Back in high school, when Les and I made a corner cupboard in shop class to display our growing collection of English creamware and pearlware, we were following a long tradition. In the 18th and 19th centuries, almost every house in America had some sort of cupboard with shelves for storing crockery or pewter - literally cups on boards. These were practical pieces of furniture and remain so, used for storage and display pretty much the same way they were more than 200 years ago.

Cupboards made in the post-Revolutionary period, circa 1779-1850, took several forms, with stylistic differences determined by the region in which they were made.

SORTING OUT STYLES
Open cupboards typically have two or three shelves on top and a closed cabinet below. The top and bottom may be one piece or two. These are sometimes called dressers or pewter cupboards (or, in Europe, Welsh dressers). The better New England and Pennsylvania versions have scalloped sides flanking the upper shelves and plate rails between the shelves so you could lean the dishes forward to keep them from collecting dust. Pennsylvania examples sometimes have spoon slots in the shelves.

Closed cupboards, with doors on both the upper and lower sections, became popular in the late 1700s. (These are sometimes called linen presses, although most linen presses of this period combine a paneled-door top with two or three drawers beneath.) Cupboards with paneled doors were popular in the South, while in the mid-Atlantic states and New England, more-expensive glazed doors became common.

Some cupboards are referred to as step-back cupboards because the top is less deep than the bottom, providing a flat work surface. Corner cupboards have triangular backs so they can fit unobtrusively in a corner. Some of these are freestanding with feet - especially in the South - but many were built in.

Whatever the style of cupboard they produced, craftsmen usually used indigenous woods - cherry, walnut, red gum, and maple are common - and relegated less-expensive pine and poplar to the backs and interiors, which were often painted. Pieces made entirely of pine were usually painted inside and out to dress them up.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
A piece's value depends on form, condition, age, and detail. A few years back, a particularly rare walnut cupboard in the Queen Anne style with a scalloped apron along the bottom went for more than $100,000 at the Philadelphia Antiques Show. But most antique cupboards sell for between $2,000 and $20,000.

Scalloped surrounds on the upper section are sought after, and step-backs are generally most desirable because they tend to be less bulky and most practical. Built-ins are less desirable.

When looking at antiques, make sure a step-back cupboard isn't a "marriage" of two different objects. Most one-piece step-backs have sides that continue directly to the top, so check for a horizontal seam. For cupboards made in two parts, look at the finish. Softwood cupboards were often painted - several times - so be sure the "paint history" matches between the top and bottom. Take a flashlight and mirror (a pivoting automotive version is handy) and look in the crevices for evidence of original paint.

Also check for new nails, hardware, or saw cuts, especially in areas that are curved or scrolled. Another clue is the hinges, which before 1820, on country examples, were handmade of iron and don't look as uniform as cast-iron butt hinges. (After 1880, the hinges were likely to be stamped steel). On an open cupboard, look for evidence that the piece originally had doors, namely wood fill in the hinge mortises on the door frames. If the doors are still on, make sure they're original. The paint or finish should match the main frame of the cupboard. If the muntins on glazed doors don't line up with the shelves, it could mean the doors aren't original or that wood panels were replaced with glass.

When buying a cupboard, bear in mind the space it will occupy and what it will hold. Freestanding cupboards tend to dominate a room. An open cupboard or a closed one with glazed doors feels less massive and is a good choice if your goal is to display a collection. Corner cupboards are a charming way to make efficient use of a small space, although you will probably need a carpenter to reinstall a built-in.

No matter the style, a sturdy cupboard is always a good investment. It can anchor a room's furnishings and hold so many things that you may wonder how you ever lived without it.