Choosing Cube Storage Units for a Modern Townhouse

For a modern townhouse, choose cube storage units by working floor by floor rather than buying one large unit for the whole house. Townhouses tend to be tall and narrow, with small footprints on each level, so the right cube unit is usually shallow, sized to a specific wall or alcove, and matched to what that floor actually needs to hold. A low two by four grid suits a ground floor living room, a tall single column fits beside a staircase or in a bedroom alcove, and a compact square grid works well on a top floor study or landing.

Our modern shelving units and storage UK range includes cube designs in several sizes and finishes, which makes it easier to plan a consistent look across different storeys. Below we explain how to measure, which layouts work on each floor, and how to keep cube storage looking calm rather than cluttered.

Why Cube Storage Suits Townhouse Living

A townhouse spreads its rooms vertically. You might have a kitchen and dining space at street level, a living room on the first floor, and bedrooms above. Each room is often the full width of the house but not especially wide, and every wall has to work harder because there is little spare floor area.

Cube storage helps because it is modular in spirit. The grid format means the same style of unit can be repeated in different sizes throughout the house, giving a sense of continuity as you move between floors. It also offers two functions at once: open cubes for display and closed cubes, usually with fabric boxes or door inserts, for the everyday items you would rather keep out of sight.

Within a wider modern living room furniture UK scheme, a cube unit can sit comfortably alongside a sofa, a media unit or a reading chair without dominating the room. That flexibility is the main reason it works so well in houses where rooms change purpose over time.

Start With the Footprint of Each Floor

Before looking at finishes, measure the walls you have available on each level. In townhouses, usable wall space is often broken up by doors, radiators, windows and the staircase itself. Write down the clear width of each wall, the height to the ceiling or any sloping section, and the distance from the wall to the nearest walkway.

Depth matters as much as width. Many cube units are around 30 to 40 centimetres deep, which is fine in a living room but can feel bulky on a landing or in a narrow bedroom. If a unit will sit near a door or the top of the stairs, check that it leaves enough room to pass comfortably and to open doors fully.

It also helps to think about how furniture will reach each floor. Townhouse staircases are often steep and turn tightly. Flat packed cube units are much easier to carry up than assembled pieces, and a unit made of several smaller modules is easier still.

Matching Cube Layouts to Each Room

Ground floor and kitchen dining spaces

Ground floors in townhouses often combine the kitchen, dining area and entrance. A low cube unit, two or three cubes high, works well here as a sideboard alternative. The top surface gives you somewhere to put keys, post or a lamp, while the cubes underneath can hold table linen, placemats and cookbooks. Keep it low if it sits near the front door so the hallway still feels open.

First floor living rooms

The main living room is where a larger grid makes sense. A long, low unit under a window or along the back wall can hold books, records and baskets of throws. If the room has a chimney breast, a pair of tall narrow cube columns in the alcoves can create a symmetrical, built in look without the cost and disruption of fitted joinery.

Bedrooms on upper floors

Upper floor bedrooms are frequently the smallest rooms in a townhouse, sometimes with eaves or a sloping ceiling. A tall, single column cube unit takes up very little floor space and can stand beside the bed as a combined bedside table and bookcase. In a child’s room, low cubes with fabric boxes keep toys within reach and make tidying up straightforward.

Landings and top floor studies

Landings are an underused space in many townhouses. If yours is wide enough, a slim four cube unit can hold books, spare bedding or a small display. On a top floor used as a study, a square grid unit can double as a desk return, holding files in closed cubes and reference books in open ones.

Choosing the Right Size and Configuration

Cube units are usually described by their grid, such as one by four, two by two, two by four or four by four. Think about the shape of the wall first, then pick the grid that fits it.

• Tall and narrow walls: a one by four or one by five column suits spaces beside doors, at the end of a hallway or in an alcove.
• Long and low walls: a two by four laid horizontally sits neatly under windows and keeps sightlines open.
• Square sections of wall: a two by two or three by three unit works in studies and children’s rooms.
• Large open walls: a four by four grid makes a strong feature, but only where the room is wide enough to balance it.

Remember that a large grid can be visually heavy. In a narrow townhouse room, two smaller units placed with a gap between them often look lighter than one big block, and they are easier to move if you rearrange later.

Materials and Finishes for a Modern Look

Most cube storage is made from engineered board finished in a laminate, foil or veneer. These finishes are practical, easy to wipe clean and available in a wide choice of colours. Solid wood and wood veneer options offer more warmth and texture, while high gloss finishes reflect light, which can help in darker middle floors.

For a modern townhouse, consider the following finish choices:

• White or soft grey: keeps narrow rooms feeling bright and lets books and objects stand out.
• Light oak effect: adds warmth and works well with painted floorboards or pale carpets.
• Walnut or dark wood: gives a richer, more grown up feel in larger living rooms.
• Black or charcoal: creates a crisp graphic outline, best against light walls.

Using the same finish on every floor gives the house a joined up feel. Alternatively, keep the same style but shift the colour from room to room, for example white in bedrooms and oak in the living room.

Balancing Open and Closed Cubes

The most common mistake with cube storage is leaving every compartment open. A fully open grid can quickly look busy, especially in a smaller room. A good rule of thumb is to close roughly a third to a half of the cubes with boxes, baskets or door inserts.

Place closed cubes at the bottom of the unit, where heavier or less attractive items naturally sit, and keep the open cubes at eye level for books and display pieces. Arranging closed cubes in a regular pattern, such as a chequerboard or a solid lower row, keeps the overall effect orderly.

Choose storage boxes in one or two colours that complement the unit rather than a mix of patterns. Natural textures such as seagrass, felt or linen soften the hard lines of the grid and suit a modern interior.

Styling Cube Storage Without Clutter

Styling a cube unit is mostly about restraint. Leave some cubes almost empty so the eye has places to rest. Group books by size or colour, lay some horizontally to vary the rhythm, and add one or two objects with height, such as a vase or a plant, to break up the squares.

Lighting makes a noticeable difference in townhouse rooms, which can be darker towards the middle of the house. A small lamp on top of a low unit, or a battery light inside one of the upper cubes, adds warmth in the evening and draws attention to the pieces you want to show.

If the cube unit sits near other storage, keep the styling consistent. A unit placed next to a tall bookcase from our modern bookcases UK collection, for example, looks more considered when both pieces follow the same colour palette and use similar objects.

Safety and Stability on Every Floor

Tall cube units should always be secured to the wall, particularly in homes with children or pets. Most units include an anti tip fixing, and it is worth using it even if the unit feels stable. In older townhouses with lath and plaster walls, use fixings suited to the wall type or fix into a timber stud.

Spread heavy items across the lower cubes rather than loading one area, and check the weight guidance for each shelf. Books are heavier than they look, and a full row of hardbacks can bow a thin shelf over time.

On floors with uneven boards, which are common in period townhouses, use adjustable feet or small furniture shims so the unit stands level. A level unit sits better against the wall and its fixings are under less strain.

Pairing Cube Units With Other Storage

Cube storage rarely works alone. In a living room, it pairs naturally with a media unit or coffee table in a matching finish. In a bedroom, it can complement a chest of drawers or wardrobe. Where you need more closed storage than a cube unit can provide, our modern storage furniture UK range offers cabinets and chests that sit comfortably alongside a grid unit.

For family townhouses where children share rooms or need storage on several floors, our guide to the best children’s bedroom storage furniture for UK family homes looks at how cube units, toy boxes and wardrobes can work together.

Planning Storage Across the Whole House

Because a townhouse is split over several floors, it helps to decide what lives where before buying anything. Keep everyday items on the floor where they are used: coats and shoes at the entrance, books and games in the living room, spare bedding near the bedrooms. Cube storage on each level then has a clear job, which stops it filling up with things that belong elsewhere.

When you are ready to plan your rooms, you can explore our full collection of living, bedroom and storage furniture at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size cube storage unit is best for a townhouse living room?

A two by four unit placed horizontally is a reliable choice for most townhouse living rooms. It sits low enough to keep the room open, fits under a window or along a back wall, and offers enough space for books, media and baskets.

Can cube storage units go in alcoves?

Yes. Measure the alcove width at several heights, as older walls are rarely straight, and allow a small gap on each side. A single or double column unit in each alcove creates a balanced, fitted look.

Should cube storage be fixed to the wall?

Tall units should always be fixed to the wall using the supplied anti tip fitting or a fixing suited to your wall type. Low units are generally stable, but fixing them is still sensible in homes with young children.

How do I stop cube storage looking cluttered?

Close around a third to half of the cubes with matching boxes, keep some open cubes nearly empty, and limit the colour palette of the items on display. A regular pattern of open and closed cubes keeps the grid looking orderly.

Are cube units easy to carry up narrow stairs?

Most cube units arrive flat packed, which makes them much easier to take up narrow townhouse stairs. Assemble the unit in the room where it will stand.