Hidden Storage With A Twist: Discover The Forgotten Function Of High Cabinets
source: Tracie Collins Warburton/Facebook
If you’ve ever toured an older home, you might have noticed something peculiar: a small, often out-of-reach cabinet tucked high above a door or nestled within a wall. These cabinets, while seemingly impractical to modern sensibilities, served a surprising number of purposes in their time, offering utility and even financial benefits.
Before the era of expansive closets and basement storage rooms, every square inch of a house was utilized for specific needs. These elevated cabinets, such as the one pictured, were often used for seasonal storage. They housed items like extra blankets for winter, heavy quilts, or even Christmas decorations – items only brought out at specific times of the year. By storing these infrequently-used items high up, homeowners could keep their more accessible storage spaces free for daily necessities.
Interestingly, these high cabinets also played a role in saving homeowners money. In certain periods of history, homes with larger closet spaces were taxed at a higher rate because closets were considered a luxury feature. By building high cabinets that didn’t technically count as closets, homeowners could bypass these additional taxes while still enjoying the benefits of storage. This clever design ensured functionality without drawing the attention of tax assessors.
The location of these cabinets high above doors or in less conspicuous areas also reflects a practical design aesthetic. They were installed in spaces that would otherwise remain unused, making them an efficient solution for compact homes. While a step stool or ladder might have been required to access these cabinets, the inconvenience was outweighed by their utility.
Today, these cabinets are charming relics of a bygone era, often inspiring a sense of nostalgia for the resourcefulness of past generations. Modern homeowners might find them quaint but impractical, yet they stand as a reminder of how homes were carefully designed to meet the needs of the time. For those lucky enough to own a home with such features, they can be repurposed for modern storage solutions, from stashing away rarely-used items to creating a unique display or even hiding a small safe.
