Display Cabinets and Open-Plan Living: The UK Layout Report

Display cabinets have taken on a structural role in open plan UK homes, according to new analysis published by Furniture in Fashion. The report finds that removing internal walls raises the value of closed storage, because there is no adjoining room left to absorb overflow and everything is visible from everywhere else. It identifies the return walls, alcoves and chimney breast recesses left behind by knock through conversions as the positions where tall narrow cabinets do most work, and argues that visual weight matters more than capacity when a unit stands in an open sightline. The analysis recommends glazed upper doors over a solid base as the most versatile format, limits cabinet depth to 40cm on any wall carrying a route, and sets 90cm of clearance for hinged doors. It also covers cabinet lighting as a solution to the difficulty of lighting large open rooms....