Cabinets & Chests

Cabinet and Chest Types

Accent Cabinets

An accent cabinet is a smaller, freestanding storage cabinet designed to serve as both a decorative and functional element in a room. Typical widths run from 24" to 48", with heights of 30" to 36" that suit placement against a living room wall, behind a sofa, or in a dining space as a bar or serving station. Door fronts in cane, glass, rattan, or carved wood panels give accent cabinets a visual presence that plain storage pieces lack. The interior typically includes one adjustable shelf and is deep enough to store bottles, glassware, books, or media components.

Sideboards and Sideboard Cabinets

A sideboard is a long, low cabinet originally designed for dining rooms but now used throughout the home. Standard sideboards run 48" to 72" wide and 30" to 36" tall, providing a flat top that functions as a serving surface, display area, or home for a television in a media room. Most include a combination of drawers, shelved cabinets, and open sections. In a dining room, a sideboard stores linens, serving pieces, and entertaining supplies. In a living room, it anchors a wall and conceals media equipment or everyday clutter in a furniture-quality piece.

Chest of Drawers

A chest of drawers provides organized, divided storage in a vertical footprint, with each drawer keeping its contents separate and easy to locate. Standard chests run 30" to 36" wide and 48" to 54" tall, with 4 to 6 drawers in varying depths. Shallow top drawers suit accessories and small items; deep lower drawers handle folded clothing, linens, or bulkier stored items. A chest of drawers in the bedroom is the most common use, but the format works equally well in a hallway, bathroom, or any room where divided drawer storage is more useful than open shelving.

Tall Storage Cabinets

A tall storage cabinet maximizes vertical space while occupying a minimal floor footprint. Heights typically range from 60" to 72", with widths of 18" to 30". Adjustable interior shelves make these cabinets adaptable across rooms: in a bathroom, they store towels, toiletries, and linen; in a bedroom, seasonal clothing and accessories; in a living room, media components, books, or everyday supplies behind closed doors. A linen cabinet is a subcategory of the tall storage cabinet, designed specifically with shallow shelves spaced for towels and folded fabric goods.

Corner Storage Cabinets

A corner cabinet fits into the 90-degree angles that most rooms leave underutilized. Most are designed with a diagonal or right-angle front face and an interior shelved in a pie-slice or square configuration. Corner storage cabinets make practical sense in small rooms where every wall inch is occupied, and the corner is the only available surface. They work well in living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms as accent pieces with display or enclosed storage inside.

Choosing a Storage Cabinet or Chest

Doors, Drawers, or Open Shelves

Storage cabinets with doors keep contents completely out of sight, making them the right choice for rooms where a tidy appearance is the priority. Drawers are best when divided, and organized access matters most, as with clothing, linens, or small accessories. Open shelves offer the most accessible display storage but require the contents to be kept visually tidy. Many of the best storage pieces combine all three: drawers at the top for frequently accessed items, cabinet doors below for concealed storage, and an open shelf or two for display.

Material and Build Quality

Solid wood cabinets hold hardware, resist racking over time, and develop a patina with age that most engineered wood cannot replicate. Engineered wood with a quality veneer or laminate finish is more consistent in appearance and more resistant to humidity-related movement in kitchens and bathrooms. For heavy-use drawers, look for full-extension drawer slides and dovetail or dowel-joined drawer boxes rather than stapled construction.

Sizing for the Room

Measure the available wall space and subtract at least 3" on each side for breathing room and door clearance. For cabinets with outward-swinging doors, confirm there is at least 18" of clear space in front of the door swing. Tall cabinets over 60" should be anchored to the wall stud in homes with children or high-traffic areas.

Room-by-Room Placement

• ● Living Room: Accent cabinets and sideboards as media consoles, bar cabinets, or display-with-storage pieces.

• ● Dining Room: A sideboard or buffet cabinet for entertaining supplies, linens, and serving pieces.

• ● Bedroom: A chest of drawers for clothing organization alongside or instead of a full dresser.

• ● Bathroom: A tall storage cabinet or linen cabinet for towels, toiletries, and cleaning supplies.

• ● Hallway: A narrow accent cabinet or small chest for keys, mail, and everyday carry items.

Explore the Full Storage Collection

For flexible, room-by-room storage across every format, browse the complete storage furniture collection, which includes benches, ottomans, trunks, cube organizers, and room dividers alongside cabinets and chests.

Need storage with a seating surface? Our storage benches provide enclosed storage below a padded or wood seat, sized for entryways, bedrooms, and mudrooms.

For a storage piece that also serves as a coffee table or accent in a living room, our storage trunks offer a decorative alternative to a standard cabinet.