patty cakes,
I have my stuff all over, but I plan on changing that when the weather gets warmer, I plan on putting a simple (but sturdy!!!)shelving system on my garage wall. I like having catagories stored together for example:
all glass
all crystal (crystal and china, WILL stay in the house though because of wild outdoor temperature fluxations)

by color

by object (vases, stands, decortive bowls etc)

I keep different inexpensive flatware settings in clear shoe boxes- they stack nicely and I can see them thur the plastic
Expensive flatware is in 2 wood, felt lined flatware "boxes"
these stay in the house.

Linens: Cloth napkins: store right now in a set of plastic drawers in closet, by color, I have alot of cloth napkins, they add greatly to the look, plus I DO actually use them for every meal.

Table cloths: they are hung on hangers ment pants, not the clip type but the "fold over the bar type"

Right now my good china is in part of my small linen closet in the hall way, but I need more room, I may retro fit a large sliding door closet in one of my extra bedrooms to incorporate them.

A bunch of my crystal and glass small accessories is stored in an under the bed container, some is wrapped in tissue.

TIP: wrap valuable christmas ornaments in Microwave Safe Bounty paper towels (I get mine at Walmart but I am sure they have it in other grocery stores), they are acid free, so they will not "outgas" and ruin your ornaments. If you are wrapping true linen (or any other valuable cloth), you will also want acid free tissue paper..

Storing dishes is easier, since they can be stacked to a point, never stack more than 8 china dishes on each other, you can stress the plates if you "overstack".

Stemware does take up a lot of room, but because I love it and my particular "living situation" I can put it in more places than some of you. I find I don't have to buy as much as you would think, I own basic colors that are interchangeable for many "looks", but that's another Post.

Patty_cakes, I keep all of my tablesettings in my house, so far. I don't have a lot of kitchen space so my everyday dishes and glassware are in there. I have a little storage space in my credenza, china cabinet, bar and armoire. The rest goes under beds and in closets.

I keep all table linens together regardless of color. Never know when you might want to mix and match. All dishware is kept in sets, tissue wrapped & in boxes. So is my glassware, but it's separate from the dishes. I have a shed, but don't have enough yet to have to put any out there. Sandi

I have a room that is half sewing room, half DH's office. My "good stuff" was overrunning his space, so we installed a shelf 1 foot down from the 8' ceiling, which encircles the room. It is AMAZING what that will hold...just be SURE that it is securely bolted to the studs. In our case, we attached it to EVERY stud!! I also have two short walls with shelving that goes from chair rail height up to a foot below the top shelving. I can store quite a bit of stuff in that room, and still have space to sew, iron and wrap packages.
Now storage for my fabric cache.............that's a whole 'NOTHER story!!

jaybird, If I could add 1 room it would be a room like your sewing room. I would be in heaven. Sandi

Me TOO, Sandi! I need a whole 'nuther room! LOL Not that I have 8 sets of dishes, but if i'm here on this forum long enough, heaven only knows! I think Judith could become a 'dish enabler'.LOL

Jaybird, i'm a fabri-holic, and readily admit it! ;o)

patty_cakes

I am fortunate that I am still in our "large" house so I have a lot of room, however, I have so many Christmas decorations it has taken over the closets. I have an eleven foot long German Shrunk, which is wonderful for storage. It has a curved curio cabinet in the middle but has storage across the top, down one side, and across the bottom. I also have a dresser that is used as a credenza along one wall which I can use for some linens. One thing I do is store my tablecloths and linens on a hanger but I pad the hanger so there are no folds. The one place I have not used is under the bed and with all the things I have been buying, that will be the next place to fill up.

Timely post. I have DH's Grandmother's china in the china cabinet, my china in bottom of same cabinet. Covered cake plate, pitcher and 8 glasses are also in that cabinet as well as crystal bell, fancy butter dish, some clear plates and a couple knickknacks. Everyday dishes and glasses are kept in the kitchen. Additional stemware and some other pitchers and glassware are in a cabinet in the family room. Most of my figurines and knickknacks are already displayed on a shelving unit in the family room--seasonal items are stored in a box and kept in a small outside storage area. My laundry room, which is also my craft area, has one cabinet that is used as extra pantry space. Since joining this forum I realize that I NEED additonal decorative dishes and glassware, so I am thinking about rearranging the kitchen a bit to hold more of the "pantry"items. I also plan to clear an area on some shelving in our garage to house things like extra paper towels, picnic ware that is covered in plastic, etc. That will allow me to use that cabinet for extra dishes, glasses, figurines, etc. And here I thought I was going to start getting rid of things and pare down to just basics since we are almost retired! LOL

I posted on another thread that I have some of my dishes in the diningroom buffet, the new set in the bottom cabinet of the entertainment center, some in my upholstered corner bench in the kitchen...some under beds in plastic containers, my chargers are in those round cardboard hatboxes and my linens are in a trunk in the livingroom. I have some items displayed in my corner hut and the side hutches of the entertainment center but I need to desperatly reorganize. I have a hardtime getting rid of 'stuff' but I think with the spring cleaning I will do alot of that and hopefully gain some space to organize my dishes, glasses and figurines better...:)

Tamgypsy, I keep wanting to be "organized" and to "simplify", but then I work on a project or drag something new into the house, and find I need to "reorganize" again. It's not because I have downsized either--even in my larger condo, it was the same. I think our "collections" expand to fill any "void" no matter the size. LOL

I realized with the stacked plates, that I need a way to keep the types of items I could use on them all in one place--like a plastic bin. Then my actual holiday items can be kept together. Then to decorate, I could just pull out the holiday decs AND the other bin and be all set--well, except for probably wanting to go buy even more! ;o)

Luvs

After looking around, i've decided that i'm not as dis-organized as I thought I was. I only have 4 sets of dishes and they all have a 'home' of some sort. My everyday pink is on the hutch in the kitchen, a pink/green/ white floral is in an open shelf cabinet 'for show',along with vintage glassware, the better china, cream/gold rim, is in the cab above the fridge, and the new white, resting safely in the boxes it came in. LOL I have't decided IF I want to take it out just yet, as things may be changing on the homefront.

Other items I might use for the table are in a three-door armoire, which also houses the tv in the LR, and is behind the other two doors. This has got to be one of the best investments i've ever made! I had shelves put in for the tv, books, dvd's, and it's nicely displayed to be left open when the tv is on. The third door is a series of 6 drawers/3 shelves, so is almost like a closet itself. I keep a lot of my crystal/glassare, candlesticks, vintage porcelain(not being used), and odds and ends in there.

At the end of my upstairs hallway I have upper/lower cabs where the linens are kept, plus bigger tchokes(vases, figurines, etc., and smaller lamps) that can be used for tablescapes. All bedding, including extra, is in the bottom cabs.

The real 'stash' is under my four-poster bed that sits high enough that I can get some good size bins under there. LOL Thank goodness for bedskirts!!

For a condo, guess the storage situation isn't bad, it's just that the owner buys too much! ;o)

patty_cakes