There may be those of you out there in blog-land too young to know the difference between a china closet and a sideboard. If you are, I am jealous because I am old enough and not exactly proud of my status. Let’s take a moment to distinguish between the two pieces of furniture in the hopes that things will be at least as clear as mud in the end.
A china cabinet is the traditional piece of furniture your mother and her mother (and I) use to keep our china in. While this may seem self- explanatory, it really isn’t. A china cabinet is what is known in modern parlance as a one-trick pony. Although it is not a horse and never was, the china cabinet is not as useful as other more modern pieces because it can do nothing else. (Enter, stage left, the interloping sideboard.) Today, a china closet is not often seen in a dining room, and has been relegated to other places where it may serve as a bookcase or display cabinet.
The sideboard has become a more practical part of the modern dining room because its purpose is multifold. It holds all items related to a meal except for diners. It can accommodate an entire buffet service if it is a sideboard worth its weight in salt or something like that. It makes formal dining easier because if it is employed properly, it eliminates those constant trips to the kitchen for forgotten items.
The china cabinets of old were beautiful works of art and they still are. They are just no longer practical for the modern dining room. If you have one that’s been in the family for years, think about how you will break the news that it is being replaced. You have to be careful because you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Besides a place in the living room where your finest antiques are still entrusted in its care is an honorary spot for any loyal china cabinet.
But listen to me and get a sideboard, even if you have to blindfold all the other furniture in your home and pay bribe money to keep things a secret.
Happy sideboard!
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