How To Choose A Curio Cabinet

Curio cabinets have become a delight in themselves as they showcase your favorite things and mementos to friends and family, keep all your dear treasures in one place to admire them in wonderment everyday, or protect your growing collection of porcelain dolls from your 5-year old.

Curio cabinets started as places to keep curios - defined in the dictionary as curious or unusual objects of art or knickknacks and whatnots that are perhaps worthy of collecting because of their oddity. This definition could, of course, include silver spoons from Alaska, all assortments of wedding and christening favors, crystals, face masks from Africa and possibly even shrunken heads from the Amazons of Ecuador and Peru.

Nowadays, however, you can use curio cabinets for anything:

- Show off your family's sporting interests by displaying your son's bowling trophies next to your husbands autographed baseballs.

- House your priceless family heirlooms - such as, great grandma's turqoise and silver comb, grandpa's golden pen, mum's old sapphire brooch which you wore on your wedding day and your son's first baby photo.

- Or perhaps, protect from dust and grime the brass alto saxophone that you know you'll learn to play one day in your retirement years.

But how do you choose the curio cabinet that's just right for you? Ask yourself the following questions below and find out how.

Tips on how to choose a curio cabinet

1. The first question you should ask when buying a curio cabinet is: What kind of curios will I put in it? If it is a tall brass alto saxophone, then you need to get a tall, traditional curio cabinet with fitted glass doors to keep the dust out and with removable glass shelves to make room for your favorite musical instrument.

2. How much light is there at the spot where you are going to put your curio cabinet? Is it in the sunroom with plenty of natural light or is it in a dark corner of the house? If the latter then you need an illuminated cabinet to brighten the corner as well as provide accent lighting to your displays.

3. How big a space do you have for your curio cabinet?

- Is the space amply high and wide? Then you might want to get a traditional, dark cherry curio cabinet with generous measurements of 44W x 17D x 79H inches.

- If narrower, then a more contemporary curio cabinet with practical urban living measurements of 24W x 12D x 76H inches may be better.

- If low and wide such as in a family room or den, then a golden oak console curio cabinet measuring 56W x 13D x 30H inches is probably what you need.

- And if angled in a corner, you may want a curio cabinet that can be snugly placed in a corner and probably measuring around 28W x 16D x 72H inches.

4. The other question to ask is - Do you want to match the look of your curio cabinet with the other furniture in the room?

- If you want to maintain a traditional look, then you might want to choose from grand old fashioned designs with bevelling, hand-carved details and dark timber finishes.

- If the room is contemporary, then you might want the clean lines and lighter timber finishes of a more urbanized curio cabinet with lots of mirror and glass.

5. What type of wood or non-wood appeals to you?

- If affordability is a consideration and you do not mind the look of MDF or engineered wood, then you might choose a curio cabinet made of strenghtened pressed particle board and topped with timber veneer or laminate.

- If you feel that a solid wood curio cabinet sounds like a good investment, then you should get a curio cabinet made from the more popular oak or maple - hardwoods that can only gain character and charm as they age.

6. And last but not least, what is your budget?

- Are you prepared to splurge on a Louis XV-inspired Pulaski curio cabinet selling for $2000 so that you can have a spectacular accent piece that can transform your entire living room experience?

- Or do you just want a simple wall curio cabinet - one that you can get for $20 at ebay to put your dog figurine collection?

About The Author
Flor Buenaventura is a writer who has a great interest in furnishings for the home and garden. To see a fantastic collection of resources related to curio cabinets and other types of furniture, please visit her Curio Cabinets and Display Cabinets website. http://www.curio-cabinets.com.

Curio Cabinets: Beauty, Grace, and Sophistication

Nothing is as marvelous and inventive as a well made cabinets. Some cabinets have a better reputation and a better purpose than other cabinets. I like having a cabinet that is functional and beautiful at the same time. This is not always easily accomplished. I know that I have a ton of those knick knacks that are forever popular. I store them in number of the curio cabinets that I have in my home. Of course, some of these beauties are more useful than others; some are better constructed than others.

How do you find the perfect curio cabinet? Well, that answer is not always an easy one. For instance, some curio cabinets are antique and cost a small fortune although they may not look like they should be worth that much. Other times, you can get newer models of curio cabinets that are relatively cheap, but look like they should cost a small fortune. Obviously, I prefer the latter. I want a cheap cabinet that looks like I spent a lot of money on it.

Just because it is cheap does not I want it to fall apart. When I want something cheap I want something that is still durable and functional. Lower price does not equate to falling apart. I want something that will last and last and last. I do not think anyone wants to buy something that will fall apart no matter the cost.

You can get curio cabinets at almost any retail store, department store, and often you can get lucky and find them at secondhand stores and rummage sales. There are so many of these beauties that it is easy to find them almost anywhere you go. Thrift stores are a great way to save money and get the best product for your needs. They are great for home and office; I even have a curio cabinet in my camper. That's right, no matter where you want to add a few extra collectibles, a curio cabinet can make that space all the better.

Curio cabinets are a great weekend project for that do-it-yourselfer as well. Never before has something been so easy to create than one of these wonderful cabinets. You can get free patterns via the Internet and often you can get them sent to your e-mail box at no charge. You can get fancy ones; you can get plain ones. Whatever you want, you can get with curio cabinets. All you have to do is open your eyes to the endless possibilities offered with each cabinet.

They serve a useful purpose either being decorative or plain. You get a great deal regardless of the price you spend. Curio cabinets just seem to get more beautiful as time goes on. These wonderful creations are amazing and brighten our lives with their beauty, grace, and ultimate sophistication.

About The Author
Delbert has been a co-author of many cabinet making books such as “Cabinet Making Magic”. For more than 14 years, he had taught workshop classes at his local community high school. At http://www.i-furnitures.com, Delbert will take you through a step by step guide on how to make an ideal, space saving, and inexpensive cabinet that is right for your home.

How To Choose A Curio Cabinet

Curio cabinets have become a delight in themselves as they showcase your favorite things and mementos to friends and family, keep all your dear treasures in one place to admire them in wonderment everyday, or protect your growing collection of porcelain dolls from your 5-year old.

Curio cabinets started as places to keep curios - defined in the dictionary as curious or unusual objects of art or knickknacks and whatnots that are perhaps worthy of collecting because of their oddity. This definition could, of course, include silver spoons from Alaska, all assortments of wedding and christening favors, crystals, face masks from Africa and possibly even shrunken heads from the Amazons of Ecuador and Peru.

Nowadays, however, you can use curio cabinets for anything:

- Show off your family's sporting interests by displaying your son's bowling trophies next to your husbands autographed baseballs.

- House your priceless family heirlooms - such as, great grandma's turqoise and silver comb, grandpa's golden pen, mum's old sapphire brooch which you wore on your wedding day and your son's first baby photo.

- Or perhaps, protect from dust and grime the brass alto saxophone that you know you'll learn to play one day in your retirement years.

But how do you choose the curio cabinet that's just right for you? Ask yourself the following questions below and find out how.

Tips on how to choose a curio cabinet

1. The first question you should ask when buying a curio cabinet is: What kind of curios will I put in it? If it is a tall brass alto saxophone, then you need to get a tall, traditional curio cabinet with fitted glass doors to keep the dust out and with removable glass shelves to make room for your favorite musical instrument.

2. How much light is there at the spot where you are going to put your curio cabinet? Is it in the sunroom with plenty of natural light or is it in a dark corner of the house? If the latter then you need an illuminated cabinet to brighten the corner as well as provide accent lighting to your displays.

3. How big a space do you have for your curio cabinet?

- Is the space amply high and wide? Then you might want to get a traditional, dark cherry curio cabinet with generous measurements of 44W x 17D x 79H inches.

- If narrower, then a more contemporary curio cabinet with practical urban living measurements of 24W x 12D x 76H inches may be better.

- If low and wide such as in a family room or den, then a golden oak console curio cabinet measuring 56W x 13D x 30H inches is probably what you need.

- And if angled in a corner, you may want a curio cabinet that can be snugly placed in a corner and probably measuring around 28W x 16D x 72H inches.

4. The other question to ask is - Do you want to match the look of your curio cabinet with the other furniture in the room?

- If you want to maintain a traditional look, then you might want to choose from grand old fashioned designs with bevelling, hand-carved details and dark timber finishes.

- If the room is contemporary, then you might want the clean lines and lighter timber finishes of a more urbanized curio cabinet with lots of mirror and glass.

5. What type of wood or non-wood appeals to you?

- If affordability is a consideration and you do not mind the look of MDF or engineered wood, then you might choose a curio cabinet made of strenghtened pressed particle board and topped with timber veneer or laminate.

- If you feel that a solid wood curio cabinet sounds like a good investment, then you should get a curio cabinet made from the more popular oak or maple - hardwoods that can only gain character and charm as they age.

6. And last but not least, what is your budget?

- Are you prepared to splurge on a Louis XV-inspired Pulaski curio cabinet selling for $2000 so that you can have a spectacular accent piece that can transform your entire living room experience?

- Or do you just want a simple wall curio cabinet - one that you can get for $20 at ebay to put your dog figurine collection?

About The Author
Flor Buenaventura is a writer who has a great interest in furnishings for the home and garden. To see a fantastic collection of resources related to curio cabinets and other types of furniture, please visit her Curio Cabinets and Display Cabinets website. http://www.curio-cabinets.com.