The IKEA RÅSKOG Cart as Dining Room Sideboard

Serving pieces can be awkward to store. They come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes they are seasonally specific. For example, you need your red glass, gold-rimmed condiment tray out and at the ready the entire month of December, but the rest of the year it goes into hiding.

That’s why I love this tiny cart, which is the perfect home for pieces on deck.

• Rotate pieces in and out: Similar to transitioning in a seasonal wardrobe, you can do the same with your dishware. While a piece is in rotation, house it in the cart for the time it will be in action, rather than having it go in and out of that faraway corner of the hall closet where it lives the rest of the year.

• Keep your cart complete: I like having my dining cart reflect a complete table setting, so that when everything is pulled out of the cart and put onto the dining table, the result will be a stylish and complete display. As an added bonus, the cart will look as well-decorated as the table prior to setup!
• Think small to large: I always find it best to house smaller pieces up top, working my way down by size. You can also fit a folded tablecloth at the bottom of a shelf, which also provides additional protection for your precious pieces.