eyes, they are nothing more than a scraper site and why other bloggers aren’t demanding to be removed, I have no idea. I guess they just aren’t aware of what they have been doing to their blog all these years.

      Thanks for asking and thanks for taking the time to search out BNOTP. I really appreciate you and others who come here to read! You may want to consider just subscribing for updates. They are free and whenever I post, you’ll get an email within the hour letting you know a new post is available, with a link to click on to reach the post. If you wish to subscribe, you can do that here: http://forms.aweber.com/form/39/2054351739.htm

      If you ever see my blog appear on there again, please do let me know. I check pretty often to make sure they haven’t added it back, but appreciate you letting me know if you ever see it on there again.

  39. Wow, that must be great having your things so well-organized and easy to access!

    I have things scattered among many closets and cupboards, and I take up at least half of the custom garage cabinets my husband had originally installed for his stuff LMAO. I also rent a 10 by 10 by 20 ft offsite storage space.

    One of the things that eats up A LOT of storage space is the sealed plastic containers and boxes I keep most of my things in. Here in the Phoenix desert there is dust EVERYWHERE constantly building up over and over again. I also like to seal up things as much as I can for fear of cockroaches and other insects getting into my stuff. The big disadvantage about how my stuff is “organized” is that it’s scattered, in containers and boxes and therefore it’s often a PAIN to find something I know that I have. And of course, I also forget what I have already because I can’t find it LOL!

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful new organized storage. I plan on retiring in less than 18 months, maybe then I will have time to overhaul my storage areas for tablescaping.

    Thanks for another wonder Tablescape Thursday!

  40. Ohmygosh, Susan!! My tablescape today may be blue, but I’m totally green with envy of this project result! How wonderful to have it all together, organized, and in one place. Congrats on a great job. Thanks so much for keeping the inspiration going and for hosting our fetish.

  41. Joyce Howe says

    I’m jealous! Just had 3 floor to ceiling cabinets built into my kitchen when I remodeled, but I could still use more space. You did an amazing job. Thanks for sharing the journey.

  42. Victoria Davis says

    Truly a thing of beauty!!!

  43. Ann Butler says

    Love, love, love all your dishes! I hope to have a collection like this someday. If I had that storage, I would probably pull up a chair and sit and admire it on occasions. Thank you for sharing and what a great job you did.

  44. It looks awesome and definitely worth all the effort.
    You’re an inspiration for organization!

  45. Really, really nice organization.

  46. No, no to all those centerpieces on top. Dust collectors. Messy. Need a set of labeled bins for them.

    • I don’t want to have to get down big bins when I need them. We’ll see how this works, if it proves to be too dusty, I’ll probably do what another reader suggested a couple of days ago, which is placing each item inside a clear plastic bag where I can still see them. Really trying to get away from using bins if I can.

  47. Well done, Susan! My goodness that was a lot of effort, but oh, so worthwhile. The feeling of being organized is absolutely fabulous, isn’t it? Assembling the cabinets alone was yeoman work, but then having to wash all those glasses, too. But it looks simply marvellous! I’m sure you’re utterly thrilled.

  48. What a beautiful creation of art and organization! I love seeing those little bunny serving trays (is that what they are called?). What is so spectacular is that you have most of your collection is one place and at your fingertips. You don’t have to go searching or opening a bin and finding you opened the wrong one (unless they are clear bins and labeled) as that is what the UNorganized are faced with!! After reading all the comments on the top storage my first reaction was dirt, mice, and the horror of my cats knocking everything off!!!! You seem to have tamed all those scenarios. I wonder if those cans of air to dust electronics would be cost wise in keeping the dust at bay. Also, instead of plastic bags they make lightweight plastic sheeting that might work; but then it would affect the whole idea of being able to “see” your stuff. I bet you are going to be working on the garage floor in the very near future! The whole cabinet idea is just over the top amazing! I would be going out at night before bedtime and just staring at my accomplishment.

  49. Oh, Susan! All the trials you’ve suffered in this process, from bad deliveries to splinters, and beyond, are so well worth it!! This is wonderful, so organized!! I love it all, and what a fabulous collection you have!!! WOW!

    • Thanks so much! Appreciate that! ♥ The bad deliveries were definitely the worse part, took me a while to figure out how to get them here without using UPS since that’s who all the companies want to use.
      XXX

  50. Looks wonderful, Susan! Wish I had a wall in the garage to do that but our garage is full of the heavy duty stainless steel rolling carts where I store my dishes in bins, and lots of huge plastic bins. We just have so much stuff cause we downsized quite a bit ( in home sq footage) when we retired in FL but I couldn’t let a lot of my dinnerware go, lol. Just curious, aren’t the flatware too heavy for the shelves?.,, Christine

    • Thanks, Christine! I weighed everything with some small scales I have and kept everything right around 35 lbs, the weight the shelves are supposed to hold. The heaviest flatware went in bins on the bottom shelf above the drawers because that shelf can hold more since it’s a “fixed” shelf and screwed into the walls of the cabinet. To keep the weight where it needed to be, I didn’t place all my stainless flatware on the same shelf, but balance it out by placing some stainless and some flatware that’s has lighter weight handles on the same shelves. It was a balancing act! That’s why I have all the little stickers everywhere, from where I was weighing and keeping up with how much weight I was adding.
      A couple of the flatware shelves appear to be bowing a tiny bit. I noticed with these shelves, if you put anything heavy toward the center, even if you’re staying within the weight limit, the shelf tends to bow a small amount. Since I’m within the weight limit for each shelf, it’s probably not necessary, but as mentioned in the post under “Cabinet 3 section” I’m going to replace those shelves with the ones from Home Depot that are thicker. I think that will solve the slight bowing issue with those.

  51. Thanks Susan for posting this project!! I have three of these cabinets and LOVE them. I am wondering how you added the extra shelving. Did you put the screws on the outside of the cabinet through to the shelving? Would love to hear how you added the extras. I didn’t put my cabinets together, (hubby did it) so I know nothing.lol. I love your tablescapes, you are my inspiration!!

    • Thanks, Jan! I just drilled holes where I wanted my shelving to be and purchased the little, metal, shelf support things that fit in the holes, at Home Depot. Fortunately, one of the drill bits in a drill set that I have, was exactly the size I needed. I read a trick online about how to make sure you don’t drill all the way through whatever your drilling into. You just take a piece of duct tape or masking tape and tape it around the drill bit at the depth where you wish to stop. That worked great!

  52. Susan, what an accomplishment. Not only putting them together, but moving everything and organizing it. Like I said above, you are a one woman army. Seems like you deserve a vacation-maybe to Ireland ?
    Garage envy. Maybe a magazine will feature your super clean organized garage and storage.

  53. Thank you, thank you for this blog post! It validates me as a lover (read: obsessive buyer/collector of dinnerware and glassware), and you have provided me with exactly what I want by way of storage. I am forwarding this psst to my contractor!

  54. Awesome Susan and what a wonderful feeling of accomplishment! Pour yourself a tall glass of something cold in celebration, you can find the exact glass you want to use with ease! My hubby built a single car garage to park his Camaro several years ago and that was meant to be his man cave. He had cabinets built along one wall…little did he know that my dishes would up take up residence there. They’re not nearly as neat and tidy as yours are 🙂

  55. Beautiful job! Looks great! Was wondering though, where did you store you tall Bunnies that you use for your Spring tablescapes? I have a couple of Tall Bunnies with baskets (on their back and front) and store them on the top shelf of my bedroom closet! lol at least for now, until I can assemble the steel shelving I purchased to place in the garage. It won’t be as classy looking as yours, but it will be a start on my way to organizing all of my “stuff”. You are an inspiration! 🙂

    • Thanks, Veronica! The two tall white ones and the other bunny that I’ve used in so many tables are all in a closet upstairs. I just ran out of room on the top. I’m tempted to remove the green house on the end and put them there. Not sure how they would hold up to cold temps in the winter, although I overwinter my plants out in the garage and they always do fine.

  56. You will continue reap many rewards from all this work and ORGANIZATION!!! franki

  57. WOWzer!! Love that you corralled it all into one main place. I did a similar thing on a WAY smaller scale (an open shelving unit in the basement) , for vases and decorative pieces for tabletops and flat surfaces. Game changer!!! You see everything and know where it is. Love this!

    • Exactly! I need to do the same with all my vases. I have some utility shelving on the other side of my garage, I should tidy those up and do that. Thanks, Rosie!

  58. I have been excitedly waiting to see your cabinets all organized – and it did not disappoint! I sent this link to a bunch of my friends and they are now all feeling the urge to organize I sent it to my mom who promptly replied “Do NOT buy any more things”; she loves the organization, she just knows I would have to fill the cabinets As for mini blowers, they have ones for barbeque grills… Not sure how powerful, but they are on Amazon. My hubby thought it would magically clean the grill

    • Thanks so much, Desha! I’m so glad I was able to finally get all the cabinets so I could complete it. That’s too funny about your Mom. 🙂 Interesting! I need to look into that, I think it would be good to have for the top part that I’m sure will collect dust.

  59. Thank you… We love every single aspect of your storage solution. We simply could not wait for each new post. What a fun adventure and we are really looking forward to seeing what you will store in the final lower drawer. One question, though, where are your Valentine table settings and decorations?

  60. Amazing! Since you’re so experienced, do you have a favorite brand/type of placemat that can be machine washed? I like being able to use mine without worrying about food spills. Many of them get wonky-shaped after washing.

  61. Looks great! Well done! I have total envy over your Christmas/holiday collection.

  62. I love what you’ve done!!
    My only concern is the jiggling of things when the garage doors go up and down. Do you think some of the glasses might jiggle toward the edge of the shelves? I know over time the glasses in my cabinets even in the kitchen have to be pushed back a bit.

  63. Your dish, etc. storage cabinets are so great!!! Everything looks beautiful in them. Where did you purchase the cabinets? I really like your site and all the pretty things and ideas you put on it.

  64. I love your idea and how organized everything is!!!! I would like to show this to my husband…This is what i have always wanted to do. I have a garage but it is way to hot. Thank you for the idea! It is amazing.

  65. Spectacular job!!! I am so proud for you! And thanks for the tip on the ratcheting screwdriver! It is now on it’s way to ME! Girl! I love you but you cost me MORE MONEY………..!!! Your ideas always hit home with me and I wind up following your lead! Thanks for sharing all the ups and downs on this DIY adventure!!!

  66. Mamey Brown says

    O M G!! Just looking at all of these gorgeous photos makes me happy!!! Love everything about this! Great job Susan! You are going to LOVE having everything right there in one place for you to use! Also, YES I do the same thing. I love my bookshelves and am constantly reorganizing them and of course adding to them. I just LOVE to sit there and look at everything!

  67. I know it feels wonderful to be so well organized, but if you are like me you keep adding and there’s never enough cabinet space. The hubby would flip if I claimed part of the garage which would be the next place to increase space.

  68. Bobbi Duncan says

    You go girl! Great assembly job, right down to how you placed the two cabinet styles to look aesthetically pleasing. Know you are thrilled to have things close at hand, and this really frees up a good amount of storage inside your home. Great job, Susan!

  69. Oh WOW! I just read your previous update and then here I find this post with it all finished! I love it and love peeking inside each cabinet to see how you organized it. So much fun!

  70. Bravo, Susan! Absolutely beautiful!!

    Love the “redneck” wine glasses, so funny!

  71. You are an inspiration. I can’t move the trucks out of the garage but I do have some space in our work out room. You might look for some clear plastic bags for the items on top of the cabinets. I am excited to see the new table scape you come up with now. Well done Susan.

  72. Cyndi Raines says

    Love your new “wall-scape”! Lol Great job Susan. Showed hubby your new tool and he wants one. He loves his Dewalt drill also. I can’t believe you gave away those cute heart bowls, I really liked them.

  73. Your fantastic trip is almost here- Someday I will do that tour! I will watch Instagram for updates as you travel. Here in KS we are preparing for the Total Solar Eclipse on the 21st, it is a huge event since we are in the Path of Totality and will have 2 minutes of darkness during the eclipse.

  74. I’m so jealous…just saying.

  75. LOVE!PLEASE COME TO MY HOUSE!!!

  76. Wow, you have an amazing collection. I am looking to buy new dishes for everyday use. What brand do you use for everyday? I need mine to be dishwasher safe, hold up well and be reasonably priced. Any suggestions? Thanks.

    • I am using Churchill Blue Willow that I purchased many years ago. It DW and Microwave safe and takes a beating. I’ve broken very few pieces over the years, despite my best efforts. 😉 I also sometimes use an older Villeroy and Boch pattern called, Melina that I purchased in my early 30’s…still love it.

      You may want to go with a simpler, more subtle pattern, like Lenox Butler’s Pantry. There are so many great ones out there. This one from Williams Sonoma is supposed to be restaurant quality, so I’m sure it’s quite hardy: http://bit.ly/2uSBXq4

      That would actually make a great post sometime…would be fun to find out what everyone uses for their everyday dishware.

      • Jane Franks says

        Susan, I have that same blue willow for every day, too! And I agree, it is tough as nails, and looks great. I’ve just redone all blue (navy & cobalt) and white in my kitchen. Love the blue willow even more now! Have had it for years!!

  77. Jane Franks says

    Fabulous, Susan! Echoing all the other comments! You are an organizer’s dream! And thanks for the tip on the spider removal. I’ve added that to my list for Amazon orders! Spiders in the garage and house drive me nuts, and I don’t like to use too much spray in the house. Thanks!!

  78. Looks amazing! I am unpacking all my china and glassware from our move last week….lost two wine glasses to breakage, so not too much damage so far. Your things look so beautiful and so beautifully organized! I downsized a lot, but still keeping some things for setting a beautiful table. By the way, we now have a storage cage near our parking spot in the underground parking area…I noticed the unit next to me has all the kind of storage units you have and it looks so much better than ours….which is still chaos. BUT…I said to my dear husband “look, they are the kind Susan on Between Naps has in her garage…when we get all settled…!!!”

  79. Susan, I miss coming here every day. I occasionally peek in, and tonight I found this. Wow! I have serious cabinet envy, lol. What a beautiful set up. It puts me in mind of that woman with the whole room dedicated to her dishware/cutlery/tableware. I don’t remember her name – maybe it was, Bonnie. At any rate, I know you are loving this and probably pinching yourself wondering if it’s real. 😀 I know I would be! Well done.

    So glad to know you’re doing so well. <3

  80. Hello. I follow you all the time to get inspiration for my tablescapes. I love what you have done. Right now in my basement I owe 5 of these closets, wider than the ones you have. I’m wondering if I can achieve what you have. I do a lot of tablescapes and the dishes then get heavy. About how much weight do you think each one holds? I also have huge steel racks that hold all my seasonal bins, but would like something else to hold my tablescapes items. I think I’m going to ask my husband how I can start this project. Thanks for the idea, I’m loving it. I can see my dishes, napkins, tablecloths, glassware looking nicely put away.

    • These shelves claimed to hold 35 lbs per shelf, but they bowed badly if I even put 30 lbs on them. So I bought more/new shelves for all the cabinets from Home Depot. They have thicker, better quality melamine shelving and they will cut it to the size you need. If you find your shelves are kinda thin or appear to bow when you load the dishes, take one of your shelves over to your local Home Depot and ask them about the melamine shelves they sell. Once I replaced alllllll the shelves in all of my cabinets, I had no more bowing. The shelves cost around $7 each if I’m remembering correctly. It’s a shame the company that makes these cabinets doesn’t use better quality shelves.

      • Thank you. I will go to Home Depot. One more question. The clips that hold the shelves are plastic, did you chase yours too or were yours metal already?

        • The little shelf supports that came with all my cabinets to hold the shelves are metal. They are tiny but they do the job. I don’t think I’d trust plastic for holding 35 lbs…but the ones that came with my shelves are metal.

  81. Roberta Centanne says

    I’m reviewing all your older posts and realized I am no longer getting my subscription in my emails. When I tried to resubscribe, I got a notice simply that I couldn’t. I think it’s because it appears that I am already subscribed! I don’t know how to rectify this..can you do it from your end?

  82. Tracy Broomhead says

    I have so many cloth napkins to store. I will try the idea of the cubbies 5 x 5, closetmaid-style but that could run me $300. I have 5 overflowing hefty clear boxes full, 66 quart size boxes. I am really struggling with a plan.

I'd love to hear from you! Please leave a comment!

*