Whenever I see this hashtag, it cracks me up. Yes, lame, I know. But as a decorator, I think a well done shelf deserves some exposure. So, hashtag those pretty shelves and give them the credit they are due!
See, I have this china cabinet and I struggle with staging it. It always looks cluttered and hodge-podgey. And I’m never really happy with it. This was brought to my attention again when I had visited my friend, Heather, and her china cabinet was so pretty and shiny and sparkly. And I knew it was time for me to try again.
So, I started looking harder at displays that really looked good to me. Like this one from my new blogger friend, Virginia Fynes :
Seriously – what’s not to love?? Look at the colours, the varying textures and all the pretty dishes! And I love how she changes it up season by season and it always looks incredible. On a sidenote, she’s buying a restaurant in the Valley and I’m taking a roadtrip to go see it! Wanna come? Okay!!!
Right, back to my china cabinet….I knew looking at it I needed bigger pieces and brighter pieces. It’s so shadowy and dark that I needed the brighter pieces. I hit up Alderberry Village in Truro to see what they had in their thrift section. I scored a white rectangular dish, a large white bowl and a hobnail milk glass dish. That was a good start. And the motivation I needed to fix the ‘problem’ that only I could see….or I think, anyway.
I thought I would be able to just pull some things out and add them….not so much. This morning, I emptied the whole thing and started over. And I like it soooo much better!
{ I know the shelves look like they are spaced weirdly, but when the doors are closed, it looks better, the frames on the door block stuff }
When we put our tree in the living room, the rocking chair ended up in the kitchen, tucked in front of the china cabinet. And here it stayed….it’s quickly becoming a favourite spot to chat or check our phones { Wi-fi in an old, solid house is an issue….. } and as it is in the kitchen, where we spend so much time, it gets used a lot.
{ Ignore the sparse leaves on the top of the cabinet. About 2 years ago, I got cuttings for a Fiddle Head Fig and there they are…..losing leaves regularly, waiting impatiently to be potted. Someday… }
I’m really pleased with it now. It feels more cohesive, more unified in colour and so much less cluttered. Will it stay like this? Who knows! The box on the top left was slated to go to the upstairs bathroom so something will have to replace it. And the old cookie cutters are annoying me….they may need to go. But, for now, its working for me. With a few dollars invested and some time, I think it’s come together nicely. All the stuff I’ve pulled out will have to find a home….a job for this afternoon, I guess! I don’t have enough empty spots to stash it….hmmm, maybe no one will notice all the bits now sitting in front of the china cabinet doors!!
Here’s to re-arranging things and cups of coffee on this Saturday! What about you? Randomly re-arranging anything today? Please tell me I’m not alone!
To be continued,
Lori
