The Vintage Vitrine: How to Choose It and What to Display With Taste
For a long time, the vitrine was considered old-fashioned. Today it is back in force, precisely because it does something an open shelf cannot: it presents with dignity. A vintage vitrine does not merely store — it displays. It turns a few treasured objects into a small scenography, protected from dust, bathed in light. At Martello it is one of the pieces that always sell.
Why the vitrine is back
In a home where everything is minimalist and hidden, the vitrine brings back the pleasure of showing. Grandmother's porcelain service, a crystal collection, a few rare books — all of these ask for a worthy frame. The vitrine is the answer: furniture and exhibition at once, with the added charm of solid wood and old glass, no longer made the same way today.
How to choose a quality one
Check the glass: old glass often has small imperfections that give it character, but it must be whole and well fixed. Look at the shelves — wood or glass, they should be stable and adjustable. The door hinges should close tightly, so dust stays out. A vitrine with interior lighting, even discreetly added, doubles its effect in the evening.
What to display in it (and what not)
The rule is simple: less, but chosen. Group objects by colour or material — all the crystal on one shelf, the porcelain on another. Leave space between pieces so each can breathe; a crammed vitrine looks like a cupboard, an airy one like an exhibition. One tall object anchors, a few small ones support it. Avoid papers, boxes and utilitarian items — the vitrine is for beauty, not for storage.
Where to place it
Its natural place is in the dining room, beside the table, where it keeps the good service on show. But a narrow vitrine also looks splendid in a living room, as a library-display, or in a generous hallway. Place it against a wall where natural light touches it from the side rather than head-on, so it does not reflect in the glass.
Care
Clean the glass with a gentle solution and a lint-free cloth. Feed the wood with wax twice a year. Dust the objects when you rearrange them — a well-kept vitrine shows at once. The hinges need a drop of oil every few years.
Every vitrine in our collection is a unique piece, with its own glass and wood. Discover them in the dining room category and in the rest of our catalogue, then come and open their doors at the Martello showroom in Nimoreni, Ialoveni. We deliver throughout Moldova and Romania.