Wildcard Wednesday: Where Do I Store It All? {Part 1}

One of the questions I get asked most frequently by family & friends is,

"Where do you store it all?" 

You see, not only do I LOVE to do tablescapes, but I LOVE to decorate!

(In fact, at Christmas, I put up 5 full size trees!  That doesn't even include all the other Christmas decorations!)  Besides all of my seasonal decor, it's quite obvious by my blog title that I have a VERY LARGE collection of dishes & other tablescaping items, too!

So where in the world do I keep it all?

Well, as all of you other dishaholic or collectors out there know, it's not always easy to find space!

When we built our house 4 years ago, I had 3 main priorities:
1) a lot of storage for my dishes
2) a lot of attic space for my seasonal decor
3) a lot of closet space for my shoes & jewelry (which I plan to show to show you soon)

Is that too much for a girl to ask?

Of course, we also had a budget & a limited amount of square feet, but that's beside the point!

But despite all of my storage, I just never seem to have enough space! 

You see, just when I get it all organized & {somewhat} easily accessible, I find something else that I fall in love with & just have to have! 

So it seems to go something like this......edit, purge, organize......buy something new......edit, purge, re-organize.....buy something else new.....Or sometimes it goes like this......buy SEVERAL somethings new, temporarily store them in my garage, craft room, or even in my trunk, then purge, re-organize, move stuff around to make a little more space, squeeze the new items in.......and the cycle goes on & on. 

Can anyone identify?

Okay, so enough rambling.  You get the picture. 

For a few weeks now, I've been planning to give you a little peek into my cabinets & cupboards.  Ironically, The Tablescaper is hosting a party on June 5 for her 2-year blog-aversary called , "Where Do You Keep It All?"  That was just the nudge I needed to get me to open up my "hidden spaces."

So over the next couple Wednesdays (yes, it'll take more than one post!), I'll be sharing a few of my tablescaping "hiding places"....some of them pretty, others not so pretty.

So let's get started.  Today I'll show you my kitchen & formal dining.

{Sorry the quality of some of these photos aren't great.}
Oh, & by the way, I included several links in this post to tablescapes I've done using the dishes you'll see in the cabinets.  If you're interested in seeing some of them, click on any of the links throughout!


Here's an overall look at the kitchen, just so you can have an idea of where I'm at.
{I would hate for you to be lost in the midst of all the dishes!}


Here's a look at the cabinets to the right.....

......and these are the ones to the left...

.....which is where I'll begin.

The top cabinets hold the majority of my clear glassware.....

.....the bottom two shelves house everyday glassware & even a few plates & bowls.....

......while the top shelf holds a few less-frequently used glassware, such as my Napolean Bee goblets & my animal print glasses.

The bottom cabinet (just to the left of the dishwasher) contains cookie sheets, cooling racks, cutting boards, a pizza peel, etc......nothing too exciting.....so I'll move on.....

To the right is the sink.  Up 'til recently, the under-sink cabinet only contained utilitarian items (paper towels, dish detergent, trash bags, etc.).  But recently, when I was hunting around the house for a space to hold a couple of large items, it dawned on me to utiltize this big area.  Because our sink is in the corner, the cabinet underneath is quite large!

 {Remember how I told you some spaces are not so pretty?  Well, this is one of them!}

So turning & twisting the items just right while carefully avoiding the pipes, I made room for a huge iron base for one of my Gracious Goods chafing dishes....see it sitting up on it's end?

....a large silver punch bowl & a couple decorative bowls.....

.....and a couple of platters.

 I was so excited to "discover" this storage space!

The cabinets to the right contain a couple more sets of dishes......
{If these look familiar, it's because I shared a couple pics for a cupboard party a while back}

Behind the glass doors, I'm currently displaying my springy Sahara dinnerware by Capriware.


The muted colors go so well with my kitchen that I typically leave these dishes on display almost year around.....but I have to admit, I'm starting to get the itch to change it up a bit!



I even have a few springy napkin rings hidden inside the bowl for now.

Underneath, a few colorful goblets are on display.


The adjoining cabinets store my red "Take It Up a Notch" dinnerware by Emeril, along with my square "Crimson" plates by Sonoma.  I love having my red dishes easily accessible because they can be mixed & matched with other dishes for so many occasions (Christmas, July 4, Valentine's, etc.), not to mention that I think that most food looks better on a bright, red plate!



The lower cabinets not only contain my cookie cutters, shaped pans, & other baking supplies, but also a few more dishes.  All of these dishes, including the pastel plates & bowls, are ones that I don't mind my husband using while he's working outside or taking "on the road" with him.  In other words, he knows that if he uses these & one accidentally gets broken, I won't be too upset about it!

 {Did you notice the chip on the bowl?}

Now we're around to the next corner.....where I actually store food!  I know, I know, it's a tragedy to waste precious dish space on food. (I'm really kidding.......sort of.)  Yes, we only use these two cabinets to store food.....that's not exactly what my husband had in mind, but it's worked so far!

The bottom cabinet contain a lazy susan, which holds pots & pans, colanders & strainers, mixing bowls, & a few other items.  The cabinet just to it's right holds more baking pans.
{In the next few months, I plan to share some kitchen organizing tips, so I'll reveal all of these cabinets then!}

Just to the right of the stove & microwave, a small cabinet holds spices and medications, while the cabinet beneath holds glass pans and a few small appliances.

Now we're to the fridge. 
The cabinet above holds larger appliances and items that are used less frequently.  Did you notice that little stash of platters?  While I'm not a huge fan of storing them on top of the refridgerator, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Moving on, this is last corner cabinet........

Did you notice that big serving bowl & cake plate that I store right out in the open?
They're just too pretty to keep behind cabinet doors.



....the top shelf contains some of my Gracious Goods dishes (my favorite!).......

......while the second shelf holds my Isabella & Chris Madden dishes that have been recently used in Easter tablescapes......

......the bottom shelf contains a few dishes by Nina Campbell, as well as my Ambiance dishes.

I like having all of my neutral colored dishes easily accessible, which is why they've "earned" this kitchen space!

Now, what's under that counter?

It's where I store the rest of my Gracious Goods dishes & all of my Gracious Goods serving pieces {well, at least those that aren't on display somewhere}.

I also have my stash of silver serving pieces, which are so versatile.

{There's several serving pieces back in the corner that were "hidden" from the camera, too.}

And there's even room for a few pitchers.

 

What's that I see?  Empty space?  Well, I'm sure it won't be empty for long, but I've tried to leave a little "growing room" for more Gracious Goods pieces that I want.

Well, that's the kitchen. Now on to the formal dining......

Remember the buffet that you saw in my Shabby Chic Baby Shower post & the Flowers~N~Flutters Dessert Table post?

Well, it's full of goodies, too!

The top drawer holds my "good" flatware & serving utensils, along with my silver place card holder/napkin rings.

 The next drawer holds my antique silver flatware & serving utensils from Pottery Barn, as well as a little set of flatware that once belonged to my grandma.

 {Some of you who've read my recent tablescape posts know that this flatware is new to my collection.  So yes, I had to do some re-arranging in order to be able to store it here!}

The third drawer holds a few of the more shallow serving pieces of my Pearl Innocence china & a couple small crystal dishes that were also from my grandma.
{I have a few napkins tucked in here, too, but I plan to relocate them soon.}

The bottom drawer contains a couple more Pearl Innocence serving pieces, including a platter (in the cloth china cover).  {A few placemats, hidden underneath, are soon to get a new home, too.}

On either side of the drawers is a cabinet.  The left side holds these fabulous goblets (also once my grandma's), along with my Pearl Innocence plates, cups, & saucers.

 



The right side contains the remainder of my Pearl Innocence china, as well as a few crystal glasses & my silver rimmed goblets.

Well, I think that's enough for now. You're probably exhausted from all of the photos, if I didn't already lose you earlier!

Okay, I know what you're thinking....that's a lot of dishes but it can't possibly be all of my dishes.  (After all, you've seen many others in my tablescapes.)  Well, you're right.  This isn't even the half of it!

Check back next week for part 2 of "Where Do I Store It All?," when I'll reveal the rest of my tableware storage.....in my garage, my hall cabinet, & even my bathroom! 

(Trust me, you won't want to miss it!)

{Oh, & if you're reading this for the first time at The Tablescapers Blog-iversary party, Part 2 is already finished & linked up!  Check it out!}

I'm joining Open House Party at No Minimalist Here, Rednesday at It's a Very Cherry World, & Home Decor & Organizing at Organize Your Stuff Now, & Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.

And, of course, I'll be joining The Tablescaper's "Where Do You Keep It All?" party on June 5.  Check it out & feel free to join in the fun!  I know I can't wait to see where everyone else stores it all!