Dining Room Shelving

Our new dining room shelving has been an awesome space saver. Check it out below.

I had buyer's remorse after getting these shelves, y'all. I went and posted my old china cabinets on Facebook (as I was in the process of emptying them) and several readers commented about how much they loved them and would love something like that in their home. Not going to lie...guilt-infusion, y'all. I put on my proverbial china cabinet goggles (if you get this reference, we probably watch the same show). For a fleeting moment, I considered hauling the shelving an hour down the road back to Ikea...but then caught the stink-eye from *someone* I had to beg to go on said Ikea trip in the first place (ahem). But, I went back to the beginning and remembered why we bought the shelving in the first place...to keep harmony in the dining room when someone on the window end of the table had to make their way out of the dining room. Check out our new wall o' shelves below.

I do this every year at Thanksgiving. I redo some part of the house that turns into a long-drawn out process. The crates were not a part of the original equation. Originally, I purchased some premade crates at Ross that were nice...not perfection, but nice. Then I find out that Ikea now makes unfinished (read: customizable) crates. (Insert your own "mind blown" emoticon here, y'all). Yeah...they're less than ten bucks each, too. So, it became move old china cabinets to the garage, assemble new shelves (Ikea style...never a "quick" process, AmIRight?), assemble and paint (and distress, of course) crates, then reload new wall o' fun. This quick Ikea trip quickly became the quintessential story of my life. Why can't I ever be simple? Where's the essential oil for that?

Luckily, (or maybe not, however you want to look at it), my household went on a boys-only camping trip last weekend and I had the whole place to myself for a couple of days. My agenda was 1) dining room shelves and 2) work on my book manuscript that's due in two months (gulp). Want to guess what didn't happen last weekend? Sighhhhh.

The above two photos were from a few years ago when we did the original makeover of this room. We removed carpet, painted, yada-yada-yada. Good times. We also rearranged to where the china cabinets were on that right hand wall. While they used to be in the corners, we also added my grandma's old dresser and had to rearrange to make that fit. Quite honestly, this room is a frustrating shape...and our table is enormous. The table (and china cabinets) are both family heirlooms from my late uncle. I've slowly changed the set around...bought new chairs, redid the back of the hutch to be aqua, and rearranged the room around it all. 

But the china cabinets...gosh. I love them...but they took up so much space. Anytime we were seated around the table nobody could move out of their spot without everybody moving out of their spot (know what I mean?). Fine if it's just the four of us...but when we have all the leaves in and 16 people loaded in here...NIGHTMARE (said in my highest Carol Burnett voice). 

Enter: Ikea shelves. I'm no longer in regret mode over these. I really like them. 

I added the crates so I can hide all of my "extras" (I have too much junk, y'all). I also like that I can have everything visually there...I actually had forgotten about some of these things from grandparents and family members who wanted us to enjoy them. While we did a huge mix of both traditional items and vintage-eclectic pieces, I think they all work well together in here.

All my Christmas dishes are tucked into a couple of the crates. Have I ever mentioned that dishes are my weakness? I collect them in a ridiculous manner...as in too many dishes, y'all. Oh, and I can't wait to show you the tutorial for the crate-painting...there's a fun little surprise on the reverse of the crates, too. Can't wait to show you!

One of my uncles was a dish junkie, too, y'all. Loved him. I inherited my stemware, along with some of my china from him. I love using these...it takes me back to my childhood around his dining table watching him lead a toast. And then we got to clink (always fun for a kid with a goblet full of apple juice). 

I talked about my Heritage Hall plates in Monday's post. 
These are pretty special...and the way we received the complete set was very neat. 

I tried really hard not to overload the shelves. I'm hoping that by keeping it simple, it won't go into my usual visual-overload I'm so guilty of. (My husband calls it my OPSI: Objects Per Square Inch...I somehow managed not to exceed my husband-imposed limit on these shelves!)

I know your shocked, but my floors totally need to be mopped here. Gah.

What do you think? Is this something you'd do in your home?

Neglect your chores like me and don't miss a thing:

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