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Seems with the open concepts people are opting out of formal dining rooms, which in a way is good because if the kitchen has room for a table the dining room is seldom used. One thing I notice on remodeling shows is even with dining rooms China cabinets are not in style anymore. Sometimes a smaller cabinet called a buffet is used.
Also as far as bedroom furniture goes some remodeling shows are using less bedroom furniture. I don't know if it's a new style to make the room look bigger but some are just going with a bed and 2 nightstands or maybe it's to make the room less cluttered and cleaner looking.
I'd hate to not have a dresser in my bedroom! What I noticed when we bought new bedroom furniture in 2012 was that the furniture was scaled smaller than my old stuff from the early 1970s. At least the dresser was much smaller. I don't know if you can buy a triple dresser any more!
Apparently these are being offered at several levels of pricing. It might be that remodeling shows are choosing less expensive pieces to hold costs down. (My guess)
And, the buffets you are seeing are often a lower units that can accommodate upper units to make themselves into china cabinets. My cabinet is made up of a lower unit which might be a buffet by itself, + an upper unit for dish display and storage.
Since this is based more on design blogs, websites, tv shows, etc., it's perhaps a little more aspirational than complete reality but with that said, I think that people want bigger closets with well designed storage systems so less need for bedroom furniture storage pieces. I have one dresser in my bedroom, as much for the surface to put a tv on, plus some other bits and pieces, as for the storage. I also have a dressing (vanity) table in my bedroom because that's my preference and I have small nook that would otherwise go unused but that's something one could easily do with out. And two nightstands. It's not a very large bedroom for a master, so I'm glad that I've got enough closet space to provide the necessary storage rather than trying to take up anymore floor space with furniture.
As for dining rooms, I have a dedicated dining space in my open floor plan, large enough to put in the leaves on my table and comfortably seat 10-12. And I have a buffet but not a china cabinet. I personally don't love china cabinets, they look dated to me, and I prefer to hang something decorative on the wall above the buffet rather than take up that space with more cabinetry. I do have enough wall space in the dining area that I could have put in a second piece of furniture, but I prefer a more open feel to the room, not as if I'm hemmed in by furniture.
Edited to add my beautiful art deco buffet
Last edited by emm74; 02-16-2017 at 12:37 PM..
Reason: added photo
Well, yes of course. They are constantly changing, how do you think they stay in business?
But your post seemed to concentrate on home design. To say that home design drives furniture design would be somewhat correct- at least with "new" housing stock. But there is still 100's of thousands of older more traditional homes that work with more traditional furniture (as in function, not design).
I agree that these trends are at an intersection of aspiration and reality. There are still many people with china cabinets but these people tend to come from a different generation or live in more traditional regions of the country. Many people still have dressers because they do not have the walk-in closet space or cannot afford custom closets.
In general, thoughtful inclusion of furniture translates to a more focused style. Just as fewer words make a bigger impact in writing, fewer furniture pieces make a stronger statement in style. Editing is key. Some people can do maximalism well but it is a minority. Even then, maximalists create texture out of decor rather furniture pieces. For the bedroom, I like to see one, at most two dressers in a bedroom. As for china cabinets, pass for me.
I don't have a china cabinet but I have a big curio cabinet that I have my grandmother's, and my mother in law's complete sets of china stored there - some of it arranged pleasantly. One set (MILs) is still highly collectible and commands decent prices. The other set is extra special to me because my grandmother collected it over a period of several years, with coupons she got, while she lived in New Orleans, where I was born. The pattern has fleur de lis on it, and the years (1930s) are stamped on the bottom.
I love using that old china - I'm glad that they are both very different styles because my MIL's is great for winter and my grandmother's is great for spring and summer and birthdays.
I don't care whether china or china cabinets are "in or out" of style. I love these old dishes and all the memories of love and family that they hold.
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