China cabinets are one of those things that might remind you of your grandparents' homes, but they're making a comeback! In fact, china cabinets and hutches are having a bit of a moment right now, thanks in part to grandmillennial style. They're good for organization, storage, decor, and more!
In the mid-20th century, china cabinets became more functional, with many featuring built-in lighting and storage for stemware, silver flatware and other dining accessories. Today, china cabinets continue to be a popular feature in many homes.
China cabinets, often seen as relics of the past, have made a surprising comeback in modern homes. They're not just for grandmas anymore! This guide will dive into how these elegant pieces can transform your space, offering both style and functionality.
Corner Hutches
Corner cabinets are an easy way to make use of an awkward space. Although they don't give as much storage as a flat-wall china cabinet, they do have all the style. The lighted display, with convenient touch-switch controls, lets you show off your fine china and other collectibles.
While they have been used throughout history, hutches gained popularity in the late 20th century, namely during the '80s and '90s. And like most trends, after a few decades of unpopularity, the hutch trend is coming back around, and we hope it never goes out again.
Today, we are more focused on downsizing our possessions, but the need for a hutch, buffet or China cabinet has not become outdated or gone out of style.
"Formal dining rooms are here to stay, and they're experiencing a resurgence," she says. "While kitchen islands and casual dining spaces became the go-to during the remote work shift, formal dining rooms have regained popularity as people return to hosting and entertaining at home."
Hutch cabinets are generally more casual in design, often seen in modern or rustic styles that blend open display areas with functional storage. Their versatility means they can fit into various rooms, from kitchens to home offices. China cabinets, on the other hand, have a more formal and elegant design.
While curio cabinets may not be as universally popular as they once were, they still have a place in modern homes, especially for those who value personalized decor and unique displays. Their relevance depends largely on individual taste and how well they are integrated into the overall design of a space.
Lower cabinets in dark tones are a bold and dramatic kitchen cabinet trends for 2025, bringing depth and richness to kitchen designs. Dark hues like navy blue, charcoal gray, and deep green are popular choices, adding a touch of sophistication and elegance to the space.
If you have an old china cabinet or wardrobe that you no longer have room for, you can get the old, hutch hauled away the next day! No matter the condition of your sideboard, LoadUp will haul away and recycle kitchen cabinets and old cabinets for you on-demand!
This stuff predates midcentury “Mad Men” chic by a decade at least. It's Victorian, candy-dish-and-doilies granny chic, which is to say it's not really chic at all. The corner cabinets have turned out to be an unusually maddening inheritance for a number of reasons, but especially because they can only fit in corners.
Where to put a china cabinet. A china cabinet is often best displayed in the corner of a living room or dining room.
In these cases, you can use the china cabinet to store items like books, magazines, blankets, or anything else that needs an attractive place to live. The possibilities are truly endless! With a little creativity and effort, you can turn any china cabinet into a modern display piece.
A chest of drawers, also called (especially in North American English) a dresser or a bureau, is a type of cabinet (a piece of furniture) that has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers generally stacked one above another. Chest of drawers from the 18th century, collection King Baudouin Foundation.
These cabinets were designed to centralize and organize all kitchen tasks in a time before built-in cabinetry and modern appliances were commonplace. A typical Hoosier cabinet consisted of: A large base, often on casters, for mobility. A pull-out work surface that provided extra counter space for meal prep.
📐 Why the Formal Dining Room is Disappearing Square footage is precious, and even in luxury homes, buyers prioritize open layouts and multifunctional spaces. When ranking room priorities, the formal dining room often lands (near) dead last—making it less valuable to today's buyers.
Kitchen size aside, the pendulum has started to swing back toward enclosed kitchens. Several new residential buildings in Manhattan have offered separated kitchens — a nod to prewar apartment design, but also to the growing demand from potential buyers looking for separate cooking and entertaining spaces.
Statement Lighting
In 2025, dining rooms will embrace light fixtures that are equal parts style and illumination. “Bold pendant lights are becoming sculptural focal points above the table,” says Alyssa Anselmo, interior architect at and founder of Studio Anva.