Yesterday was a day inside out of the heat… and so, some restyling happened. I originally set out thinking I wanted to declutter some of the china in the 14.5′ long.
Antique Cupboard
You see, all those thrifting Thursdays have been adding bits of fabulous plates, pitchers, tchotchkes and the like to the cabinet. Which, is okay in small amounts- but sometimes, it just gets to be a bit too busy looking. And as much as I am a collector and love to have pretty things all around- I do like ‘quiet’ in my rooms as well. That breathable room in a design that feels less cluttered and busy makes a big difference in the overall.
Remember this cupboard when we first brought it home? I was tempted to just leave it. likes. that . without anything on the shelves because it looked so pretty as it was. You can read more about the story of this cupboard HERE
Dining Room Cupboard
But also, I needed a bit of a reset to get the cabinet looking fresh. So, we pulled everything out. As in every glass, teacup, platter, plate, candlestick- you name it. This was what it looked like in autumn with lots of white dishes and pretty little pumpkins.
Tip: When restyling shelves or cupboards- remove everything for a clean slate and add back only what you feel fits.
We started out by taking everything out of the bottom cupboard areas. We tossed what we didn’t need, made a pile of donations and a box of seasonal storage that could be moved. And then we reorganized the glasses and plates to be stored on those bottom shelves and found a whole lot of new room on all those upper shelves. Which is amazing. And then what started as a simple project for a photo backdrop turned into something different.
A new look
When my daughter and her fiancé moved into the cottage- we took all of our things out- including all the books on the bookshelves out there. And so, I had about 5 big boxes of antique books in the back room that were looking for somewhere to land. And land they did.
Antique Cupboard Library
Yep, we did it. We brought the books out and started stacking them on the shelves. Stacks, layers, lined up books- and a few simple pots or bits to break it up as well. As I mentioned, we were actually going to style just one section of the cupboard with the books for a backdrop for a few photoshoots I am working on – but we went for it and did the whole shebang. As you can see, we have a few missing spots currently- so, we filled them with a few jars and other bits for the photos to fill up the cupboard a bit more. And so, they will be taken out when we get some books to fill those spots and then we can wrap up the photos.
They are a colorful view from the door when you are walking into the room- and side note- we are finishing the trim for the raw wood opening to the hallway- so pardon the construction mess there.
Here it is with the glass doors open so that you can see them a little better – lots of light reflections in all those glass doors!
I would love to turn them around and see those beautiful gold and worn pages- it would be a little more ‘quiet’ for my taste too. But I do love the vintage book spines too.
Just a heads up- I don’t know how long they will stay this way -I miss all the dishes if I was to be honest about it. But for now it works well for a couple of photoshoots I am working on so it will stay for a bit.
What do you think of the ‘library’ in the dining room?
Happy Monday everyone.