Crockery cabinets have made a comeback as more people hop back to this 90s furniture trend

Crockery cupboards are back in style, blending nostalgia with smart storage, giving modern homes a chance to display cherished tableware again.

A vintage-style crockery cabinet styled with glassware and ceramics adds charm, storage, and personality to a modern dining space.

By Neha Ravi Khandelwal

Neha Khandelwal
Content Lead, HT Travel | Travel & Lifestyle Journalist
With over 10 years of content writing experience, Neha Khandelwal is a lifestyle journalist and the Content Lead at HT Travel. She specialises in destinations, hotels, aviation, luggage, travel gear, and practical guides that help readers plan smarter and travel better. Her work combines first-hand experience, expert insights, and extensive research to create stories that are informative, useful, and easy to follow.

Career Journey & Experience
Neha began her writing career as a freelance journalist in 2010 before entering mainstream media with The Times of India in 2022. She later joined Hindustan Times, where she has written extensively across travel, lifestyle, home, and consumer trends. Her professional background extends beyond journalism. Before moving into digital media full-time, she spent nearly a decade in interior design, managing residential projects from concept to execution. She also trained in visual merchandising with Shoppers Stop and Pantaloons and worked with women-led startups across design and operations. These experiences continue to shape her storytelling, especially in how she evaluates hotels, design-led stays, hospitality spaces, and travel experiences.

A naturally curious learner, Neha has completed beginner certifications in pottery, scuba diving, baking, creative writing, and other creative pursuits. She has read more than 2,000 books, trained in Bharatanatyam for 8 years, and ghostwritten a book on Ladakh tourism.

Subject Expertise
Travel is at the heart of Neha's work. She covers destinations, hotels, airlines, luggage, packing strategies, travel accessories, and emerging travel trends through a mix of reporting, product testing, and conversations with industry experts. A frequent traveller herself, she approaches every trip with a journalist's curiosity and a planner's mindset, focusing on experiences that readers can realistically recreate. From choosing the right cabin bag to decoding hotel openings and destination trends, her writing prioritises practical advice over promotional claims. Her background in interior design also gives her a distinct perspective on architecture, hospitality design, boutique hotels, luxury stays, and thoughtfully designed spaces.

Education & Professional Background
Neha holds a Master's degree in Interior Design. Her early experience in interior design, visual merchandising, and design operations gives her a unique understanding of aesthetics, functionality, and user experience, adding depth to her coverage of hotels, resorts, and travel spaces.

Editorial Philosophy
"As an avid, research-driven traveller, my goal is simple. To answer the questions you actually have before booking a trip. I cut through the promotional noise with honest reporting and expert insights. Making travel planning seamless, smart, and reliable so you always know where to go next."

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As a 90s kid, I remember almost every home had a crockery cupboard sitting proudly in the drawing room or dining area. It was never just storage. It quietly told you about the home, the host, and their sense of order. Over time, as homes got smaller and people leaned towards cleaner layouts, these cabinets slowly disappeared. Closed storage took over, and anything that needed regular dusting felt like extra work. Now in 2026, things are shifting again. People want warmth in their spaces, a bit of nostalgia, and furniture that feels personal. Crockery cupboards are finding their way back into homes, blending old-school charm with practical design. And honestly, it feels like a good time to bring them back.

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Things to keep in mind while picking the right crockery cupboard

• Size matters more than you think: Measure your space properly. You want it to fit in, not take over the room.
• Open vs closed sections: A mix works best. Glass fronts for display, shutters for everyday clutter.
• Material choice: Solid wood feels classic, engineered wood is lighter and easier on the pocket. Pick based on usage.
• Storage layout: Look for adjustable shelves and drawers. Not all crockery is the same size.
• Ease of cleaning: Designs with fewer grooves and detailing are simpler to maintain.

Best spots in your home to place a crockery cabinet

The dining room still feels like the most natural fit, but it is not the only option anymore. A crockery cupboard can work beautifully in a living room corner, especially if you style it with books and a few decor pieces. Open kitchens are another great spot, where it doubles up as both storage and display. Even a slightly empty passage wall can turn into a moment with the right cabinet. It is really about finding a space where it feels intentional, not squeezed in.

Materials and finishes that work today

Warm woods are making a strong return, especially lighter tones that keep things feeling easy and relaxed. If you want something more current, glass paired with metal frames adds a clean, minimal touch. Fluted glass is also having a moment, giving you partial visibility without putting everything on show. Matte finishes tend to age better than glossy ones and are easier to maintain in everyday use. The idea is to pick something that blends in with your existing furniture instead of competing with it.

Feature	Open Shelves	Glass Cabinets
Look and feel	Light, airy, more relaxed	Neat, structured, slightly more polished
Maintenance	Needs frequent dusting	Keeps dust out, easier to manage
Styling effort	Requires regular rearranging to look good	Can stay styled for longer with minimal effort
Accessibility	Easy to grab and use daily items	Slightly restricted due to the doors
Best for	People who enjoy styling and switching things up	Those who prefer low maintenance with a clean display
Overall vibe	Casual and lived in	Balanced, practical, and display-friendly

5 tips to keep your crockery cupboards dust-free

• Wipe surfaces twice a week with a microfibre cloth to prevent build-up.
• Keep rarely used pieces covered or stored inside closed sections.
• Use shelf liners to make cleaning quicker and protect surfaces.
• Avoid placing the cabinet too close to windows or balconies, where dust settles faster.
• Do a quick monthly reset where everything is taken out, wiped, and placed back neatly.

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The author of this article holds a Master's Degree in Interior Design and has spent over a decade in research, teaching, and designing homes from scratch.

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