The secret to making more space in any room: think vertical

Would a sideboard and hutch meant for a dining room work in a bedroom? Yes! It works especially well if you are running out of space and need to "open" up the room a bit.

I wanted to add an upholstered chair and ottoman to my bedroom but there was no more room left. The only option I had was on a wall where a long triple dresser stood. Hmmm, if I replaced that long triple dresser with vertical storage, would I be able to fit in the sitting area I so desperately wanted?

I set out looking for something vertical that would house what would ordinarily be found in a bedroom dresser, such as lingerie, folded clothes and on the top, perfume bottles and maybe a jewelry box. I love the idea of storage and merchandising displays commonly used in old time general stores. They used cabinets that would house dry goods and notions for display behind the sales counter. With that idea in mind, I started looking at antiques.

Shipping prices on Ebay for the ones I found was astronomical or the items were available for local pick-up only so I thought, why not go with something new that looks old?

I found exactly what I wanted in Restoration Hardware's French Casement Double-Door Sideboard & Hutch. 

Yes, this is meant for a dining room. Yes, it does have glass windows, which may not show off such intimate items to their advantage. And yes, due to its height, there is no dresser top on which to display perfume or a jewelry box.

All these things were against me, but I was determined to make it work.

Below you can see the long wall where I had a triple dresser with an attached mirror. I removed it from the room and replaced it with the French Casement Double-Door Sideboard & Hutch. The distressed white finish was perfect for the room and the piece was narrow enough to leave me plenty of space for the chair I wanted to add.

The French Casement hutch is available with solid doors, but I liked the idea of having the glass doors so that I could display some of my favorite things. There are other similar styles of sideboard and hutches at Restoration Hardware, but I really loved the hardware on this particular unit.

With four shelves in the top portion of the hutch, I had plenty of space for storage.

On the uppermost shelf, I have a pillow that I use to display my pins so that I can see them. If I can see them, I will wear them. Next to the pillow is a faux vintage perfume bottle. (Psst...I purchased a new bottle and applied a vintage perfume label to it.)

On the opposite side of the top shelf, I display some of my hats, other vintage style perfume bottles and a hatbox that I found at Michael's. The shelf below the top one, includes folded tops along with a mercury glass apothecary jar and some interesting perfume bottles for added visual interest.

On the next two shelves, I have space to display two jewelry boxes, perfume bottles, along with vintage photos and vintage handkerchiefs.

On either side of that, I have folded clothes and white wicker baskets that I purchased from Wayfair that hold lingerie items. The baskets have a cotton lace lining so I don't have to worry about the wicker snagging stockings, etc.

The lower, solid door portion of the cabinet, includes more of the same wicker baskets. I'm able to store everything that I had in the original triple dresser and more! Now, I was able to store even a few handbags with room to spare. I used slate coasters and chalk to label the contents of each basket. Because the wicker and the lining of the baskets were white-on-white, I added turquoise ribbons to each to coordinate with the color of the room.

With the hutch finished, I had more than enough room for a chair. I purchased the Marcel Upholstered Club Chair from Restoration Hardware  in the Vintage Velvet Fabric and the color Spruce. The ottoman is the Cabriole Ottoman in the same fabric.  To replace the mirror that was formerly attached to my triple dresser, I purchased the Medium Piper Frameless Mirror from Pottery Barn.  I hung the mirror on the wall using a porcelain flower-shaped drawer pull that I found at Hobby Lobby. 

The table and magazine rack are antique wicker pieces that I refinished. The throw is the Cozy Cable Knit Throw from Pottery Barn.

That's how you take dining room furniture and repurpose it for a bedroom!

5 creative ideas for using cake plates everywhere except your kitchen

We all know that cakes, muffins, cookies and every other kind of sweetness can look all the more enticing when on a beautiful pedestal cake plate. But hey, cake plates are too beautiful to display only when you have a delectable dessert in the offing. They have dozens of uses outside of the kitchen, too, where they not only look beautiful but are practical as well.

Pedestal cake plates come in all shapes, sizes and colors. I especially like pressed glass cake plates, which are often found in pastel colors as well as clear glass. Pressed glass is also referred to as pattern glass and it has a beautiful texture and design. They started making pressed glass in the early 1800s, so you can find beautiful pieces on eBay and in antique stores. Prices vary depending upon the color and the pattern but generally, you can find them between $20 and $100.

However, I scored a great deal for three cake stands currently at Michael's Arts & Crafts. The largest, which fits a traditional cake sold for $14.99 and the two smaller versions sold for $5.99 and $7.99. I had a 40% off the entire purchase coupon, which made the purchase even sweeter.

Whether you choose to go vintage or new, here are some ideas for how to use your beautiful pedestal cake plate.

Use it as a perfume tray on your dresser. Pedestal cake plates are pretty and feminine. They look perfect on a bedroom dresser or bathroom countertop.

Consider using it on your nightstand or dresser to hold your jewelry. 

Dress up your craft room or office and use it as a desk accessory. Who needs those boring, cookie-cutter desk accessories.

Use it as a soap dish in your bathroom or your guest powder room.

Finally, use it for a centerpiece or flower arrangements.

Do you use pedestal cake plates for something other than cakes? Let us know.