How to Load a China Cabinet

Make a china cabinet a focal point in your dining room.

Fine china dinnerware adds style and sophistication to a meal. Whether you are hosting a holiday dinner or serving a romantic meal for two, setting the table with fine china can change the occasion from casual to formal. When this dinnerware is not in use, it's important to store it properly to avoid chips and breakage. A china cabinet is the ideal place to store these dishes, and the way you load it will not only ensure they are safe, but will also turn them into decorative pieces when not in use.

Things You'll Need

• Cleanser
• Soft cloth
• Cup hooks
• Felt squares

Instructions

1. Clean out the china cabinet. Whether you are reloading an existing cabinet or stocking up a new one, begin by cleaning the piece of furniture. Use a cleanser and a soft cloth to wipe down the shelves, wipe out the drawers and clean any glass panes. This will provide you with a clean environment to store your dishes.

2. Sort through your dishes. Organize items into piles -- dinner plates, dessert plates, saucers, cups, serving dishes and so forth.

3. Determine which pieces you want to showcase. Since the china cabinet not only serves as a piece of storage furniture, but also as a decorative display area, you may want the pattern of your china to be visible. Platters and dinner plates are ideal for this purpose, since they are larger and more visible.

4. Store the showcase pieces. Place platters or a few dinner plates standing up along the back of the shelves so that they're facing out.

5. Install cub hooks. Since the cups will dangle down, screw the hooks into the underside of the tallest shelves, leaving room for plate storage underneath.

6. Stack dishes with felt squares in between them to prevent any chipping. Create even stacks of dishes. Place the larger and heavier stacks and items on the bottom shelves of the china cabinet -- dinner plates, for instance. Store stacks of bowls and other lighter items on the top shelves.

7. Hang cups from the cup hooks after loading your dishes.

8. Fill the drawers. Store items such as cloth napkins, candles, utensils and coasters in the drawers. Organize them into neat piles so that they are easily accessible.

References

• Savvy Home Decorating: Organizing Your China Cabinet