The cabinet has a special importance mainly in English language area for the handicraft with wood: In the English language area the cabinet and the joining of wood elements is so important that it has led to the name of this handicraft to be the “cabinetmaker” or the “joiner”. In the German language area the craftsman with wood is either called “Tischler” (table  maker) or the “Zimmermann” (room maker).

In the Japanese Zen culture all the objects are removed after their use, no matter if the objects were a futon (light mattress), a folding chair, shoes, school books or the electric mixer. Thus the storage spaces have a great importance for the daily life in the Japanese houses. Originally the idea was not to present personal belongings in order not to give indications to the guest about the social standing and the wealth of the family. But orderliness allows also for calm and concentration for work, the family or also the guest.

In our culture we use cabinets and shelves also for the presentation of the objects we like to show. We want to present the decorative objects important to us, such as pictures, photos, statuettes, glasses, vases and other collector’s objects, in order to show our guests and our family members our attitude towards art, nature, countries or arts and craft. Other objects we rather prefer to hide, such as binders, cutlery, documents or pots. A cupboard or cabinet serves both purposes: presenting and stashing.