11 China Cabinet Makeovers That Are Thrifty and Chic

China cabinets have been around since the 17th century, and had a pretty good run until falling out of fashion due to the rise of built-in kitchen cabinetry, the decline of formal dining rooms, and the decreasing social imperative to showcase one’s prized set of porcelain china and glassware behind a set of glass doors. 

But everything old is new yet again, and these days interior designers are integrating contemporary versions of your grandmother's antique reproduction china cabinets into modern kitchens to evoke the nostalgia of earlier times, or seeking out midcentury modern iterations to lightly restore and add authentic cred to vintage-inspired rooms.

Giving neglected thrift store furniture a makeover is hardly a new phenomenon, but a new generation of designers, stylists, and DIYers has developed a crush on the neglected china cabinets of old, fueled by a desire to upcycle, the grandmillennial trend, and a rejection of the clean-lined interiors that have dominated for decades. Sourcing drab and dated specimens gathering dust in the places where antique reproduction china cabinets go to die—basements, attics, thrift stores, flea markets, yard and estate sales, and online marketplaces—they breathe new life into these drab, neglected pieces with paint, wallpaper, new hardware, and an anything-goes spirit that has turned a once hyper-specific piece of kitchen or dining room furniture into a display case for just about anything. 

Here are some simple and stylish DIY ideas for turning a dated china cabinet into a modern showpiece. Keep in mind that these ideas could work just as well for transforming other tired furniture in need of a light refresh, a serious makeover, or a total facelift, such as bar cabinets, hutches, and other wood cabinets.