A vitrine is a specific type of antique display cabinet designed with glass on the sides and sometimes the top, as well as the front. The name comes from the French word for glass. They were built to display items from multiple angles at once. You often find them standing on tall legs, holding small silver items or snuff boxes.

My grandmother left me a large cabinet but the shelves are missing and the fabric inside is torn, so can the interior be completely replaced?

Yes, you can replace the interior. Stripping out old torn fabric and cutting new glass or wooden shelves is a standard part of restoring an antique display cabinet. Many dealers do this before putting a piece in their showroom. Choosing a neutral linen or a soft velvet will give the interior a clean backdrop for whatever you decide to put inside.

How do you move them safely?

Remove the shelves and lock the doors. If they do not lock, tape them shut with low-tack tape. Carry the piece upright. Twisting the carcase on its side can crack the old glass.

I have an old mahogany cabinet that smells quite heavily of stale cigar smoke when you open the doors, is there a way to get rid of the odour?

Smoke odours cling to the porous interior woods and fabrics. If the cabinet is lined with cloth, that fabric will almost certainly need to be replaced. Cloth absorbs and holds smells tightly. For the bare wood, leaving a bowl of bicarbonate of soda inside with the doors closed can draw out the stale smell. Wiping the woodwork down with a mild solution of white vinegar and water also helps neutralise the surface. Sometimes you just need to leave the doors open in a dry, well-ventilated room for a few weeks.

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Victorian Display Cabinets

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Antique display cabinets are glazed cases built to hold and present collections of porcelain, silver, or curiosities. The glass fronts kept dust and soot away from fragile items in coal-heated homes while letting guests examine the contents.