Pie Safe Antique Kitchen Cupboards Decorating Ideas

This past weekend, I found a long-sought-after antique pie safe while out Thrifting with the Gals at Chandler & Co.’s Barn sale in South Berwick, Maine.

I have been looking for something like this for our Vermont kitchen to display some of my favorite dinnerware collections. However, all the old wooden pie safes I have encountered have either been too large or too small.

But this one was going to be just right and with adjustable shelves!

What is a Pie Safe?

A pie safe, also known as a pie cupboard, is a charming and functional piece of furniture that dates back to the 19th century.

What is a pie safe used for?

Originally designed to store pies and other baked goods before the advent of refrigeration, these wooden vintage cabinets feature screened or perforated tin panels, which allow air to circulate while keeping out insects.

An antique pie safe adds a rustic and nostalgic touch to any kitchen. It offers storage and display opportunities, all designed in unique ways. Pie safes are often crafted and homemade.

If you want to incorporate pie safe ideas into your kitchen, consider using them to store and showcase your collection of fine china and vintage linens or even as a unique pantry. Their timeless appeal and practical design make antique pie safes a delightful addition to any home decor scheme.

So the pie isn’t perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control, and never panic.

Martha Stewart

What are the different types of pie safe cabinets & jelly cabinets?

Pie safe cabinets and similarly jelly cupboards come in various styles, reflecting their historical use and regional influences. Here are some common types:

Fresh Table Talk Pie Safe Chest

Table Talk Pie Safe

It appears that this pie safe that I discovered was a display rack hand-crafted by the Dunning Corporation of Darien, CT. This solid wood piece has dovetail joints and 14 shelves to hold fresh Table Talk Pies.

Each side has a great graphic that reads “Fresh Table Talk Pie”—Property of Table Talk Inc. Worcester, Mass. 01608 with the numbers 3-71.

This solid wood pie safe would likely have been a marketing or functional item used to showcase and store baked goods, emphasizing the company’s commitment to freshness and tradition in their reseller establishments.

Vintage Pie Safe Restoration

Fortunately, this old pie safe was in excellent condition and did not need much repair.

However, the wood was faded and lacked luster.

So, I deferred to my old stand-by Restor-A-Finish and Feed-N-Wax for a quick and easy wood restoration.

Find more inspiration in these wood restoration posts using Restor-A-Finish:

Now that the pie safe’s wood has been polished and conditioned, it is ready to be placed into a corner of our Vermont home’s kitchen for decorating.

How to Decorate with an Old Kitchen Pie Chest

My goal was always to find and use an old pie cabinet to display my favorite vintage dishes in this unused corner of our kitchen. But they were always too big, too small, or too broad.

But this one is just right.

Upon returning to Vermont, my neighbor dropped off some of her fresh-cut garden flowers as I loaded the pie safe with the Johnson Brothers Old English Chintz dinnerware, which I recently found at a thrift shop in Maine.

Enjoy more vintage finds in this Thrifting at Sage Farm Antiques NH post, too.

“Dabbling and Decorating” with this pie safe in our kitchen and the gorgeous sunflowers gave me all the fall vibes.

After all, my vision for this Johnson Brothers Old English Chintz dish set is to set up a creative fall table on our porch. See how this vintage dinnerware is styled today in this How to Create a Stunning Fall Tablescape You’ll Love post.

I decided to fill a few of the extra pie safes’ shelves with other table-setting essentials, such as a box of silverware, thrifted tablecloth, wooden bowls, and silver fruit bowls.

This will be our porch’s fall table-setting rudiments for when we return to Vermont in September.

I added height to this kitchen counter pie crate by placing a leaning winter pastel scene that I found at a local Habitat for Humanity store on top of it.

Layered with brass candlesticks, two owl pitchers, and a vintage silver pitcher filled with my neighbor’s fresh-cut flowers. All of which, I will be able to quickly grab for our fall porch table settings.

The best part is vintage and antique pie safes can be incorporated into kitchen and mud room decor in many ways. Whether it’s a crate-sized pie safe like mine that sits on a countertop or a larger furniture piece like a jelly cabinet or mission pie safe, these home decor accents are a beautiful addition to any old home.

Where can I buy antique pie safes?

An antique pie cabinet can be found and purchased through antique stores, flea markets, second-hand shops, Etsy, eBay, and many online Amish furniture stores that supply beautiful handmade Amish pie safes.

Pumpkin pie, spice, and everything nice. 

Happy thrifting!

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