It's too . . . what's the word I want? Too studied? Too symmetrical? I doubt I could do any better, but I would try to make it look more casually arranged.

It IS pretty, but yes...calculated as far as arrangement. I actually hate to say that because it would have taken me FOREVER to achieve that kind of symmetry.

I think you should give it some time, some use, and it will end up charmingly arranged in a not so studied way - as graywings described.

I like it a lot, but I think you need bigger peices of white, plates or platters on their side maybe?

Nice color!!

I agree with the "studied" idea, there really is too much order. One thing I would suggest is to take the tall crystal things off the top shelf and put them on the counter top. And mix it all up a little bit. The cherry pump thing is fabulous as are those white boxes...

I agree with the first two posters as well. Much as I have a love for symmetry, this seems too purposeful, if that makes sense. Perhaps adding some other interesting pieces, such as a board with meaningful words or adding a number/initial that has meaning to you to one of the items? Link below. Or you could add in some pieces, such as a ceramic bird or some animal that you like. Perhaps even a real succulent plant here and there? Your kitchen is beautiful and you have some great pieces!

Here is a link that might be useful: numbered jars

I think you might try grouping like things together for more impact. I think what I don't like now is it is a long string of single things. Give me bunches.

See how this looks.

Put all of the cake plates, pedestal servers, and tureens and trifles on the top shelves.

Put all of the pinkish porcelains in the middle.

Stacking dishes on the bottom shelves.

Move the cherry smash and large box to be more to the sides, lined up about where the lower doors come together.

Maybe add in some cook books and a few photos too.

I think it would look better to group more of the green things together on one shelf with some of the white/cream things here and there. On the next shelf group mostly white things with just a bit of green here and there. It looks too bitty with the white green white green white green thing especially being that some of the objects are so small. It would look really fantastic with a few more (meatier) shiny silver or pewter pieces.

first, the important thing is YOU like, as you have stated.

To me, it looks very Martha Stewart-y, which isn't a bad thing, but it might be a good resource to look at. She has lots of collections and low-key color schemes like that, so you might find some inspiration on how to pull it together.

I love your vintage cabinets! What IMO is missing are plates and platters standing vertically behind the other pieces. I would try that before changing anything as I think you have arranged things well, they just need a backdrop.

If you have a plate groove they will stand, otherwise you can wedge them with the dishes or use a plate stand.

I actually like the symmetry. Mostly, I think the shelves aren't quite full enough vertically and you need to have more weight at the counter level.

I love your kitchen. I agree with everyone else make it a little more random looking. Maybe by putting the things in the order that they would be used most? Plates, coffee cups ect. on lower shelves than the seldom used things. Some large platters would look great as well.

I just have to say that I love your cabinets - the whole kitchen. So beautiful.

I love your space. I agree with more vertical things across the back. That, and group things just a bit more instead of it sort of in a line. You are going to have fun with this - what a great space!
I just emptied two china cabinets in anticipation of the start of our remodel. Why didn't I take a photo?? I tortured myself over the arrangement, and finally got it right with the help of my sister. But, I think I'll remember!

All the shelves have basically a pyramid arrangement with groups of five types of items. Something tall in the middle with lower things on the sides. How about doing something different with alternating shelves? For instance, on the middle shelf on the left, put the tall coffee pot on the left. Take on of the glass cake stands and put it on the right and put the two swans on top of it to give it a little height. Then find something long and low, or 3 low items the same and fill in the middle. That will break up the line of 1 tall thing in the middle of each shelf. On the other side, you could change the top and bottom shelf to something similar. It will look balanced, but not quite as planned. As others have suggested, groups and maybe some other items that are not dinnerware or serving pieces would be nice.

I have to say, your space is lovely, and I am wishing for the type of display space you have.

Here's a quick photoshop change to one shelf. My skills aren't great, but you can get the idea. Have fun arranging, and I'm sure it will look wonderful when you are done.

Shelving like yours is so hard to decorate. I'm still working on mine! lol

I like the upper shelf arrangements, but it's the counter that looks off. What about a grouping of cookbooks on one side, it doesn't have to fill the whole space, and put the two large items together on the other side?

Whe you have lare dinners you can always remove things from the counter.

A good book is Country Living's "500 Kitchen Ideas."

nice sharing.

Thank you all for taking a look, for the compliments, and for the suggestions.

'Studied...calculated...symmetrical,' I think this is what I was feeling when I asked if it was too fussy. I'll try breaking up the pattern/symmetry as in AnnaC54's example. LOL, VioletWest, I almost asked if it was "Too Martha?"

I have some larger white matte pieces that I can't currently find--they've been packed away since before the kitchen facelift, but I could use some of them for a little more bulk. The cabinets are out of an old high school, so they have no grooves for china display, and the height of the shelves barely allows for small platters to be stored upright. I have a few extra dinner plates that I could lean against the back of the cabinet, without taking them down each time, and I could add low trim strips toward the back to keep the plates from slipping. Actually, that would be a good rainy-day project.

In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, this needs to function well. We have frequent large gatherings (20-24), so the china and serving pieces have to be easy to remove and replace without moving other pieces. The meal (except dessert) is served from the kitchen counter, buffet style--I'm already moving the flour/sugar jars, and the bread box from that counter, so I don't want to have to move items from the DR buffet counter. Also, if there are only two large pieces on the DR counter (Cherry Smash dispenser and bread box), it's easy to lift the stacks of china to the counter, decide what I need, then replace the ones I don't need. The selected pieces can be left on the counter, then at the last minute I, or a volunteer, can 'grab and go.' I don't mean to make these dinners sound like big productions; it's only family, but every time-saving measure helps.

I'll do some rearranging, then post new pics, if my recently sketchy internet service permits. I googled 'white pottery on shelves' and found some beautiful examples (including Martha's ;).

Thank you all for the links and suggestions for other items. I'd like to use what I have on hand, especially the serving pieces, which will have to be stored elsewhere if they aren't displayed on the shelves. Here is an old pic of some of the white pottery I have packed away--I'm afraid they are in the spare room, buried behind my boomerang DD's piles of boxes and junk. :[

Gorgeous kitchen -- and wonderful cabinets! AND homemade pie -- heaven! :)

I love rotating-and-reorganizing stuff on my kitchen cabinet -- so much fun! :)

Check out pinterest -- there may be pin boards with even more inspiration photos! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Pinterest kitchen shelves display ideas

teacats, thank you for the link--I found several great examples on that site.

I've decided that if decorating is a pattern language, I speak fluent symmetry. Trying to break away from that pattern, I came up with a (somewhat) more random arrangement. Also removed most of the glass pieces, since the green of the beadboard made them look greenish, too--not enough contrast.

I pulled out the platters, added a few silver pieces, and stacked more china. In this pic I moved the dispenser and bread box, and added a large glass cake plate, which happened to be out on the kitchen counter (LOL, still had PB cooky crumbs in it.) Also added a live plant--not sure how happy it will be up there, but it looks pretty. These changes were suggested upthread--thank you all very much!

In this shot I put the largest platter on the counter, with a cheese dome to hold it steady, but it probably won't stay there. Switched the bread box back to the other side:

Longer view--please excuse the disenfranchised glassware on the table ;) :

What do you think? An improvement, or too much stuff/too many platters? And in case anyone wants to photoshop, here's an older pic with nothing on the shelves. Thank you!

For some reason, I expect to see cookbooks on the bottom shelf.

I do like what you have done on your last set of pictures.

Thank you, xamsx. Cookbooks--all books--in my home are expert at sneaky, subversive, middle-of-the-night proliferation.

For that reason, all the favorites are corralled in the kitchen, between the large cabinet, and the wall. (See kitchen pic, above.) The overflow are housed in the base cabinet, which, after all, came from a school--they must feel right at home. If I find another cookbook that deserves a space on the shelf, one of my old friends must be banished belowdecks. ;)

Your new arrangement looks beautifully balanced. Not too symmetrical, or studied, but not randomly hodge-podge. Balanced. Very nice.

The plant looks nice, adds another shape to all the rounds and ovals, and another color. Do you have a piece of the kids' artwork, a sculpture kind of thing, for the right side?

Mama Goose...YOU? Blah? LOL

I love your arrangement, but I tend to arrange things that way, too. The only thing I would say is that it's very pretty and recedes a bit, with the monochromatic scheme. If you want to bring in some color, add a few details during the holidays (my mom loves green and that's what she does). Orange and gold for now, red and gold for Christmas, pastels in spring and maybe daisies and lavender in the summer. Just an idea :)

Adding the platters and silver and subtracting the glass made all the difference. Looks great!!! Could the cookbooks you use all the time live on the counter?

LOL to you, lavender. :) I was thinking that decorating for Christmas would be a cinch, with all the white and silver.

bpathome, do you mean the right top corner of the right-hand cabinet, or the right side of the left-hand cabinet? I can use either the mate to the McCoy urn (top middle, left cabinet), or the antique water jar with the rabbit, which has a flower painted on the opposite side. You can see the rabbit/flower jar, center right, in one of the first pics.

bac717, I built that kitchen shelf especially for my favorite cookbooks--point of use, you know. I can go through my other cookbooks, and pick out a few to try on the counter. Or, I can look through my old books for those with foods in the titles ... The Grapes of Wrath, Corn Huskers, and Dandelion Wine come to mind. :)

Thank you all for your kind words, encouragement, and great advice.

mama_goose, I was thinking maybe the 2nd shelf down, right side of the right hand cabinet. (Top shelf=symmetry LOL!) necessarily green, but a color. Love your book choices!

I love your bookcase. You're so lucky to have so many beautiful pieces to put in it. I know exactly what you are going through, as I have bookshelves all across one wall in my living room and it took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get it right. I was trying for "organized disarray" I guess and it drove me nuts until I hit the right "balance" - I'm the same way with lighting - it has to be just right or the room is "off" somehow! The only thing I would suggest would be to break it up with some non-dishware/serving pieces. Maybe a stack of books somewhere, a few framed family pictures, or pictures of fruit or outdoor scenes, little statues, big jars with colorful things in it - things that would make it look a little less planned out. It is so hard to get it right but when you do you will know it right away!

I really like the cabinet in all iterations, and one thing to keep in mind is ... you need to have it to use, you are not doing a photo shoot. Sometimes you have to cave to function!

That said, Id group like items for impact. For example, maybe all of those large white over platters together, all of the silver together. I do like more upright pieces; the beauty here is the white contrast against the lovely celery color.

I really love the over all look of your cabinets, but when I look at your pictures I feel you need a couple red pieces. You have some red in your other cabinet, so I think that is what is lacking in this one.

Wow - what a difference the rearrangement made! Your cabinets are beautiful and the new arrangements look just right. I suddenly have the urge to rearrange shelves...

Thank you all for the suggestions. Since the DR is open to the kitchen, I really need to use this cabinet for china storage. As mtnrd mentioned, it first has to be functional.

The colors in my pics must be slightly off--the only red in the kitchen is the KA mixer (which, admittedly, does have a huge presence), a couple of cookbook spines, and a Blenko glass pear, which I added so the the KA wouldn't be alone. I am not one who likes red--there is nothing else red in my house, with the exception of books and the grands' toys. The mixer is red only because it was a great deal on CL--my first choice would have been apple green.

That said, I decided to play with some color, so if you are still interested, read on. I switched out the bread box in some pics, and tried some books on the counter. Here I borrowed a couple of things to add some red:

Dark orange/terra cotta:

Bright orange:

Yellow:

Floraline green:

Aqua:

(Sorry, no indigo or violet--I'm not a fan of purple, either, except in irises and pansies.)

Finally, everything is back the way it was, with some red books and the slightly smaller white bread box on the counter:

I think I'll keep this arrangement for awhile, even though it kinda' reminds me of a display in a bridal shop. Maybe it's the 1930's style 'tunnel of love' swans. :)

This post was edited by mama_goose on Mon, Sep 9, 13 at 22:03

jreuter, thank you--after pulling books off of shelves today, I have the urge to dust!