China Cupboard

We have lived in our house for ten years now, and all that time there has been a floor-to-ceiling cupboard in the breakfast room which has needed some TLC. It's been used as an 'art' cupboard, where the kids have kept their colouring equipment, craft things, doodle books etc. The inside of the cupboard was an eyesore, with ugly pipework everywhere, a bit like this:


The wooden shelves had been very badly cut (not by us) to fit around this pipework:

They were warped and the old lead paint was smelly, thick and peeling. It was time to do something about it.

Having been envious of Susan's china cupboard at Between Naps on the Porch, (actually, I'm envious of her whole house, but there you go) I decided that this cupboard could be re designated as my china cupboard, so I arranged for a carpenter friend to come round while we were away and get the cupboard into shape. New pine shelving was installed and all the ugly pipes were boxed in.

My cupboard now looks like this:

I have plans to paint the pine white, but that can wait until after Christmas now. For the time being I'm more than delighted at how things are looking, and a fine excuse to expand my china collection a little bit!

This is a lovely cup and saucer I got in a charity shop a little while ago. It's Queen's China and the pattern surprise, surprise is 'Victoria Plums':

Below is my wedding china. It's ''Osborne' by Wedgewood, and unfortunately now discontinued. I saw a mountain of it for sale at an antiques market a few years back and I'm kicking myself that I didn't buy more then:

Four salad plates that come in their own little matching box:

The very popular but sometimes sneered at, 'Botanic Gardens' by Portmeirion:

and 'Sweet Violets' by Royal Stafford. If I'm going to begin using different china for different seasons, then this will be my spring china. I have a fondness for violets as it was my nan's name. I'm slowly (oh, so slowly) adding to my coffee pot and one cup and saucer:

So this is just one of the projects I've been inspired to get underway thanks to someone else's blog. If you read this Susan, thank you so very much. I do believe the cupboard would have remained smelly and unloved for a while yet if it hadn't been for your post.

Blessings,

Andi