How To Choose A Curio Cabinet

Curio cabinets have become a delight in themselves3. How big a space do you have for your curio
as they showcase your favorite things and mementoscabinet?
to friends and family, keep all your dear treasures in- Is the space amply high and wide? Then you might
one place to admire them in wonderment everyday, orwant to get a traditional, dark cherry curio cabinet with
protect your growing collection of porcelain dolls fromgenerous measurements of 44W x 17D x 79H inches.
your 5-year old.- If narrower, then a more contemporary curio cabinet
Curio cabinets started as places to keep curios -with practical urban living measurements of 24W x
defined in the dictionary as curious or unusual objects12D x 76H inches may be better.
of art or knickknacks and whatnots that are perhaps- If low and wide such as in a family room or den, then
worthy of collecting because of their oddity. Thisa golden oak console curio cabinet measuring 56W x
definition could, of course, include silver spoons from13D x 30H inches is probably what you need.
Alaska, all assortments of wedding and christening- And if angled in a corner, you may want a curio
favors, crystals, face masks from Africa and possiblycabinet that can be snugly placed in a corner and
even shrunken heads from the Amazons of Ecuadorprobably measuring around 28W x 16D x 72H inches.
and Peru.4. The other question to ask is - Do you want to
Nowadays, however, you can use curio cabinets formatch the look of your curio cabinet with the other
anything:furniture in the room?
- Show off your family's sporting interests by displaying- If you want to maintain a traditional look, then you
your son's bowling trophies next to your husbandsmight want to choose from grand old fashioned
autographed baseballs.designs with bevelling, hand-carved details and dark
- House your priceless family heirlooms - such as,timber finishes.
great grandma's turqoise and silver comb, grandpa's- If the room is contemporary, then you might want the
golden pen, mum's old sapphire brooch which youclean lines and lighter timber finishes of a more
wore on your wedding day and your son's first babyurbanized curio cabinet with lots of mirror and glass.
photo.5. What type of wood or non-wood appeals to you?
- Or perhaps, protect from dust and grime the brass- If affordability is a consideration and you do not mind
alto saxophone that you know you'll learn to play onethe look of MDF or engineered wood, then you might
day in your retirement years.choose a curio cabinet made of strenghtened pressed
But how do you choose the curio cabinet that's justparticle board and topped with timber veneer or
right for you? Ask yourself the following questionslaminate.
below and find out how.- If you feel that a solid wood curio cabinet sounds like
Tips on how to choose a curio cabineta good investment, then you should get a curio cabinet
1. The first question you should ask when buying amade from the more popular oak or maple -
curio cabinet is: What kind of curios will I put in it? If it ishardwoods that can only gain character and charm as
a tall brass alto saxophone, then you need to get a tall,they age.
traditional curio cabinet with fitted glass doors to keep6. And last but not least, what is your budget?
the dust out and with removable glass shelves to- Are you prepared to splurge on a Louis XV-inspired
make room for your favorite musical instrument.Pulaski curio cabinet selling for $2000 so that you can
2. How much light is there at the spot where you arehave a spectacular accent piece that can transform
going to put your curio cabinet? Is it in the sunroomyour entire living room experience?
with plenty of natural light or is it in a dark corner of the- Or do you just want a simple wall curio cabinet - one
house? If the latter then you need an illuminatedthat you can get for $20 at ebay to put your dog
cabinet to brighten the corner as well as providefigurine collection?
accent lighting to your displays.