Accent Cabinets

How to Choose Accent Cabinets

Accent cabinets are stylish, functional options for organizing your space and enhancing your decor. These versatile pieces fit in any room or entryway to provide easy-access storage for a variety of items. Regardless of your needs, there is an accent cabinet that is perfect for your budget, space and decorating tastes.

Here are a few ways to spice up your home’s decor with accent cabinets:

Size & Shape

Coming in various sizes and shapes, accent cabinets are used for both storage and decoration. Some work well as end tables because they offer display space and handy drawers, like contemporary and rustic styles. Curio style and taller accent cabinets can be tucked into corners and are great for showing off your keepsakes. Before purchasing these pieces, make sure the cabinet is the right height and width to fit comfortably in your room.

Tall or short, wide or narrow, accent cabinets (and accent chests) are versatile additions to any home. Have an empty wall, bare corner or unfilled nook? Need a place to store small household items, toys or family games? Looking to add a little extra personality to your living space? An accent cabinet can fill all of these needs in one stylish package.

Typically accent cabinets will be between two to three feet tall, but you may find them as tall as 52”. Often widths can be anywhere from 14” – 36”, with a depth between one to two feet. Considered accent pieces since they are typically stand-alone items with unique character and flair of their own as opposed to part of a furniture set. In this way, they add new interest and style to your space.

Color & Style

Accent cabinets are a great way to accessorize while complementing the rest of your furniture. If you need extra space for linens, consider a thin, tall cabinet to place in your hallway. For those who like to entertain, wine carts and bar tables are another storage option. In family rooms, use them as chairside tables to organize board games or store toys. Accent cabinets come in a variety of colors that fit any existing home decor such as:

• White
• Black
• Brown
• Gray
• Green
• Red

Materials

Although commonly made of wood, accent cabinets also feature other materials. Traditionally, the most reliable furniture is made from durable hardwoods such as oak or walnut. For those that want a modern look, choose cabinets with decorative details made from unusual materials like mirrored or metal doors. Because their main purpose is storage doors and drawers are likely to get a lot of use. It is important to choose well-built, sturdy pieces, like traditional and transitional styles.

Where to Use Accent Cabinets

Hallway

Use an accent chest in the hallway to store household necessities like batteries, flashlights, emergency candles and anything else you like to keep handy.

In the hallway near bedrooms, the cabinet can be a great place to store extra blankets and linens.

Dining Room

Use as a small server, bar or wine rack. Servers and sideboards are typically large furniture pieces requiring lots of space; however, if your dining room cannot accommodate something of that size, an accent cabinet may solve your problem. Plus, because you can pick from a variety of colors and patterns, you can find something unique to complement (rather than matching) your dining room set.

Kitchen

Who isn’t looking for additional cabinet space in the kitchen? Many times you can find a nice cart or stand-alone cabinet to extend your counter and storage space, but they tend to be rather deep. If you have an empty spot that is not quite deep enough to accommodate a cart, an accent cabinet might be the answer. Look for a cabinet that is relatively tall so that it is at counter height - about 36” tall. This will fit harmoniously among the countertops.

An accent cabinet can add flair to your kitchen; typically kitchen carts and cabinets don’t offer many choices on color or materials, while accent cabinets offer loads of personality. Use yours to keep handy items close by like pencils, pens, scissors and supplies. Or extra kitchen must-haves like zip-top bags, cling wrap, and aluminum foil. Keeping the top available for phone charging stations, a bowl of fruit, a tray to catch keys and maybe a couple of ornamental knick-knacks -- freeing up your counter space for prep work kitchen appliances.

Bathroom

In your bathroom, an accent cabinet or chest can be used to store extra towels and washcloths, extra rolls of toilet paper, and toiletry supplies. Top it with a bowl of flowers or diffuser. This would be especially handy if your bathroom has a pedestal sink, which looks great, but provides minimal counter space and no storage space at all. Typically tall and narrow cabinets will work best in the tight space of a bathroom.

Living Room

A lower profile accent cabinet can work really well as an end table beside a chair, sofa or loveseat. It will provide plenty of surface space for a lamp, a cup of coffee and a book while providing a stylish storage area below.

Add personality to a sofa by backing it with a pair of interesting accent chests. Not only will it give a finished look to the backside of the sofa, but it will also add storage space in a way that most sofa tables do not. Store cards, family games, puzzles and toys.

Have a smaller TV? Use an accent cabinet as a media stand to give you a place to stash away cords and components, controllers and other gaming accessories.

Bedroom

Looking for a unique, custom or eclectic look in your bedroom? Instead of opting for a bedroom set, hand-picked finds like an accent cabinet can function perfectly as a nightstand. Typically nightstands have a bit more depth than an accent cabinet, so look for a cabinet with some depth to it.

These are just a few ideas; there are many places that would benefit from the addition of an accent cabinet such as dressing areas, kids rooms, playrooms, home office spaces and more. The possibilities are limitless.