I don't have a china cabinet. My dining room is too small, but even if I had the room, I don't think I'd get one. They look great when the china is in them, but what happens when you're using your dining room and your formal china? It seems like it would be weird to have a formal dinner in front of an empty display cabinet.

I mean no offense to those who love their china cabinets. I've just never really wanted one, which is good since I don't have the room!

Yes go to Raymour and Flannigan

http://www.raymourflanigan.com/china-cabinets.aspx?pcnid=3

I have sideboards and buffet/hutches but not a traditional large china cabinet. They are still made tho and there are various styles at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: china cabinets

I have a china cabinet and I love it. I bought mine a million years ago though.

Check Craigslist. In my area they're practically giving them away.

You could find some very nice ones at consignment furniture stores if they have them in your area. Ditto for armoires and four poster beds.

They must be out of fashion because in my area also, they're practically free on craigslist, just like armoires and pianos. And some of them are GOOD ones. (Not the pianos though.)

I've been looking for one too, but really don't have a spot due to my armoire collection. And that craigslist piano...

we sell a ton of china cabinets- painted and distressed. those are still in vogue.

I have one. My DR is too small for a vintage buffet since they tend to be very deep. My cabinet is narrow and tall, so I can take advantage of vertical space.

On top, I display tea cups and some extra dishes. The bottom holds the china (which I do not even use and did not want). I also have other items in the bottom (has solid doors). Mostly, I wanted it because I liked the way it looks.

I found mine on Craigslist.

Mine was my mother's, a George Smith mahogany cabinet. It is unusually shallow and I have the perfect place for it in the dining room. It holds my china and crystal and lots of other things, like ice buckets, pitchers, etc. If we are using all the china-- which doesn't happen too often---I put something else on the shelves, usually silver julep cups or something like. We also have a small buffet or tea server, which is a white and green painted piece with storage underneath behind two doors and a top that folds out at the sides for more serving space. It is inset with slate so hot chafing dishes would not harm it--- my mother ordered this from Baker with the slate as a custom feature, and they later sold the server with the slate as an option. It was really handy when we lived in a house where the dining room was a bit of a hike from the kitchen. Now, with our DR just across a hall from the kitchen, we rarely serve from it, which is too bad. Even so, I would never part with it as I would like to pass it to one of our children someday. But if none of them want these things I guess they could very well end up on Craigslist. I hope the grannies are not around to know it, though!

Right, Craigslist or a consignment store. You can probably get one really inexpensively.

We got ours with a DR set off eBay. Right now it holds more barware than China.

or try an antique store.

I have one...sort of inherited it with my second marriage. I would not buy a China Cabinet....I would prefer a buffet or enclosed server for my dishes...I do not like having to dust the inside of the china cabinet. Some of my dishes I have in a hall closet and they never need to be dusted.

I just picked up incredibly ugly 2 piece one free from a guy on craigslist. I really only want the top and I plan on painting it and putting it on top of another piece of furniture I already painted. Right now it is a fake Italian ( no disrespect to Italy!!!) ugly yellowish color. I'll probably just donate the bottom part of it to goodwill and someone else can fall in love with that! But the glass doors on top are kind of curvy, following the line of the top of the piece, and I like that. I may try wallpapering the inside a la Maison Decor. Haven't quite decided on that part yet.

We have a DR set purchased from an ebay seller a few years ago, including the china cabinet. Prior to that we had another style (French Provincial) that we bought new when we were newlyweds. We sold that on ebay. We have always liked the storage capacity. If you go to furniture stores you will find plenty of choices for china cabinets. Depending on the style you prefer you can find some nice pieces at antique stores and at consignment shops. Many people choose not to have a DR, opting instead for a multipurpose room. It really depends on your lifestyle and your needs. Here's ours (the china rotates on a regular basis, but the crystal and our finer wine glasses are always stored here). We also store our silverware here:

Ours is antique. It holds part of my collection(s) of red transferware, ruby red glass, old silver and crystal. Our china is not displayed in the china cabinet.

Another option is a hutch.

tina

Wow, so sounds like most of you are saying to go on Craig's List or antique stores... does that mean that china cabinets are almost considered outdated by most people?

That is interesting what bonnieann925 said about some people making the DR a multi-purpose room. We only use our dining room when we have dinner guests or hosting a family party (like Christmas, holidays, birthday gatherings, etc.) So we do use the dining room, but not often. With the hand-me-down buffet and table and chairs (which are all NOT at all my style) it looks empty. I have always envisioned having some sort of pretty french provincial china cabinet to display our Lenox china (all wedding gifts). This has always been a dream though because we figured to buy sets like these in department stores would cost a ton of money and we always seem to pour money into other projects/rooms.

Do people now get all of their perception of reality from Pottery Barn? If PB doesn't sell it, it doesn't exist? OMG.

Yes, people use china cabinets. And buy them. Anyplace that sells furniture has them.

There's a ton of PB on craigslist, too, so I guess no one shops there anymore, thank God.

Our dining room is tiny, so when we wanted a china cabinet we went to a store that sold furniture that could be customized. Basically what we got was a bookcase with solid doors on the bottom and glass doors on top. It was only about 15" deep, 24" wide, and 72" tall. So not a LOT of storage, but enough for us. I don't happen to like the look of traditional china cabinets so this option worked well for us.

We have a pass-thru area between the kitchen and the dining room with cabinets on each side with glass doors on top, and that's where I keep the china now. We sold the above cabinet when we converted our DR into a sorta-library.

Bonnieann925 I love your china cabinet. I purchased the top part of one from a consignment shop and thought it would be easy to find a bottom cabinet. Any suggestions of what I can use for the base/bottom part of my china cabinet??

Don't forget estate sales! I have seen gorgeous ones at estate sales for next to nothing.

Ours is MCM--Heywood Wakefield. I found the set for a great price on ebay--maybe because it was a newer seller no one bid on it, but I spent just as much getting it here. Since we have a small kitchen with not a lot of storage, this huge hutch really helped a lot. The glass doors are domed, and the top drawer has felt lining for silverware serving pieces.

thanks gscience chick! I'm planning to go to some yard sales this weekend! love your cabinet!

We've always just had a buffet, but I have seen some clever painted china cabinets lately that I would totally consider if I were in the market for such a thing. Our local thrift shops are full of old china cabinets that are fairly well designed with damaged finishes, and even I'm sometimes tempted to pick one up to play with.

I would have hated this one in the wood finish, for example, but I think that painted, it works very well in the house it's in (FL beach cottage):

It has been a few years I suppose but any furniture store I have ever been in display dinning rooms and the tables always have a matching china cabinet. Perhaps you are struggling finding one that does not "go with" a set? We lived without one in two different homes. I found it a nuisance to unearth my china when it was needed. I hoped we would use it more--if it were close. I too had little space and a husband whose attitude is 'if I can't build it, you don't need it'. I thought I was STUCK. One day a dear friend found one at a garage sale and game on, it is now in my dinning room. It is very small--but amazes me how much it holds. Most people I know do not display the dishes they might use for say a holiday meal. They display other collectables or favorite glass pieces. The display part is not empty as we sit and eat. It is beautiful to look at their treasures. Mine is full of champagne glasses--I collect different sorts and flower vases.

Ng71 thank you! Maybe you can find a buffet to match your china closet top. Mine is two pieces, so that might be an option. Check CL in your area.

I love china cabinets and didn't even realize they aren't being widely used these days. Here's mine. (Well, not this particular one, but mine's exactly like this.) It's filled with special dishes and pieces, many collected on trips to England. I've also displayed my Grannie's china doll in there -- kind of an odd place for a baby doll, but I wanted her to be completely safe from the whims of the cats!

I too have a china cabinet and purchased it at an antique store. It's the ubiquitous Duncan Phyfe mahogany, and I love it. It's plain, on the small side, and I keep my actual china in the bottom section and use the visible top shelves for my great aunt's collection of white ironstone, It (the cabinet) was much less expensive than a new one and is built much better than most.

Question for anyone.....

What to do in earthquake country. I inherited a beautiful set of China. I want to display it in a cabinet but fear quakes. Right now each piece is in a hand sewn flannel envelope on shelves in the buffet in short stacks. I love the look of china on display but maybe it's too risky in So CA. I'm glad China cabinets are still being appreciated. If you don't want it to look empty during dinner then buy more China! Or do like my aunt and put holiday decorations there during the party.

When I lived in SD, we felt the 'shakes' of several quakes. At the time I had a china cabinet as well as an old cabibet in the LR with curved glass doors. Even with the 5.6, I never had anything fall or break. The grooves for the plates are fairly secure it seems. Things that may only be leaning may not fair as well. I'm giving you the 'go ahead'! ;)

I got a really nice one off Craigslist. It was from an older couple that was downsizing and it had been her mother's. I assured her I would take good care of it and she hugged me! It was really inexpensive. I have a tiny kitchen, so it stores my cookbooks, KA mixer, vacuum sealer, little crock pot. I also display my cast iron collection in it, and it's easily accessible when I want to use that collection.

I suspect one significant reason they're used less these days is that the typical tract home has a pretty small dining room. Even in larger houses, footage is allocated to larger kitchens, significantly larger garages, and large master suites, at least 4 bedrooms/potential office spaces, with several bathrooms. (And a large chunk is, of course, often a "bonus" space on the second floor over attached garages.) This all, but those big main-floor garages especially, doesn't leave much room for the active living areas. Even the living and family rooms these days can usually hold only one seating group, but open plans let people spread into adjacent areas. Not so hutches--everyone knows they go by the dining table. :)

I like China cabinets - my parents had one and I don't remember it ever looking denuded when they used the good China. Probably because I doubt they ever used all the place settings.

My brother got the cabinet when they downsized to an apartment - I didn't have the space. Just as well. Knowing me, I'd fill it... nature abhorring a vacuum and all.

I do have a nice corner cabinet which could serve as a small variant of a China cabinet. It is currently in my dining nook (and will move to a corner in my future LR when I move). While I keep China in the bottom unseen half, I display keepsakes like a few Hummel figurines, a hand-painted plate I made years ago, and various other keepsakes behind the upper glass. In other words, no dining China is on display. Just momentos I like that I fear the cats might like - in the wrong way - too.

shanghai mom,

Does your "bubble hutch" have a maker's mark? That is the style I like and I need a label to search for it. TIA!

I'd just like to add that if you live in an area with a lot of auctions, that is a great place to pick up a good quality one. That's where my mom got the one I inherited. I think she maybe play $150 bucks for it and it probably cost over 1K new.

mom2sulu,

If you google "antique bubble glass china hutch", you'll see several hutches for sale which are nearly identical to mine. Chairish, etsy, even consigned on Houzz. There's a listing on Etsy from Millhouse antiques for only $850. You may even be able to find one near your metro area--it seems they are plentiful! (-:

Good luck and happy hunting!

shanghaimom,

Thanks so much! You did my shopping for me. :)

I so appreciate your willingness to help out and love your style. Thanks again!

I have a china cabinet in Calgary Canada that belonged to my grandparents. I think it's lovely, but our house is too small.