Dishing on Dishes

This evening I'm in the market for a china cabinet. I've never owned one before, but I do have a glass front cabinet that my first teenage boyfriend presented to me on my 18th birthday for the purpose of displaying a small music box collection which now resides in my office. He built it in his basement, and it has followed me through countless apartments and houses over the last 27 years. Though it began its life stained in a dark brown, it has since been many different colors including white, yellow, red, black, and tan. In addition, it has had numerous flowers, butterflies, and vines painted (both stenciled and freehand) on its sides and down its center. The glass doors have been the recipients of faux stained glass treatments, lacy contact paper, interior curtains, and spray on window frosting. Needless to say, this piece of furniture - which gets reinvented every time I change jobs - has seen better days. In addition it has reached the point that it just doesn't fit in with its surroundings any longer. It isn't really big enough to hold very much, and it isn't pretty enough to look good in my kitchen. Thus, it's time for something new.

I'd like something in a lovely country white with large glass doors, multiple drawers, and covered storage beneath. You know, the kind that shows up in Country Living photo shoots. Of course, I'd also like new kitchen cabinets to match, but those aren't in my future at the moment (I must admit I am lobbying for them along with the granite counter top I fell in love with at Lowe's. So far, I have the layout drawn to scale and just need to price it all out.) My thought is to put this china cabinet next to a large kitchen window that is flanked by cabinetry on the other side, and then build a window seat connecting the two parts of the kitchen and giving the china hutch a built in feel.

Why, you might ask, is this suddenly necessary? Actually, there's nothing "sudden" about it. Over the past year or two I have accumulated multiple serving dishes and quite a bit of bar ware in response to our increased entertaining. In addition, my parents have passed on to me a set of antique dishes (double phoenix Nikko ironware service for 12) along with some Fostoria glassware (service for 4) none of which fits in my tiny, rustic, glass front cabinet and is currently ensconced in several boxes amid layers of newspaper. This will never do, especially since I'm considering have a dinner party just so I can use those dishes.

It's funny how our tastes change over the years. I never thought I'd want a large china cabinet or that I'd have anything to put into it. Now, every time I visit my parents I admire my mother's collection of Fitz and Floyd on display in her own china hutch and long to see those kinds of decorative soup tureens, pitchers, and serving bowls on my own table. In some ways, I feel like I've finally grown up.