Tuesday, June 1, 2010

It's Quite Overwhelming!

This picture is displaced. You will see an explanation below. Anyway, it's the bottom cabinet of the French buffet in the dining room and it is a storage for more plate chargers, placemats and servers.


Whenever I create a tablescape and post it, it never fails for someone to ask where I keep everything. I am sure a lot of you tablescapers get that question too. That's why The Tablescaper at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/ decided to host a meme, "Where Do You Keep It All?". Now we have a chance to show you and respond to your inquiry.
Taking pictures was really quite overwhelming. I did not realize I had so much. Everytime I thought I was done, I would think of yet another storage. I tried to create a lot of mosaics to lessen the pictures that I post but it is still a lot. I hope you don't mind the numerous pictures but this is the only way I can show you everywhere I store things. It is a lot of dinnerware, flatware, table linens and accessories. The only place I did not take pictures of is the attic where I also keep some seasonal dinnerware.
I am also linking with Susan of http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com for Tablescape Thursday since these are stuff I use for tablescaping.



Let's start in the laundry room. This is convenient because the room is right next to the kitchen. As a matter of fact, I use it as a kitchen extension too since I keep my microwave there, a small freezer and my rice cooker.

You probably have seen this. It is my newly found storage. It used to be a broom closet, now converted to a charger plates storage.




As you can see, I also store a set or sets of goblets in every shelf, behind the charger plates. The bottom shelf (floor) has various candle holders.



Inside the cabinet above the dryer, I store some salad plates, more candle holders, sugar and creamer server, more glasses, tea towels and table runners.


All the boxes in the lower shelf contain different sets of flatware. In between the boxes are paper napkins.



Below the cabinets are 2 smaller decorative shelves with table accessories and S & P shakers.





Now, we are in the kitchen.


This is my coffee nook. The cabinet above contains our everyday glasses and mugs and different coffee flavors. John is a diet coke addict and he likes to use those big plastic cups (I hate them but shhhh, don't tell John!) because he pours 2 cans at once. I wouldn't dare complain cause after all, he lets me buy all the dishes that I want.


The bottom shelf stores my Johnson Bros. Friendly Village set and another tea set. I have a Friendly Village tea set too but I keep it in its box in the garage.
I don't know if you see it but I have a set of burgundy red handled flatware in a rack at the left corner of the counter.


The picture on the right of the mosaic below is a cabinet under the kitchen counter. I keep serving dishes there. The left side is just a close up of the Friendly Village set. The bottom is a large under counter cabinet that contains a lot of more plate chargers, lots of serving pieces, mostly Princess House stuff including mugs and bowls.
In the left drawer below, I keep our everyday flatware (sorry I forgot to open it) and on the right drawer, our everyday placemats.
Above the kitchen counter, I keep soup tureens, large pitchers and some bunny and duck servers including a clay baker. Above the frig. are chafing dishes, tea set and biscuit storage crocks.


Inside the cabinet, I keep our everyday dishes including a birdhouse tea pot and plates and I also the the green bunny Bordallo Pinheiro plates and bowls there.
I am not done in the kitchen yet but I had to insert this because I just remembered to take pictures of it after I already posted storage from the other rooms.


This is in the family room. Our TV stand is actually a buffet chest because we wanted something tall to put the TV on since we recline when we watch.


The top drawer has silver demitasse spoons, hors de ouvres forks, a few silver salt cellars and some silver utensil servers. I did not show you the middle drawer but we store our dvd's there.


The bottom drawer has some square charger and my American Atelier "Paradise" charger plates and also some margarita glasses.



The picture on the right of the mosaic is actually what is inside of the left cabinet, more dinner and salad plates, bowls and candlesticks holder.



Back to the kitchen, in a little wall by the kitchen sliding door is a small cabinet with small pull out drawers, where I keep the napkin rings and place card holders.


Here is a close up of what is in the drawers.





On the right side of the kitchen TV stands a flatware chest. It stores 4 sets of flatware: Napoleon bee, bone handle, black with pewter like handles and one with a hunt scene.

In the kitchen breakfast nook, there is a small console cabinet.


I keep domed servers, vases and other stuff there.
This is a china cabinet in the kitchen where I store mostly my Polish pottery collection. On top is a crystal punch bowl, a Polish pottery soup tureen, ruffled servers and domed flowered server.



The drawers have Polish pottery bakers and mugs, salt cellars and the cups belonging to the dinnerware set stored in the right side of the bottom cabinet "Cameo Florals".



The bottom left of the china cabinet has my Princess House Pavilion dishes and on the right are the cameo florals, some salad plates in another pattern and a ceramic hen egg server.



I keep some cloth napkins in that basket. Under the basket is an antique Asian rice storage.



I have plates hanging in walls also.



In the corner by the entry to the wet bar is a small glass pedestal where I store different sets of wine and champagne glasses and crystals.



Inside the bar are more crystals and glassware.



Ok, now let's move into the formal dining room. We will go clockwise. In this corner is a small corner cabinet that holds Johann Haviland "Brown Rose" serving dishes and coffee set on the top shelf. The plates and bowls are in the other corner china cabinet which I will show soon. The bottom shelf of this cabinet has a fine china made in Poland with a pattern called "Warvel". The covered server is part of the Brown Rose set. On top is a dome that holds our "Lion head" flatware, and a Sevres compote and 2 sets of S & P shakers.



In between the windows is a French buffet. I keep crystal stemware behind the glass doors and Thai brass flatware. I have a 24 place settings of this so they can't all fit in the drawer. I have the rest still in their wooden box in the attic.




Oh no, I missed loading a picture of what's in the bottom cabinet. I will add the picture on top.



We'll go to another china cabinet in the corner. The top stores a lot of S & P shakers. Behind the glass doors are my Vogue china set and 2 other sets of salad plates (Limoges crowns and Butterfly quilt), some blue and white cups and other servers.


Ooops, here is another displaced picture. This is the bottom of the tall corner china cabinet that you will see later.


It holds the Johann Haviland "Brown Rose" plates, bowls, cups and saucers and also our gold and platinum Greek key border plates, cups and saucers and Hammersley "Bird of Paradise" set which includes a butter dish.



In another corner of the dining room is a small French cabinet. I am using the top to store more S & P shakers and the drawers are filled with 2 sets of flatware, the orange handled ones and the pierced ones.
The server also holds 2 sets of coffee and tea sets, a silver plated one and pewter.



Now I will show you my favorite dish storage of them all, a French Provincial multi doored cabinet. You wouldn't believe how many sets of dishes I am able to store here. Let me see if I can remember all the patterns:


Homer Laughlin "Cavalier Eggshell"


Spode "Shima"


American Atelier "Paradise"


Square dishes with English and Parisian scenes


American Heritage Millenium Collection


various white dishes


Bavarian Tirschenreuth "Rosemont" china set


White Oval "Baroque" made in Portugal


Tracy Porter's "Artesian"


Spode's Blue and White dishes


Jungle themed dishes


Octagonal dishes with bamboo edges set


Robin blue Abigail dish set





Next comes an occassional table I am using to store more tea sets and servers. I also have a blue and white toile salad plates in round boxes under the green teapot in the bottom shelf.




The bottom shelf has a large mermaid tray with a mermaid pitcher and cups and mermaid candle holders.


This is the tall corner cabinet. Behind the glass doors are my antique Tirschenreuth green, gold and white dishes with multi colored flowers and the gold and platinum edged Greek key Bavarian fine china.


I have shown you a close up and description of what's in the bottom cabinet above.





We are done with the dining room and we go to the foyer next. I have a console cabinet here which holds napkins in the top drawer.

I used to store my napkin rings in that top drawer until I realized a better storage for them which I have had all along.



The bottom holds my black and platinum plates by Biltmore "Holland Platinum" and Spode's "Emma's Garland" set including plate chargers and tea set and a gold and white vintage tea set.


Now we are in the family room. This is our newly acquired china cabinet.
It holds my flow blue dishes, more Tirschenreuth plates cups, saucers, goblets and coffee sets.


Now, we are in the hallway. At the bottom of the built in doll cabinet are tablecloths.


The bookcase holds a lot of my table accessories. The bottom cabinet holds table linens: tablecloths, napkins, placemats and runners. Above the cabinet holds trays, serving bowls and cake pedestals.



I ran out of room inside the house so I have stuff in the garage too.


Have you ever seen triangular plates? Well, I have some, lol. See them below.
I also have more buffet servers with warmers on the lower shelf that you do not see.


There's my Johnson Bros, Friendly Village tea set. Do you see a white door on the left of the bottom picture? That leads to a walk in closet.



And it stores more dishes on the shelves. Some of the boxes of dish sets are not even open yet. I see some blue and white ones, a Blue Willow tea set, Lenox Christmas cardinal china set, Brookshire
and some dishes that I packed away. I have pictures of most of what's in the plastic bins.




Whew! That was a big job posting this. I did not realize at first but it was 5 AM by the time I got done. I hope you didn't get exhausted from viewing it. Thanks for having the patience, lol.


Thanks to the Tablescaper and Susan for hosting these parties. You should go visit them and their participants and see lots of creative tables and storage.

61 comments:

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

Hi Christine,
That noise you hear is me gasping!!! How you keep it so amazingly organized is beyond me.
Gorgeous stuff! You could outfit a department store!
Hugs and how was the visit with Jane and Al?
Cindy

Debbiedoos said...

Christine you really blew me away with this...wow, that is some major organization, and the amount of dishes and stemware!~ It is all beautiful, and what I love most, is you actually use it and enjoy it!

Glenda/MidSouth said...

WOW!! That is a lot of tableware!!
You are more organized than I am - I would not be able to remember where everything was stored.
Have a great week.

Sevenbeads said...

I really like the idea of putting a picture on the storage tote box. I may be running with that idea! Great photos ... thanks for inviting us in!

Tricia said...

What an incredible collection you have! Thank you so much for taking time to share it with us -- just fascinating! I always enjoy your tablescapes!

Rettabug said...

Oh boy...I can tell I'm a real beginner compared to you & the Tablescaper!! What WONDERFUL collections you have, Christine & I swear, your storage cases are just as beautiful as their contents.
I NEED a flatware chest like yours, as I now have 5 sets. *blush*

This really IS a sickness, isn't it? LOL I hope I never recover! :D

Thanks for showing us all your stash.

BTW, next time you forget a picture, just load it at the top, then click on it to highlight it, hit control & the letter c at the same time to copy it, then you can hit delete to get rid of it at the top & scroll down to where you want it to be, then hit control and the letter v to paste it into the correct position. I do it ALL THE TIME!!! :/

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Christine, you sure do have a lot of stuff. At least you have a lot of neat places to put it all.

Lori @ Dining Delight said...

What fun looking at all your storage places for those gorgeous dishes/pretties! Thanks for taking the time to share it all! I really NEED TO GO SHOPPING after looking at your collection! Here I thought I had some dishes but apparently, I've only begun! Thanks for making me feel good!

DD

Beth said...

Wow, Christine, what a collection you have! I'm amazed! Love your green stemware and your gold flatware, and what a collection of napkin rings and chargers! My, my goodness! I am totally amazed. I'm just a beginner but I have learned to thrift and to find good buys on E-bay - all thanks to blogging.
Hugs and blessings, Beth

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Wow is all I can say! I love your storage areas and the great way you have it organized. I am very impressed.

Queenie's Vintage Finds said...

What a beautiful collection of tableware! You are so organized too...I did wonder where you kept it all at...now I know :)
Girlfriend, I think you are definitely the hostess with the most pretty tableware :)

Thanks for sharing more of beautiful Natchez in the post below...and those boys are precious.
Hope you have a beautiful week Christine!
Big Hugs,
Queenie

Kathleen said...

Lordy! My finger is about to fall off from scrolling through all your stuff! I am making a lost for Blondie..
Who needs a broom..great idea for the chargers!
We are really sick..but you are very very very sick! LOL

Traci said...

WOW you really have a lot of stuff! I have some Polish pieces. Just a couple & they look a lot like yours but mine are Christmas. It could be some sort of imitation. It was a gift so I'm not sure.

Anonymous said...

Lord, have mercy!! Oh, Christine! I'm overwhelmed! Look at all your dishes and the places you can stash them! Wow! I love all of your beautiful cabinets, your gorgeous dishes and your pretty home! I've got to quite coveting. I really do! :)
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Cynthia@ITLLDO said...

Yikes!!! How do you know which plates to use each day???? Your collection is amazing!

ellen b. said...

Oh Christine...you have so many lovely things and then such beautiful pieces of furniture to keep them in. Your house must be huge! Loved seeing all your special spots to store your things in...

Unknown said...

Wonderful organization skills, this was just an amazing post. You have so many beautiful things.
Thanks for sharing.
Sandy

susan said...

Christine-When I saw that you had linked to the party I couldn't wait to get over here. Girl, you need to have it all catalogued and computerized!!! I think my favorite is the piece of furniture with all the napkin rings--it reminds me of an old card catalogue file. If you ever get tired of this you can have ONE HECK of a garage sale...let me know :)

Sue said...

Christine-I knew you had a lot of "stuff" so I thought I was prepared when I saw your post...nope, not prepared at all. You have more things than anyone I know...and such pretty things. I really hope you never have to move...imagine packing all those breakable pretties! Wow-my head is spinning!

The Tablescaper said...

First of all Christine, thank you soooo much for participating in my party. It is a riot to see where we all stash it.

I had so much fun scrolling through your post. You've got some great stashing ideas and SUPER stuff. I see some stuff I have. I think my favorite items are the Thai brass flatware. You make me realize, I didn't even show my stash of flatware!

As much as I love seeing everyone's tablescapes, it's so much fun to see how we all cope with our "habit"!

Thanks again for joining in the fun!

- The Tablescaper

Sue said...

Holey Moley,Christine- I think you win the prize for the largest collection of dinnerware and silverware around!!! And you have some gorgeous pieces of furniture in which to store them, too. What fun. I would, however, need a guide/map to remind me where everything is. LOL
Love your enthusiasm for staying up so late to get this all done.
hugs, Sue

Unknown said...

I am absolutely amazed at your collection and your organization! WoW Christine! I need help... Mine is NOT organized and is a mess! I'm too embarrassed to show my hutch!

~Rainey~

Debra said...

What a beautiful collection Christine. If I could just be half as organized as you!

What a great job in posting and sharing all this with us.

Enjoyed it very much!

Carol at Serendipity said...

Christine,

All I can say is WOW. You have exquisite collections of china and stuff. It was a lot of fun looking through your post.

Carol

Jacalyn @ rmebathproducts.com said...

okay, WOW! That's a lot of dishes! Gorgeous though and I love your furniture!

Hugs,
Jacalyn

Wanda Lee said...

Dearest christine,

Wow!.., What pure delight and inspiration! I am just beginning when I see all of your delights and I already feel the urge to 'just climb higher' with regard to refining my collections now!..,

Thanks so much for sharing with all of us at the, 'where do you keep it all', blog party!.., Whehew!.., What fun!

Your collections are just pure 'eyecandy for the dishlovers soul'!

Christine, when all I see all of my fellow tablescapers and enthusiasts, I just know I'm among friends who understand, and then some!.., He he

I'M SURE WE ALL APPRECIATE our dear, 'THE TABLESCAPER'S' HAVING HOSTED THIS MARVELOUS BLOG PARTY!!

ALSO CHRISTINE, YOU HAVE WON A LITTLE AWARD/PRIZE MY DEAR!..,

..,Please do pop by to my, 'The Plumed' Pen blog to leave a comment and thus claim your little giftie my dear!

You may select from my Wanda Lee website any 'four'~ art cards you would like;( I will then mail them to you.~ I will simply email you with my own email address, so that I can securely obtain your address, if you please)..,

Here is the link info., from which you may make your own selection of 'four art cards' that you would like @ www.wandaleeart.com.., Enjoy!

Cheers and hugs from Wanda lee @ The Plumed Pen

Blondie's Journal said...

You know how much I like all of your collections and I was thrilled to see it all in person. You have excellent taste and fantastic organizational skills!! You also did a nice job on this post! :-)

xoxo
Janie

Silvia said...

OMG!!!! you have nice stuffs though.
thank's for sharing..

Marigene said...

Good heavens, Christine...I am still trying to visualize all of this in one house...you have more dishes and accoutrements than a well stocked store! I love it!

Anonymous said...

OMG! No wonder you have such fabulous tablescapes! And the pieces you store it all in are to die for. Thanks for sharing, Christine.

fitty's pinky rose cottage said...

Oh my gosh! my jaw drop when I see your collection! awesomely beautiful! and your stemware just stunning! this is trully a huge collection! love them all!.. thanks for sharing Christine!

richelle jean said...

holy cow! amazing!

Dolores said...

Oh my gosh, you could open an amazing store, with all your beautiful and fascinating dishware.

And........ you're so organized!!!
Beautiful again.....

Sally said...

Wow, Christine, I knew you had a ton, but I did not realize you had so much! Everything is so gorgeous. I like especially your new Polish pottery, and I love the organizational tip of placing a picture on the outside of a storage box.

Linda said...

Christine, lets just hope you never have to move! You'll be packing and unpacking for weeks! Truly though, you have so many beautiful collections, and so many great places to store them in!

I showed my husband a couple of pictuers from this blog party...he said he'll never hound me again!

Needles Everywhere said...

What a wonderful post! I love the photos on the storage bins! WHat a great idea. I love it all.

KimMalk said...

My goodness, you are organized. I really like the little drawers with napkins rings.

Lori Lucas said...

Lord have mercy!!! I am going to show my husband your pictures so that he will know I am not the only one that has dishes everywhere you look (and can't see)! WONDERFUL!! Lori L

Fifi Flowers said...

WOW... you are READY for ANY kind of party!

Diann said...

Wow Christine! I knew you had a lot of pretty things, but I just didn't have the full picture! You really have some amazing things! My showing doesn't even come close to yours. Just beautiful things!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I think you could be in the Ginnuess Book of World Records for your storage. You are amazing and very clever with finding places for everything. I must star this post and show my husband that I really don't have that much stuff the next time he complaines!!

xinex said...

Thanks for stopping by, Sally! I do not know where to thank you except here cause I do not see your blog. Do you have one?....Christine

Natasha in Oz said...

WOW WOW WOW!!!!!! You have the most amazing collection of goodies I have ever seen! I just love the way you have stored everything Christine.....Amazing....

Best wishes,
Natasha.

Unknown said...

Holey Cremoley! You are braver than I, to show your storage, and much more organized. I do the same as you tho..LOL....if it'll hang it's decor. Love all your collections and innovative ideas in storing them.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh my word Christine, you do have so many gorgeous sets of dishes and accessories. You have them all so well organized and tons of storage places. I just drooled through every picture. Wow. Now maybe you can come help me find more spaces and organize what I have. Everything looks wonderful. Hugs, Marty

Bill said...

Hi there, Christine!

I remember reading a comment Julio left about one of your wonderful, over-the-top tablescapes. He said something along the lines of "Girl, I am screaming!" Well ... I was pretty much smiling and (quietly) screaming and laughing as I scrolled through picture after picture after picture ... after picture of your wonderful things neatly tucked away in gorgeous pieces of furniture!

You're fortunate to have a nice hubby who tolerates/enables your tablescaping collections "addiction." And he's a lucky guy to have a beautiful, sweet, funny wife who obviously treasures her family and creates a warm, gracious, nurturing environment for them.

Sounds like a marriage made in Heaven to me! Here's wishing you years and years of happiness (and many, many more tablescapes in your/our future!).

Warmest regards,
Bill

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Holy Moly Christine!

That has got to be the biggest personal collection of dishware I have EVER seen! You could entertain for about 40 million thirty two sixty with those dishes.....wonderful and beautiful things. I love the Polish pottery. I don't have a single piece, but love it. I have my every day dishes and one set of Villory and Boch for "dress up"....You could fit my entire collection in one little corner of your kitchen. :-)

Wonderful tour....

Huggies,
Spencer

Julio Muao said...

Wow! Christine...what an unbelievable collection. Even more impressive is your ability to organize it all. This puts me to shame. This has inspired me to dedicate this weekend to organize my tableware. I have them in several places but they aren't grouped together properly which is why I am so exhausted after setting a table. Your system makes it so much more convenient to access and store everything. Thank you for sharing this post. It was truly inspiring.

xoxo
Julio

Nancy's Daily Dish said...

You are so organized! You have sooooo many pretties. I think we'd all like to come to your house to play! ;-)

The Charm of Home said...

Yes, I agree I want to come and tablescape at your house. I could play for hours.;) I am amazed that when I looked through that post "Where Do You Keep it All," that so many tablescapers have complete sets of dishes. I cheat, I usually only get two place settings.
Come by my blog and win a $50 CSN gift certificte and you could get some more goodies.
Sherry

Kat said...

Good night Christine! I knew you had a beautiful collection of tableware, but until I saw it all together in this post I had no idea how extensive it was. You really have some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and how you can keep track of it all is beyond me. I bet you were pooped after you did this! Hope you can relax with a good game of scrabble soon :) Kathy

Yellow Rose Arbor said...

Very interesting organization! I think you are the queen of organization! I hope you have your legal will organized with who gets all your wonderful goodies!

Great job!

I wasn't able to do a post on mine:-(

Katherine

Miss Merry said...

I would crown you Queen of Tableware! What an amazing collection! I do not know how you can be so organized. AMAZING - that is all I can say - AMAZING!

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Okay, it's official! You have me beat! Not only with the number of dishes, but the organization of your dishes, and the pretty cabinetery to store your dishes! Everything looks great! laurie

Susan (Between Naps On The Porch.net) said...

Christine...what an awesome collection! You have some gorgeous pieces! Great job finding storage for it all. I think one of my fav pics was the cabinet for napkin rings and place card holders...that was so perfect for those! Thanks for sharing this amazing collection...so much fun getting storage ideas and tips!

bj said...

GASP !!!!! wow...this is quite a collection of tableware. Awesome dishes and awesome storage.
xo bj

Jen C. said...

Wouzers!! A beautiful collection, and just as lovely storage. Chalk me up as a newbie in the tablescaping industry, but even so I can appreciate the inspiration of all the pretty dishes you have!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Christine, you are the AVOWED queen of tablescapes! I can't believe your stash! Just AMAZING! And it's all so organized. You need to come help me get organized, too! You have such a great system.

XO,

Sheila

Denise Marie said...

Wow, Christine!! What a truly amazing feet you've conquered keeping it all together. No wonder all your posts are so incredible!! I love the napkin ring chest and all the ways you store the silverware sets. I was feeling guilty for adding a bird set of silver but now I feel better. Love it all!!

Jacqueline said...

Wow! That is some post! I loved it! Thanks for telling me where to find it!
Jacqueline

Unknown said...

Christine can you tell me about the mermaid pitcher and set please? Who is the manufacturer? I've been looking to buy something similar & have had a difficult time finding anything quite like this.
Thanks!

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