A solid oak display cabinet for the office and study – what to display, how to choose and which RaWood models are worth knowing
A bookcase displays. A chest of drawers stores. A display cabinet does both at once — and that is precisely why it plays a particular role in an office or study. Behind glass, everything becomes more visible: industry awards, certificates, carefully chosen books, collections. A display cabinet says something about the person who works in that space before a single word is spoken at a meeting or on a video call.
This article is about how to choose a display cabinet for an office or study, what is actually worth putting on display, how the available types differ from one another — and which models from the RaWood range will work best in a professional space.
A oak display cabinet for the office — what are you actually displaying?
Before you start looking for a model, it is worth answering the question of what will end up behind the glass. In an office or study, a display cabinet most often serves to present one of three categories of objects.
The first and most common is awards, certificates and diplomas — industry recognition, professional qualifications, trophies from company events. Behind glass they are visible, protected from dust and create a backdrop that speaks of expertise without a word. This matters particularly in offices where client meetings or video calls take place.
The second category is books and publications — your own titles, industry literature, product catalogues, press interviews. Carefully chosen books behind glass look different from those pushed haphazardly onto an open shelf. A display cabinet gives a collection the quality of an exhibition rather than a storage space.
The third is personal and collectible objects — items that build the individual character of a study: models, material samples, mementos from business trips, limited editions. A display cabinet protects and presents them without ostentation.
It is also worth asking how much of this should be visible every day and how much should remain hidden. Many display cabinet models combine glazed upper sections for presentation with enclosed cupboards or drawers in the lower zone. Working documents, office supplies and everyday items go in there and disappear from view without diminishing the aesthetics of the office.
Glazed or wooden display cabinet — which to choose for an office?
Oak display cabinets for the office in the RaWood range divide into two types that differ in their logic of use and visual effect.
Glazed display cabinets — with fully or partially glazed fronts — prioritise display. Glass shows off the contents, gives the piece a sense of lightness and makes the office feel more open. In workplace settings this is the ideal solution for everything that should be visible: awards, certificates, carefully chosen titles. Models with a black metal frame around the glass (such as DELIO) have a contemporary, design-led character — they look particularly well in offices where the desk has metal legs and black accents throughout.
Wooden display cabinets — with full solid oak doors or minimal glazing — create a stronger, more enclosed silhouette. They display less but store more discreetly. They work well where the office combines a representative function with intensive operational work — and where not everything needs to be on show. A wooden display cabinet sits naturally in classic, elegant studies furnished with a solid oak desk on wooden legs.
In practice many models combine both: the upper section glazed (display), the lower section closed with wooden doors or drawers (storage). This arrangement works best in office spaces where the study needs to look representative while remaining a fully functional working environment.
Column cabinets and compact display units — for smaller offices
Not every study has a wall to accommodate a full-width display cabinet. In smaller spaces and home offices, a column display unit — a slim, tall form with glazed fronts — occupies minimal floor area while providing full display functionality. Two columns positioned symmetrically on either side of a desk create the effect of a study wall without dominating the space.
DELIO — column display cabinet with black aluminium frame
The DELIO column is one of the most popular models chosen for offices in a contemporary or industrial style. The oak body with five shelves is enclosed by glazed fronts in a black aluminium frame — the contrast between warm wood and cold metal creates a striking, design-led effect. The glass displays the contents and protects them from dust. The model is stylistically consistent with industrial desks and chests of drawers.
DAVOS — column display cabinet in solid oak throughout
The DAVOS column suits classic and elegant offices — a display cabinet made entirely from solid oak, without any metal elements, with glazed fronts in a wooden frame. The rich grain of the oak, the natural warmth of the material and the consistency with the rest of the DAVOS collection (desks, chests of drawers, tables) make it the choice for those who value material purity in a space. The absence of metal also makes it easier to match to interiors in finishes other than black.
TERIN — column with rounded edges
The TERIN column is distinguished by its rounded edges and a walnut-oil finish — a gentler form than typical rectangular pieces, suited to home offices where you want a warm, less formal atmosphere. The TERIN collection also includes tables — if you have a TERIN conference or dining table, the column will complement the study in the same formal language.
Larger display cabinets for offices and studies
If you have enough wall space and need a piece with real display and storage capacity, the full-size display cabinets in the RaWood range provide significantly more room for what matters.
ANDORA — classic solid oak display cabinet for books and collections
The ANDORA display cabinet is an oak form with glazed doors and oak shelves — a combination of classic style with a contemporary touch. It works as a study bookcase but equally as a cabinet for awards and publications. Available in several configurations, with the option to add LED lighting that highlights displayed objects. If you are looking for a display cabinet that looks good and does its job — ANDORA is one of the best choices for an office where client meetings take place regularly.
MERIS — industrial display cabinet with drawers
The MERIS display cabinet combines solid oak with powder-coated black steel. Glazed doors with a metal frame serve display purposes; drawers in the lower section store discreetly — documents, working materials, accessories. MERIS works particularly well in contemporary offices and loft workplaces where black metal desk legs are already a feature.
LAGOS — large display cabinet with zoned layout
The LAGOS display cabinet is one of the larger options in the range — a piece with a clear division between a glazed section (display on two shelves) and an enclosed section (one large shelf behind wooden doors). Oak legs and front panels combined with a dark-toned board body create a contemporary, expressive character. For offices where you want a single piece of furniture that makes an impression and keeps order — LAGOS is the right answer.
Display cabinets with a bar function — for offices with character
An office is a place of work, but also a space for meetings. Welcoming a client, a conversation after a completed project, a moment between appointments — in these situations a display cabinet with a bar function is more than somewhere to store drinks. It says that the person who works here values both functionality and atmosphere. Several models in the RaWood range combine display with a bar function within a single, coherent piece.
VITA — display cabinet from the bestselling collection, consistent with the desk
The VITA display cabinet is a natural extension of the collection that includes one of RaWood’s best-selling desks. Solid oak on the characteristic powder-coated black steel base — the same aesthetic you know from VITA desks and chests of drawers, carried through to a display cabinet with glazed fronts. If you are furnishing your office using the VITA collection, the display cabinet completes the set without any compromise between style and material. The characteristic undercut of the body gives the piece a sense of lightness — despite its full dimensions it does not overwhelm the space.
NORD — large glazed display cabinet with a contemporary character
The NORD display cabinet is a proposal for offices where you want significant display space while maintaining a clean, contemporary form. Oak combined with laminated board creates a silhouette with a clear, elegant character — glazed fronts display the contents at full height, making NORD the ideal choice for presenting awards, publications and collections that should be visible as a whole rather than through a single glazed shelf. The model suits larger offices where the display cabinet is intended to serve as a wall feature.
NEMIR — bar display cabinet with a considered interior
The NEMIR collection is a family of display cabinets designed with the display of drinks and glassware in mind, but working equally well in a representative office. Oak shelves and drawer fronts, a black laminated board body, glazed doors in an aluminium frame — industrial aesthetics with a functional interior: dedicated bottle partitions, a glass hanger, a drawer for accessories. The NEMIR I model also has a pull-out shelf that functions as a working surface — convenient for pouring without moving bottles. Optional LED lighting highlights the contents and creates an atmosphere in the office once formal working hours have ended.
CARLA — bar display cabinet with glass hanger
The CARLA collection is a contemporary combination of solid oak, glass and steel — designed for both a living room and an office with ambitions. The CARLA display cabinet comes with a glass hanger (CARLA III model) that presents glassware elegantly and accessibly without opening any doors. The option to add LED lighting means that even after formal meetings are over the office can take on a warmer, more welcoming character. The body is available in several colour variants — black, white or oak — making CARLA one of the most flexible options in terms of matching an existing interior.
A display cabinet as part of a coherent office
A display cabinet works best as part of a considered arrangement. At RaWood, collections — DAVOS, DELIO, MERIS — cover desks, chests of drawers, bookcases and display cabinets in the same style and from the same materials. Ordering several pieces from a single collection guarantees consistent wood colour, identical surface treatment and a unified character throughout the space.
If your office is already furnished and you are adding a display cabinet to match an existing desk — it is worth ordering wood colour samples before making a decision. The shade of oak on a screen differs from how it looks in the natural light of your office. The colour of the steel (matt black, white, chrome) should correspond to the legs of the desk or the light fittings — this is the detail that either pulls the space together or signals a lack of intention.
More on choosing office furniture: Oak desks for the office – how to choose the ideal workspace · Chest of drawers for the office – how to choose the right model · Oak bookcase for the office – a guide to choosing
A display cabinet made to measure — when is it worth it?
Standard models cover most needs. But if you have an alcove of a non-standard width, a ceiling above 250 cm, a specific functional layout (more shelves on the left, drawers on the right) or you want a oak display cabinet for the office in exactly the same finish and depth as the desk standing beside it — ordering to measure is a simpler route than searching for a compromise in a catalogue. At RaWood you can customise dimensions, shelf and glazing layout, the division between open and enclosed zones, the colour of the wood and steel, and optional LED lighting.
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