Strategies for Incorporating Chinese Decor: 5 Suggestions
Clever Ways to Use Your China Around the House
Let's explore some fun and creative ways to incorporate your lovely china into your home decor, beyond dining. Here, interior designers share their top tips on how to reclaim your chinaware and turn it into charming, functional pieces that'll enhance the look and feel of any space.
Embrace the Kitchen
Let your kitchen become a showcase for your cherished china, where you can admire it daily and put it to work. "Style a porcelain creamer near your cooktop as a holder for tasting spoons, or use a small dish for sea salt," suggests Katie Wolf, the mastermind behind Wolf Interiors in Atlanta, Georgia. "It's all about elevating the mundane."
Go Beyond Food
China isn't just for meals. It can be reimagined and used throughout the house. As Wolf notes, "A beautiful soup tureen without its lid makes a striking vase, but there are countless other possibilities!" Mimic her ideas by turning a pretty bowl into a candy dish for your coffee table or a seashell collection keeper on your bookshelf. A porcelain asparagus dish becomes a charming option for jewelry storage.
Create a Plate Wall
Velvet ropes and gallery attendants might feel out of place, but a classic plate wall isn't! Display your treasured chinaware in your kitchen or dining room for an instant art gallery feel. "Hanging china on the wall creates a stunning and unexpected display," says Cate Gutter, the visionary behind CWG Design in Charlotte, North Carolina. "The intricate designs and rich colors breathe life into your living space, elevating it from typical to extraordinary." The beauty of a china wall lies in its uniqueness – every plate wall tells a different, personal story.
Frame Your Favorites
Why limit your china collection to dining or display cases? Transform your favorite pieces into beautiful works of art by framing them inside deep shadowboxes. Rachel Cannon, the skilled founder of Rachel Cannon Limited in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, often frames her clients' generational chinaware in this manner to breathe new life into forgotten heirlooms.
Style Your Shelves
A picture-perfect bookshelf is incomplete without thoughtfully chosen trinkets and artifacts. Don't forget to include some china pieces in the mix! "Style china plates or teacups flat on top of books, or upright using plate stands, to add a touch of elegance to your bookcase," advises Avery Cox, the creative force behind Avery Cox Design in Austin, Texas.
Reinterpreting your china as decorative elements allows you to amplify the aesthetic appeal and nostalgic charm of your home, breathing new life into these handcrafted pieces while celebrating their history and allure.
- Southern Living recommends using a porcelain creamer near your cooktop as a holder for tasting spoons, adding an element of charm to your kitchen.
- For a striking vase, a beautiful soup tureen without its lid can be used throughout the house, according to Katie Wolf of Wolf Interiors in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Cate Gutter, the visionary behind CWG Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, suggests hanging china on the wall to create a unique and unexpected display that elevates your living space.
- Rachel Cannon, the skilled founder of Rachel Cannon Limited in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, suggests framing your favorite china pieces inside deep shadowboxes to transform them into beautiful works of art.
- Avery Cox, the creative force behind Avery Cox Design in Austin, Texas, advises styling china plates or teacups flat on top of books or upright using plate stands to add a touch of elegance to your bookcase.
- By reinterpreting your china as decorative elements, you can amplify the aesthetic appeal and nostalgic charm of your home, breathing new life into these handcrafted pieces while celebrating their history and allure.
