If you’ve been here for a while, you’ve seen these shelves in my living room. I show them throughout the year because they’re perfect for seasonal decorating. What I’ve never shared is what’s tucked inside the cabinet underneath.
How Do You Store China In A Small Space?
- Empty and clean the cabinet completely.
- Remove unrelated items so only essential pieces remain.
- Use shelf risers to eliminate stacking.
- Store cups upside down and keep platters upright behind risers.
This method protects delicate dishes, prevents chipping, and keeps everything easy to access.
Before I reorganized it, this small cabinet held two sets of china along with a collection of random items that didn’t really belong there. It worked, but barely. A few things bothered me every time I opened the doors. Here are the three biggest issues:
- The coffee cups were stacked. Even though they aren’t used often, I didn’t like the risk of chipping. I wanted them in a single layer with no stacking at all.
- Extra items made it hard to access the china quickly and easily.
- The cabinet was dusty and overdue for a good cleaning.
The four steps below are the foundation of any organization project. It doesn’t matter if the space is large or very small. These steps always work.
- Empty the space.
- Clean the space.
- Edit the contents.
- Restore order.
Each step builds on the one before it. You can’t clean properly unless the cabinet is empty. You can’t edit unless everything is spread out so you can see exactly what you have. And you can’t restore order until only the essentials remain. In this case, I donated or relocated everything except the two sets of china. In a cabinet this small, every inch matters. Keeping unrelated items inside only made it harder to use.
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.
Budget Friendly Storage Solution
Once the cabinet was clean and edited, I returned the largest pieces first. Then I added three shelf risers to eliminate stacking. I’ve used these same risers in my kitchen cabinet organization project, and they’ve proven to be simple and dependable.I chose white, but they are available in chrome as well. They are affordable, sturdy, and make a noticeable difference in tight spaces. As you can see above, the two large platters stand behind the risers. They aren’t the most accessible pieces, but they are protected and safely stored, which was my priority.
The risers made it possible to store the coffee cups upside down in a single layer. No stacking. No shifting. The space underneath the risers holds the salad plates, bread and butter plates, and serving pieces. Since I had just used the Lenox Holiday china at Christmas, it was already clean. My wedding china was not, so I set aside the time to wash everything before putting it back. It took three dishwasher loads, but it felt worth the effort. There’s no point in placing dusty dishes into a freshly cleaned cabinet.
I’m very happy with the way this cabinet turned out, and I’m glad everything is clean and orderly. I’ve thought about packing up my china in padded, quilted cases, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Even though they are not used often, I treasure both sets, and want them to be accessible. And you never know…maybe they’ll get used at some point!
JOIN THE OSP COMMUNITY
Sign up to get uncomplicated recipes, unlimited seasonal decor, and
understated ways to refresh your home sent straight to your email inbox!
amazon storefront
Discover simple and affordable
ways to refresh your home.
Follow my Amazon Storefront
for all my favorite finds!
Everything looks great. I love organized spaces. Any chance you’ll ever show us what is in the blue cabinets in your kitchen? I’ve always been curious about what you store there.
love this ann! I struggle with where to store my china & I loved your goal “restore order.” Made me laugh! Happy Sunday! What team are you cheering for today? laura
Nice job with that. I like those covered wire hangers. Where do you buy them?
Ann,
I had the same ideas in china storage, using the same risers about 2 yrs ago. Unfortunately, I added more dishes to it and now find myself needing to donate and reorganize! Reading your blog has given me new inspiration! By the way, your wedding china was mine as well! Similarities!
Thanks Ann
What pattern is your wedding china? I think I have the same, too. You mentioned you wash it in the dishwasher. Any special tips? I am afraid to try it. Thanks for the great post!
Linzel,
My pattern is Adagio by Noritake. Purchased early 70’s.
I’ve always used the dishwasher with this China.
I love great organization where things are easily accessible and not hidden. I had the zippered china bags but found it was too much taking all the pieces in and out so I did away with them.Your solution looks good,I think you accomplished your goal.
I absolutely love the way this cabinet turned out and what a great idea the shelf risers are! I am headed to buy them right now!! And what a lovely surprise to read all the way through and see a shout out to my dish closet! Thank you so much!
This looks great and it’s just the inspiration I needed to empty my china cupboard’s bottom shelves that are behind doors. It needs to be better organized. Thank you for this.
xo,
Karen
Isn’t it amazing how just one space in our homes can serve us so well. Can you imagine how you could possibly do without that cabinet and its shelves? Your beloved china and ironstone collection would be relegated to a basement, attic or so me other out-of-sight, out-of-mind storage.
I have a small home, only a little over 1000 sq ft, but I have a double pantry at the end of my kitchen that contains all of my normal pantry food prep items, plus my small appliances, my large pots, pans and serving bowls and my pet food. I can’t even imagine trying to incorporate all of that into my small kitchen without it. I give thanks for the person who designed this feature every time I open the doors.
Sometimes it’s the little things ……
Excellent! I use those risers all over my small home. But I think you should reconsider the zipped china “bags” — no dust, ever, and even my great-grandmother’s 125yo exceptionally delicate cups are protected! Thank you for your inspiration!
You are the queen of organization, Ann! I did not get up this morning thinking I would be organizing and cleaning closets and cabinets today, but you have inspired me to get to it! Your china cabinet turned out great! The four essential steps to obtaining a clean, organized space told me not to cut corners and just do it right the first time rather than just pushing things around to make more room!!! Thank you!!