Where do I keep mine?

After looking at many blogs on here about where all the other plataholics or dish addicts keep their collections and having all sorts of people asking me "where do you keep it all?" I decided to show you how I have come to store all my tablescaping stuff.  So feast your eyes my little china comrades and linen lovers all will be revealed.

Firstly let me show where it all began. One sunny day, far, far away (ok I made that bit up) while sitting enjoying a coffee with my hubby in one of our numerous cafes around the harbour in Auckland, I decided to put together a new dinner service made entirely of odd pieces of china. I think that you can see (2nd shelf down) that I succeeded.

   I managed to aquire over about a year, a complete dinner service for twelve people. It consists of dinner plates, salad plates, side plates. Soup bowls, desert bowls, serving platters, gravy boats and assorted serving dishes. Along with cups and saucers and oblong sandwich plates, condiment sets, candesticks and as you can see a few jugs t'boot! Once this was complete I was totally addicted to the sorting through  of all the goodies that thrift shops had to offer. I was amazed and still am at what you can buy for very little money. So onwards we go on our journey of  dinner service storage.

Here you can see the orange, Norwegian retro 1960/70's set. A complete set for 8 people and in perfect condition. Along with my glass set for 14 you can also see the Crown Lynne, Sandown 1970's set for 10 (bottom shelf). What about the Sundae dishes on the left. Keep in mind virtually everything in that cupboard has been bought from op-shops or thrift stores.

   Next I will take you to my dinning room where you can see my white china, complete with silver rim. It sits comfortably if a little cramped, in the sideboard with my silverware and crystal.

Boxes and canteens of cutlery fill the draws. Notice the lovely black cloth wrap that my son made me. I use it to protect some bone handles knives, which didn't come in a box. (Isn't he a darling?)

Next I will take you back into the hall for another cupboard or dresser just brimmings with linens. Each coloured carrier bag contains many assorted napkins, runners, table cloths and place mats but, all in one colour scheme. The green bag contains only green linens etc.

So now into the garage. My lovely hubby built me some amazingly strong shelves. Originally I had all my china wrapped in tissue and in storage boxes ( I do live in a country which suffers from earthquakes) but I found that I could never remember what I had to use on any given day, so I decided to get them all out so they could be viewed whenever I needed them. I try to keep them all colour co-ordinated.

                       

 I'm still trying to finish the French, Arcoroc, black glass shell set. Notice the very early and collectable Portmerion, Susan Williams Ellis, Cypher, 1964 set on the second shelf. Not to everyones taste but I love it. The pumpkin bowls are still on my radar when hunting as I only have four of them. I would love another two at least. The amber glassware became another obsession of mine. You can see how much I ended up with. I just love the way it glows in the day light or at night reflecting the candle light.

(The ugly bubble wrap behind is just there to stop the intense sunlight from heating up the glass through the window and then contracting with the cold of the night. I don't want to have cracked and broken glass all over the floor now do I?)   

In the boxes at the bottom of these shelves, are more linens, (multicoloured ones) and assorted silver and brassware. More glasses, napkin rings and candles. 

Finally, oposite these shelves are my accessories or props as I like to call them. All the little knick knacks that go to complete a themed tablescape. You will find teddies, sea life, china, farm animal ornaments, candlesticks, votives and vases galore. And maybe just a few other coloured glasses.

So I hope you have enjoyed being taken around the house to see where the op-shop addict keeps all her hunting trophies! 

SEE YA AGAIN SOON.

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