Of Ironstone and China Cabinets

And now for something completely different...

Home decorating magazines have featured ironstone antiques for years and it seems as though everyone and their hipster sister is collecting it, so even though I admire it and inherited one piece from a grandmother, I figured it would be useless to look for it, and too spendy if I did find it.

Well, on my trip to the thrift store this week (looking for more school uniform pieces) I glanced into one room that had souvenir plates, sets of china, and the like, and lo, and behold, I spotted a lovely ironstone tureen.  One that looks a whole lot like the ones featured in all those magazines.  And it was affordable, even for me (and I'm pretty cheap)!

There's the mark (above) and there it is on display in my china cabinet (below).

Speaking of which, what do you think of this cabinet?  It belonged to my grandmother and I'm very happy to have it.  It is not sacred to me, though, and does not have to be preserved in the state in which it sat in her home for many a year.

I see any number of Pinterest projects that could happen with this.

The trouble is that this seems to be rather more sacred to other family members and I get the greasy eyeball when I talk about paint and other desecrations like that.

I already removed the glass from the door and side panels and that was bad enough!  Then to talk about further "improvements" might just send someone off the edge.  Or to the phone to hire a moving truck and forcibly remove the piece from my unworthy clutches.

But these family members are not your family members and you don't have to care what they think.  If this was left on your front door step, what would you do with it?  Leave it as is?  Start a Pinterest board for ideas on how to change it?  Put the glass panels back in?  Paint it purple to match your dining room set?  I'd really like to hear so leave a comment.

And don't worry.  I'll deal with The Family.