Storage Cabinets Buying Guide

Capacity & Space

Since media units are constantly on the expansion drive, it is important to choose the largest unit you can buy in the space you have on hands. Try to accommodate a bigger unit for the continually expanding CD and DVD collections.

Size of the room

Measure up the room and the area you need to put up the unit. What all would like to have in your media unit—Plasma/ DVD and CD players, speakers and other media collection? You get low-slung units that allow you all of it and some more space to display art and collectibles. Then there are regular media units with racks for storing CDs DVDs and music. Compare standard shelf size and determine the kind of space you will need to store and keep adding.

Some of the storage style options and their Shelving Units

Shelving Units

Shelving units are functional furniture pieces. Metal and wood shelving systems also come equipped with casters for mobility, and are found in all different sizes to fit in almost any dimension. There are modular units that can be assembled and dissembled easily and arranged the way you like, even hung from top. You get shelving systems in conventional and unconventional material for home and offices, bamboo shelving look great and bestow a room with a decorative and utilitarian value.

Bookcases

You have bookcases that can be used to store and display books and collectibles. Then there are ledger units that allow you the freedom to stack and display in style. You get units that allow multifunctional uses in style. Some bookcases are designed to be a combination of storage and display with a glass door and extra shelving cases and drawers for displaying art and collectibles. Pay attention to the depth of the shelves to accommodate larger books, ideally a 12-14 inch shelf is great for storing different sizes of books. Normally, bookcases are designed to stack against a wall to draw support, you can get creative and also use bookcases for dividing spaces, storing books, decorative and other uses. You get wooden bookcases constructed with hardwoods, glass, metal and a combination of material to fulfill modern and traditional decorative tastes.

Media Cabinets/ Entertainment Unit

Media Cabinets are available in all designs and sizes to accommodate sleek plasmas and TVs, and also provide space for storing collection and artifacts. Traditionally, media units were sort of shelving systems with limited space. Over the recent times, with media and storage consisting of CDs and DVDs, while the size of TVs getting slimmer, media units have come to mean modified Entertainment systems that allow you to stack your players and plasmas and collections and also allow open space to display. You can also opt for models placed on spinners with shelves on four sides, like those often seen in book stores for your collection.

Curio Cabinets

Curios are great furniture units with set of shelves and a large glass door. Normally used to store collectibles, glittering chinas and antique pieces, the curio shelving system is normally mirrored at the back and some are equipped with spotlights for display. It is a decorative unit often placed in the living area, and the designs are a great combination of wood and glass. Some even entail glass shelves for a transparent display. Used normally as a decorative unit, check out if the styling and design goes with the overall theme in your living area.

Wall Mounted Shelves

For limited space, wall-mounted shelves look great. You get free-standing units and wall mounted ones, depending on your availability of space and convenience, consider factors like mobility while deciding on the best choice. Once mounted on a wall, shelving units are difficult and time consuming to move them to another location, whereas free-standing shelves can simply be picked up and moved easily.

Corner Shelves

Corner shelves are useful as both free standing and wall mounted units. Usually fashioned to fit any wall corner between two walls, they are designed to save space and provide utility and decorative value to a space. Ideal for small spaces and apartments, you can buy corner shelves in different materials and turn it into a functional corner. Used in bathrooms, kitchens and lobbies to display and hold in style.

Shelf Liners

To protect shelves, you get liners made of cloth or plastic. They majorly help you protect the surface and make it easier to clean a shelving unit. Available in a range of color and finish, they are great for preventing slipping of small items through wire mesh shelves and can be cut to fit any size.