Mother Goose AND “Old Mother Hubbard” get partial credit for my interest in interior design. As a kid, I enjoyed the nonsense of nursery rhymes but also truly wondered about that cupboard: Old? New? Inherited? Built-in? Freestanding? Glass, wood or tin doors? Stained or painted? Yes, I was THAT weird.
The word cupboard has been around since the late 1300s, when it was used to describe boards where people stored their “cups,” meaning food as well as eating implements. The type of furniture is centuries older than the word itself, and I never tire of looking at anything used to tuck away stuff. Who says functional can’t be beautiful?
Take in these 10 cupboards, then, just for the pleasure of looking. Pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea and let your mouth hang open in awe. (Bring a hanky for the drool, please.)
1. Midnight sun
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| Christoph Toyer |
That’s what this unique cupboard reminds me of, set against a backdrop of black wall and floor. I love the artful, edited arrangement of pottery on top. In fact, the roundness of the pots accentuates the cupboard’s strong angles. One angular chair and another, more-rounded one in the foreground keep the contrast going.
All-black room finishes are tough to pull off, but designer Sylvester Kotsolek nailed it. His apartment in the center of Berlin is mostly windows on one side and overlooks a park, so natural light fills the space. See/read more about his home at Architectural Digest.
2. In case Mother H’s dog still needs that bone…
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| The Playing Circle |
I’m crushing on how this cupboard is styled–a lesson in collection display in itself. It’s also part of a loft meeting space designed and managed by The Playing Circle on the third floor of Amsterdam’s Vaudeville Theatre. See/read more about this space at Home Adore. PS: Every piece in this gorgeous loft is for sale, so hurry on over before I get it first!
3. No bones but far from bare
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| Via Interior Antioquia |
This photo from the Malmo, Sweden, home of former model and interior design Malin Persson has been making the rounds on design blogs for about a month now. Small wonder because it’s a cupboard that’s gorgeous in a big, BIG way. What a charming alternative to traditional kitchen cupboards, wouldn’t you say? See/read more about this home at Interior Antioquia.
4. Portal to Narnia?
5. In its own little corner
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| Jonas Berg via Stadshem |
6. Anchors away
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| Amy Butler |
This gorgeous, vintage breakfront cupboard anchors a midcentury modern living/dining room with aplomb. I love that it blends with the rough-hewn flooring, which then seems to continue right up the wall, to draw your eye to the skylights. And I love-love-love the triangulation of those two finials with the flower sculpture on the coffee table. Did I say GORGEOUS?
Follow the link to see more interiors by Amy Butler Design, as well as more photos of her house, which just happens to be this one!
7. Personal-sized temple
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| Rett Peek |
If this bedroom hadn’t been featured in At Home in Arkansas, I would have guessed it was tucked away somewhere in upstate New York, given the Iroquois portrait. I love the way the curtains pin open—so simple to close at night!
The cupboard itself looks like a miniature Roman temple, and those huge hand-blown glass amphoras on top could be filled with temple wine, but, alas, are not. Follow the link to the magazine to see/read more about this home Little Rock designer Reggie Marshall of Marshall Clements designed as her garden getaway.
8. Classic black and white meet brown
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| Andrea Papino via Atelier Rue Verte |
9. Minted metal
10. No minimalist lives here
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| Via The Vintage Post |
I love the fun colors this cupboard wears and, of course, that it’s filled with an equally fun, hodge-podge of colorful china. See read more about “Coco’s Eclectic Vintage Home” at The Vintage Post. But first, let’s have a tea party, okay? Methinks the Madhatter is already about.
