Buying Oak Furniture

Archive for the ‘About Cabinets’ Category

The first thing you will need to do is determine what you plan to display in your cabinet.

Will you stick with small items or does it need to be large enough to hold large items. If you plan to display a beautiful but tall brass alto saxophone, for example, you will need to have fitted glass doors to keep the dust out and movable glass shelves so that there is adequate room for the height of the instrument.

Next you should think about lighting. Do you plan to place your cabinet in a location of your home that is already well lit? If your cabinet is going into a dark corner of your house you will need to purchase one that that has lights to show off your treasures.

Think about how much space you have for your curio cabinet. You will want to think about a traditional curio cabinet if your space is high and wide. If, however your space is narrower you will want to look at more contemporary designs. Many cabinets that are going into a family room or den will need to be both low and wide, while come cabinets will need to fit snuggly into a corner.

Once you know the size of the cabinet, it is time to think about style. What type of furniture will it need to match?

If your home has more of a traditional style you will want to look at cabinets with dark wood finishes, hard carving, and beveling.

More contemporary homes will probably look better with cabinets in a light finish that incorporate clean lines and lots of mirror and glass.

What type of materials work best for you, wood or non-wood? The budget conscience consumer may want to look at cabinets that have been constructed using pressed particle board that is covered with a hardwood veneer or laminate. For those that are willing to make a larger investment they should look at cabinets constructed using oak or maple, as these hardwoods will only gain more character over time.

Your budget will play a major part in determining what you will purchase. Do you want to purchase a spectacular accent piece for your living room that will set you back around $2000, a Louis XV-inspired Pulaski curio cabinet for example? Or are you really in the market for something much simpler, a $30 eBay find to house your old childhood toys for example?

Curio cabinets are wonderful pieces of furniture that allow you to beautifully display all your treasures.

Whether it is sentimental mementos from family and friends, an antique doll collection, or sports memorabilia, curio cabinets give you the perfect place to both protect and show off your favorite things.

These cabinets are called curio because that is what they were originally built to contain – curios. The dictionary definition of curio include art items that are curious and unusual, such as knickknacks that are worthy of collecting because of their oddity. This definition is rather broad, and could include such items as christening favors, antique spoons from Alaska, shrunken heads from Peru, masks from Africa, and sentimental wedding mementoes.

Of course, there are no rules for what can go into your cabinet, and these days just about anything goes. Some example include:

Create a sports theme display including your child’s trophies and your collectable autographed items, such as mitts and balls.
Safely and proudly display your family heirlooms, including your baby’s first picture, your great grandmother’s silver vanity set, and mother’s favorite pin which was given to you on your wedding day.
Create a display around music, including instruments you used to play, or hope to learn to play in the future, sheet music, and accessories.