Antique French Cabinet

A standalone cabinet, whether IKEA or a marvelous antique, is my most favorite type of furniture because it can not only anchor a space with its scale, there’s also something about a piece of furniture devoted to storing little collections that appeals to my organization and container-loving heart. I had long been on the search for a storage cabinet to house my collection of crystal stemware and serving dishes. I had pinned many gorgeous images of French antique cabinets holding stacks of antique linens, serving as a pantry, or filled with dishes. Of course, the idea of a cabinet or armoire is very French as well, since these pieces of furniture pre-date the common usage of a closet.

Late last year, this absolute stunner came into my life from one of my favorite antique sources. It’s 18th century from Normandy, France and has the most beautiful dry oak finish that is riddled with lovely wormholes that add to its charm. The back is rough hewn that shows the markings of the axe that crafted it. The design of this piece is so well considered, too, as it comes apart in segments making what is a very heavy object a lot more manageable to move. It is divided into the bottom cabinet with removable shelves, the middle hutch with three shelves that fits into the cabinet below with pegs, and the top crown piece. Also, each of four the doors have the most amazing hardware I’ve ever seen; you can simply lift the top hinge of each door off from the bottom hinge attached to the cabinet to remove. In the top I keep crystal stemware and our porcelain coffee cups. The drawers store our special flatware, and the bottom cabinet holds our occasional serving pieces on one side, and my hoard of scented and pillar candles, which make it all the more heavenly to open!