My Vintage Curio Cabinet Gets a Spring Makeover

I’m giving my vintage curio cabinet a fresh look for spring! This simple makeover cost nothing by using what I already had.

Well, it’s almost the end of April and spring has officially arrived here in the Northland! Does anyone else get the itch to re-decorate, like, everything during this time of the year?! I’ve been having so much fun re-styling and re-doing almost every inch of my home…like a major spring cleaning but in decorating form 🙂 With that, I thought it was high time to give my curio cabinet a seasonal refresh. This will be an update to the original styling post yet still keeping the beloved blue and white palette, but with a fresh, springtime twist! I’d love for you to join me as my vintage curio cabinet gets a spring makeover. Spoiler: It’s dreamy!

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Spring Has Sprung Inside My Wood Curio Cabinet

Hello, guys! I know many of you love blue and white decor just as much as I do. I’m so excited to show you how I used said blue and white the decor that was already in my curio and updated it for spring with a few simple touches.

Join me for simple spring styling in the curio cabinet without buying anything new. Free decorating is the best!

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Why I Love Swapping Out My Curio Cabinet for the Seasons

Truly I love re-decorating every space in my home for the seasons, spring especially, but my curio cabinet holds a very special place in my heart. There’s just something so cherished about this old piece of furniture-the curved glass, the beautiful wood tone of the shelves-that just looks so stunning with pops of blue, white, and pink.

Here are a few other reasons as to why I love to decorate the curio cabinet for spring:

• It Takes Less Time Than You Think- when swapping out decor to use for spring, it takes much less time than doing a complete overhaul. In using the existing decor and simply switching the placement of it in the cabinet, you get a whole new look! 
• The Cabinet Itself Does Most of the Work- this is so true!! Especially when styling inside of an antique or vintage curio, the cabinet itself is the star of the show. You truly don’t need to do much as far as decor goes to make it look beautiful because it already is.

Shop My Favorite Blue and White Decor

My Vintage Curio Cabinet Gets a Spring Makeover

With that, let’s get into the spring styling and makeover that I recently did on my cabinet! 

What I Swapped Out (and what I kept)

So, how (and what) to swap out for a seasonal switch such as this? Well, that is going to depend on you and your preferences. But, I will tell you what I did and why!

The Pieces That I Put Away (for now)

I put away anything that had been in my curio cabinet for over a year. This included a few white hankies, a milk glass bowl, and a milk glass vase.

The Blue and White Staples that Stayed 

What stayed? Almost all of it! Milk glass plates, a blue and white platter, blue and white ironstone pitchers, and the row of vintage books at the bottom. The new ‘look’ comes from the accessories added, which we’ll chat about below!

The New Spring Look in My Wood Curio Cabinet

For this new season, I basically cleared out the entire cabinet, gave it and the decor a good dusting, and then re-decorated it using those same pieces. However, to give it a ‘garden-y twist’ for spring, I added in a few accessories. Let’s talk about that!

Thrifted Finds That Bring the Season In

I can go down the line and tell you where I found each piece and roughly how much I paid! This is a fun game that I like to play with myself…does anyone else do that?!

Blue and White Transferware

I started collecting blue and white transferware about six years ago. It first started with a plate, then a platter…and the rest is history. I love displaying this collection together in the same place…I think it creates far more impact than having one piece here and one piece there. 

My collection includes platters, pitchers, and tureens. 

When styling transferware, less is more. I try really hard not to overdo it with the ‘extra’ things because the transferware pattern is already so pretty and speaks for itself. It’s important to me that I don’t take away from the pattern but rather add to it with simple touches. So, for spring, I enhanced the look by placing simple greenery with tiny white flowers amongst the pieces. That’s it!

Ironstone Pitchers

Pitchers, of any kind, are so fun to find! Not only are vintage pitchers super cute, they are extremely versatile pieces of decor. My blue and white pitcher collection, which also falls under the transferware category, bring life and whimsy to my cabinet. 

Because most of them feature pretty curves and intricate details, I love adding them in for character.

For spring, I placed a few faux pink Tulip stems here and there…some pitchers have one, some have two. I try to use an odd number of florals on a shelf because otherwise it looks too perfect. To make the fake florals look more natural, I like to mimic nature and nature is imperfect. Hence, an odd number of flowers placed at varying heights.

Ironstone Tureens

Ah, tureens. It’s like finding gold whenever I come across one of these at a thrift store! 

The tureens that I use in my curved cabinet act as ‘shelf anchors’. They are the largest items on each shelf, and when placed in the middle rather than off to a side, it helps to balance out the decor on either side.

Usually I like to add ribbon to my tureens, such as tying ribbon around the handles, but I didn’t have any extra ribbon on hand. (and in keeping with the theme of a no-buy makeover, I didn’t want to purchase new ribbon)

So, here they are, in all their lovely glory, gracing each shelf with pretty curves, charming handles, and the most beautiful blue and white patterns!

Milk Glass 

You know I can’t style anything without using at least a few milk glass pieces, right?! The majority of milk glass used in my curio cabinet are plates but I do have a pedestal bowl styled on the third shelf, as well. 

I think the milk glass aids in toning down all the patterns. Due to it’s creamy, neutral hue, the plates bring in a calm background atmosphere. I do adore that this cabinet has built in plate racks…it makes styling plates and platters so easy!

Vintage Art

Art is something that not a lot of people use to style a curio cabinet with…mainly because it’s unique and different and not thought about. That being said, you can totally use small-scale art in a cabinet! 

Vintage art is so amazing to use for bringing in depth and story to your cabinet vignette. 

Here on the third shelf, I have a vintage barn scene in it’s original frame. Honestly, small art such as this basically acts as a plate or platter would except better 🙂 My advice on the art is to try and choose an art piece that has similar colors as the decor. This way, it doesn’t detract from the display as a whole, but rather enhances it.

Ceramic Bunnies

I adore small bunny figurines for spring decorating. They are just the cutest little things that totally bring the spring aesthetic!

Because I used bunnies in the living room, I wanted to use a few in the curio cabinet as well to help tie the cabinet in with the rest of the house. So, I chose two white ceramic bunnies, placing one on the top shelf and one on the second shelf. 

They bring in that perfect garden, Peter Rabbit look and, since they are white, they don’t detract from the other decor pieces. It’s the best of both worlds!

Vintage Hankies

Yes, I reach for hankies every single season but I just can’t help myself! They are so lovely and intricate, bringing a softness to all the hard lines and edges in the cabinet.

With a wood cabinet, and all of the glass and stoneware inside, it can all start to feel hard and cold. That’s where hankies come in! I placed a few hankies underneath pitchers and within bowls to bring a calmness to all the dense objects.

The white hankies, some with lace and some with monograms, layer effortlessly into the display!

Old Books

Finally, the row of antique and vintage books on the bottom shelf of the cabinet stay here year-round. This is like a holding spot for my old book collection that are not in use at the moment. 

But, I love the eclectic look of them all! Just look at the rainbow of colors, genres, sizes, and eras. This little ‘library’ of mine is truly something special.

Don’t Forget the Top! Styling the Space Above My Glass Curio Cabinet

But wait…there’s more! We can’t forget about the top of the cabinet, can we?! It would feel left out! I did create a small vignette on top with some thrifted and already-had-on-hand pieces that tie in with the display below it.

Faux Spring Bouquet in a Thrifted Glass Jar

On the left side sits a lovely and cheery floral bouquet. I created it by combining a bunch of spring floral stems including Ranunculus and Poppy, sticking the bouquet inside a vintage glass waffle-patterned jar, and completing the look with a pink lace ribbon. 

Thrifted Artwork Always

Behind the vase of flowers sits a vintage needlework art sampler that I thrifted for just $2.99! It’s the perfect neutral backdrop for this small surface area.

Small Touches That Make a Big Difference

Finally, a framed photo of my late grandparents sits in the front. The pink and blue floral frame, also thrifted, ties in perfectly with the decor inside the cabinet. I pass this photo at least ten times a day and can see it from my bed at night. It’s such a lovely reminder from heaven that they are watching over me always.

How the Finished Spring Display Came Together

Here’s the final result of how it all looks! Isn’t it just so pretty?! The mix of blue, white, and pink for spring makes me feel happy, you know??

Vintage decor, and thrifting, changed my life for the better. I hope you can find something, whatever it may be, that brings you joy everyday!

Tips for Styling Your Own Vintage Curio Cabinet for Spring

Before we part, I wanted to leave you with a few tactile and manageable tips for achieving a look like this in your own home. It’s so, so easy and, the best part is, it’s free!

Shop Your Own Home

Walk around your home. Go in to every room. Look in, and dig around in, every closet, drawer, and cabinet that you can think of. When doing so, pull items that you think could be used for your seasonal theme. It doesn’t matter what it is…make a big pile. Vases, baskets, trays, linens, old ribbons, wood boxes, bowls, trinket dishes, small accessories…you name it. It’s all fair game!

Then, as you begin to decorate, start pulling from that pile. Once you get going, you’ll begin to realize how much you truly do have to style and decorate with without even having to go to the store!

How to Keep it Feeling Fresh Without Buying New

Then, seasonally, you don’t have to go out and buy all new things, either! As I did here in my curio cabinet, I used the decor pieces already in place, but simply tweaked it a bit for the season.

So, for summer, think adding in yellow such as sunflowers, yellow ribbon, or faux ferns. For fall, try pinecones, acorns, velvet ribbon, or fall leaf stems. For winter, think wintry pinecones, faux cedar, or lace.

See?? It’s so easy and affordable! You can do it…I believe in you!

Closing Tidbits on My Vintage Curio Cabinet Gets a Spring Makeover

And just like that, spring has officially moved into my little antique curio cabinet! 

There is something incredibly satisfying about giving an old piece of furniture a fresh new look for the season. No big budget, no trip to Target…just a handful of thrifted finds, some pink Tulips, and a little bit of creativity. 

Be encouraged to keep hunting for the beautiful, the dusty, the one-of-a-kind pieces that others walk right by, finding beauty along the way. The adventure is always worth it.

I invite you to share your own seasonal cabinet updates with me in the comments! If this post gave you the itch to pull out your own vintage pieces and do a little seasonal shuffling, then my work here is done! I would absolutely love to see what your curio cabinet or shelves look like this spring — come find me on Instagram @theantiquedjourney and share your display!

Read the very the first styling post on my curio cabinet here. 

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If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

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FAQ’s for Styling a Curio Cabinet

How often should you change out the decor in a curio cabinet?

There are no rules here! I personally like to swap mine out with the seasons — about four times a year. Even small changes like adding a few seasonal stems or swapping one or two pieces can make a big impact without a full overhaul.

Where is the best place to find spring decor for a vintage curio cabinet?

Thrift stores, antique malls, and estate sales are my go-to spots. Spring is actually a great time to thrift because people are decluttering — you can find some real gems for just a few dollars!

How do you keep a curio cabinet display from looking cluttered?

The secret is negative space — don’t feel like every inch needs to be filled. I like to step back after each shelf and ask myself if everything has room to breathe. When in doubt, take something out!

Can you mix different styles of blue and white decor in a curio cabinet?

 Absolutely! Transferware, ironstone, and milk glass all play beautifully together because the common thread of blue and white ties everything into a cohesive look even when the pieces are mismatched.

Are faux florals okay to use in a vintage or antique styled display?

One hundred percent yes! High quality faux florals have come a long way and they are a practical, budget-friendly choice — especially inside a glass cabinet where fresh flowers would wilt quickly.

What do you put on top of a curio cabinet?

The top of the cabinet is prime real estate that a lot of people overlook! I love styling mine with a small vignette — in this case a vintage waffle jar with a faux spring bouquet and a piece of thrifted needlework art behind it. Think of it as a little bonus display!

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