About Curio Cabinets
If you think curio cabinets are for fussy figurines and old ladies, think again.The curio cabinet is an artful piece of furniture designed just to display, spotlight and enhance artful objects. Whether you want a contemporary curio cabinet or an antique one, and whether you want to display a collection or a random assortment, a curio can be a beautiful accent piece in your home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Origin
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The word "curio" comes from "curious," of course. When the sultan sent the king a valuable treasure to add to his collection, it went into the curio room where unusual, rare and historic curiosities were displayed. Royal cabinetmakers were commissioned to design and build beautiful cabinets with sparkling glass doors just to show off and protect these treasures. Thus the curio cabinet was born. These timeless wonders now have adjustable shelves, interior lighting and a vast array of wood finishes and styles, but even today, they house items of great beauty or significance.
Renaissance
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Everything was more intricate, more detailed, and more lavish during the Renaissance. Ornate curio cabinets displayed valuable artwork, pottery and jeweled items of the day. The attention to beauty and detail in the curio cabinet sometimes overshadowed the actual collector's pieces being displayed. And that is still a consideration today: Is the curio cabinet more important than its contents? Or vice versa?
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Modern
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When the curio cabinet design is stark, the contents come into sharp focus. If the lines of the cabinet are unusual, the cabinet becomes a piece of art in itself. A bold, modern artistic statement would not be at home in many styles of decor. In this modern cabinet, the interior lighting, mirrored back and glass see-through shelves gives the appearance of objects that are floating and delicate.
Purpose
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Your curio cabinet should have a purpose, and not be a catch-all. Here we see a unified collection of blue and white china and accent pieces shown to their best advantage in a well-lit curio cabinet with a mirrored back. Imagine if every item were a different color or theme--the beautiful display would be a hodgepodge. Because of the mirroring, the objects must be arranged to look attractive from both sides. This style of cabinet has a rather formal look, and it goes well in a formal dining room. Belying its traditional feel, the glass door slides out and open both ways and is very modern in function.
Features
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Here are some desirable features you may want: Adjustable shelving lets you arrange tall and short objects where you think they look best by adjusting shelf height. Many cabinets come with levelers and clips that lock the shelves in place where you want them. Choose a 2-way sliding glass door if available, so you will have access to the contents of the curio from either side. A lock pull is a decorative element that is also very practical, as it gives you a way to pull the door open. You may want to protect the contents of your curio cabinet. If it has doors on each side as well as the front, you will need more locks built in. Be sure to illuminate your collectibles in a cabinet with energy efficient, natural looking halogen lighting, and a mirrored cabinet back to reflect their beauty.
Style
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Some curio cabinets have beveled glass doors, with angled edges rather than flat ones. This is a more elaborate look. Cabriole legs are found on old and new style cabinets, raising the piece and its contents off the floor, which makes it more dominant. This is very dramatic in a room with tall ceilings. You may want the look of distressed, aged wood, or a formal semi-gloss finish. Review the furniture you have in your home now, and decide if you want to carry out the decor theme in your curio cabinet or try a contrasting look and color. Now you are ready to find the curio cabinet perfect for you.
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Resources
- Photo Credit A pillar curio cabinet, digimarc
