If you work from home, look for a display cabinet that does three things well: it gives you a tidy, interesting backdrop for video calls, it keeps work clutter out of sight when the day is done, and it fits comfortably into a room that may also be a living room, bedroom or spare room. A cabinet with glazed upper shelves and closed lower storage is often the most useful design, combined with a modest depth, adjustable shelves and a finish that does not reflect screen glare or bright windows back into your camera.<\/p>\n
For many people, the home office is not a separate room but a corner of the living room or the end of a bedroom. A well chosen cabinet from our modern display cabinets UK<\/a> collection can help that corner feel like a considered part of the home rather than a temporary workstation. This guide explains what to look for and how to set it up.<\/p>\n A home office has different demands from a commercial one. It needs to look good on camera, switch off at the end of the day and sit comfortably alongside furniture that was never designed for work. A display cabinet helps with all three:<\/p>\n Because it usually sits in a shared room, the cabinet also needs to belong to your wider modern living room furniture UK<\/a> scheme. A piece that looks like office equipment will always feel out of place in a sitting room.<\/p>\n For many home workers, the wall behind the desk is seen by more colleagues than any room in the house. A display cabinet can turn that wall into something calm and professional.<\/p>\n Position the cabinet behind and slightly to one side of your seat, so it frames you without sitting directly behind your head. A cabinet in the centre of the frame can look as though objects are balanced on your shoulders.<\/p>\n Think about what your camera actually sees. Most laptop cameras capture the middle of the wall behind you, roughly from desk height to just above head height. That is where your best styled shelves should be.<\/p>\n Glass and gloss reflect light. If the cabinet faces a window or a ceiling light, the glass may show bright patches on camera. Test the position with your camera before you commit, and consider reeded glass or a matt finish if glare is a problem.<\/p>\n One of the hardest parts of working from home is leaving work behind. When the laptop, files and notebooks are still on show in the evening, the room never quite becomes a living space again.<\/p>\n A cabinet with closed lower cupboards or drawers solves this. Use the lower section for:<\/p>\n If your cabinet is fully glazed, pair it with dedicated closed storage. Our home office storage UK<\/a> range includes cabinets and units designed for work items, which keeps the glazed cabinet free for display.<\/p>\n Home workspaces in UK homes are often squeezed into the corner of a living room, the end of a bedroom or a box room upstairs. Space is usually tight, so dimensions matter.<\/p>\n Allow clearance for doors to open fully, especially if the cabinet sits close to your desk or chair.<\/p>\n Many home workers rely on books, manuals and reference material. A glazed cabinet protects these from dust and keeps them looking tidy, but heavy books can test shelf strength, so place them on lower or wooden shelves where possible.<\/p>\n If you own a large working library, a dedicated piece from our modern bookcases UK sale<\/a> collection can hold the bulk of it, while the display cabinet holds a smaller, curated selection alongside objects. This also gives you flexibility in arranging the camera view.<\/p>\n Finishes behave differently on camera than they do in person.<\/p>\n Our article on how wooden desks look on UK video calls<\/a> explains how wood tones translate on camera, and the same observations apply to a cabinet behind you.<\/p>\n A cabinet in a workspace is used differently from one in a living room. You may reach into it several times a day for a notebook, a reference book or a charger, so its layout should suit those movements.<\/p>\n If you handle confidential paperwork, a glazed shelf is not the place for it, particularly in a shared home or on camera. Use closed, ideally lockable, storage for anything sensitive. Many cabinets offer a lock on the doors, and it is worth checking this detail if your work involves client files or personal information. Remember to look at what is visible behind you on screen as well, including notes stuck to the inside of glass doors.<\/p>\n Good lighting helps you work comfortably and look better on calls. Aim to have your main light source in front of you, such as a window or a lamp behind your screen, rather than behind you. A window behind your seat will silhouette you and cause glare on cabinet glass.<\/p>\n Cabinet lighting can be lovely in the evening, but it is usually best switched off during calls, where it can create bright spots in the background. Choose lighting with a separate switch so you can control it independently.<\/p>\n Working from the sofa or a desk in the corner of the living room is common in UK homes, particularly in flats. In that setting, the display cabinet does double duty: a backdrop by day and a relaxing piece of living room furniture by night.<\/p>\n Choose a cabinet that suits the sofa, rug and other pieces first, then make it work for the desk. Our guide to living room desks for UK home workers<\/a> has ideas for blending a workspace into a sitting room.<\/p>\nWhy a display cabinet belongs in a home workspace<\/h3>\n
\n
Designing a backdrop for video calls<\/h3>\n
Placement<\/h3>\n
Height<\/h3>\n
Reflections<\/h3>\n
Styling for the camera<\/h3>\n
\n
Storage that switches off the working day<\/h3>\n
\n
Size and depth for shared rooms<\/h3>\n
\n
Books, reference and the case for shelving<\/h3>\n
Choosing a finish that works on screen<\/h3>\n
\n
Access during the working day<\/h3>\n
\n
Keeping work documents private<\/h3>\n
Lighting the workspace and the cabinet<\/h3>\n
When the workspace is in the living room<\/h3>\n
A home worker’s checklist<\/h3>\n
\n