Older the better

In space-constrained Hong Kong, cabinets not only provide storage solutions but satisfy our appreciation of bygone years.

While many are content with what appeals to them during a visit to a budget furnisher, others prefer antique or custom-made items.

Chinese furniture is one way to go, as a glance in the direction of the shops dotted along Queen's Road East in Wan Chai proves. There, mostly reproduction pieces for sale include items for every room in the home, even the bathroom, can be found. Items on offer include coffee tables, side tables, television stands, dining tables and chairs, beds and bedside tables, desks for scholars (or otherwise), and mirrors, and, of course, cabinets.

Custom-made cabinets maximise available space and look pretty in the process. But don't be baffled by how some traditional cabinet makers will try to convince you that the item enhances the smooth flow of Qi around one's living space too. It's mere salesmanship with a fung shui twist.

Cabinets bring a semblance of order to our chaotic lives and hide a multitude of sins behind their doors. 'Techniques of construction are what makes the Chinese cabinet so special. They are strong without using nails or glue,' says the eponymous proprietor of Andy Hei Fine Chinese Antique Furniture in Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan. 'People in major cities around the world have been buying them since the 1920s and '30s to learn more about Chinese culture.'

Styles of reproduction cabinets run the timeline of the later imperial dynasties: Ming, Qing and early 20th century. Popular materials in the 'production' (pen and paper to sketch out ideas, measurements taken, wood and fastenings selected and order placed in person or by phone) include Chinese elm, camphor, beech or rosewood which has been used in the past 20 or so years due to the shortage of other woods. Shops along Queen's Road East can deliver across the city and ship overseas.