Sometimes a small change can have a big impact.

Rearranging the contents of this deep built-in china cabinet to showcase some of the home owners favorite things was on our list of projects this week. Armed with a variety of easels and stands, we set to work!

This client has an extensive collection of china, silver, and crystal pieces – some family heirlooms – like the silver pitcher she grew up pouring her milk from for breakfast each morning, and others collected over the years. She had a china cabinet full of pieces and had brought more of her favorites out of storage and gathered them on the table for our perusal.

We remembered to take the 'before' picture below after we had already emptied the bottom shelf of myriad small teacups, salts, and little crystal dishes and had just started setting it up with the gorgeous cobalt china tea set.  The top two shelves contained symmetrically arranged china all lined up in rows, and the third shelf contained a lovely collection of demitasse cups, but such small scale items on such a deep shelf made it hard to appreciate them.

The trim in this dining room and thus on the exterior of the china cabinet is a rich warm gumwood and the interior is painted – soon to be re-painted with interior side and back walls in a metallic leaf finish - can't wait to see it completed!

The new contents of the china cabinet echo the rich colors in the oriental carpet on the floor with its cobalt blues, aqua greens and rich coral tones.

Carefully editing the contents, varying the heights, standing plates and trays as backdrops, and distributing the finishes and shapes for balance give the new cabinet arrangement a more curated look.

Best of all, our client is delighted to have some of her favorite treasures beautifully displayed!