Custom Display Cabinets in Malaysia

A custom display cabinet from The M Renovation is a plywood unit finished in laminate inside and out, built to the exact width and height of your wall. Open display shelving starts at RM850 per foot of width, full-height glass-door display cabinets start at RM1,200 per foot, and low display units start at RM600 per foot. Delivery and installation anywhere in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are included.

Most people who ask us for a display cabinet have already looked at ready-made glass cabinets. This page explains what a built-in one gives you for the extra, what the options cost, and what to decide before we measure.

Which kind of display cabinet do you need?

• Open display shelving. Floor-to-ceiling shelves with no doors, for books, plants and pieces you like to pick up. The cheapest option, but everything on it collects dust.
• Glass-door display cabinet. The same full-height unit with glass doors, so the collection stays visible and much cleaner. Doors come with a laminate frame that matches the cabinet, or a slim aluminium frame in black or gold for the gridded look.
• Low display unit or sideboard. About waist height with glass doors, often under a TV or along a dining wall, with a top you can use as a ledge.
• Collection cabinet. Shallower, with more shelves set closer together and lighting on each shelf, for Lego sets, figures, models, perfume or handbags.

How much does a display cabinet cost in Malaysia?

Display cabinets are priced per foot of width for a unit up to 8 feet tall. A 9-foot unit adds 12%. Delivery and installation are inside every rate below.

Worked examples. A 4-foot glass-door display cabinet comes to about RM4,800, and about RM5,160 with 6 metres of LED. A 6-foot run of open display shelving is about RM5,100. A 6-foot low display unit is about RM3,600.

What pushes the price up: glass shelves instead of laminate, aluminium-framed doors, LED on every shelf, mirror backs, locks, extra depth for bar or wine cabinets, and curved or arched ends.

Built-in or a ready-made glass cabinet?

A ready-made glass cabinet from a furniture shop costs a few hundred to about two thousand ringgit, and for a small corner it is a reasonable buy. They come in fixed sizes, are usually made of melamine board, and stand in front of the wall with a gap above and at the sides. A built-in display cabinet is measured to your wall, runs to the ceiling with no dust shelf on top, uses plywood that holds screws and shelf weight for years, and is wired for lighting before it goes in. If the cabinet is the first thing people see when they walk in, that is the difference you notice.

Glass, lighting and safety

Every glass door and glass shelf we fit is tempered glass, which is much stronger than ordinary glass and breaks into small blunt pieces rather than sharp shards. Laminate shelves are standard and hold heavier pieces. Glass shelves let the light from the top reach the bottom of the cabinet, which matters for a tall collection, and we price them at the site visit once we know how many you need.

Lighting is planned with the shelves. A strip down each side lights the whole cabinet evenly. A strip under each shelf lights every row and suits figures and models. All LED is wired to one point so the cabinet switches on as one.

Collections, bars and shops

For Lego and figure collections we build shallower cabinets, about 300 mm deep, so nothing hides at the back, and set the shelf spacing to your tallest piece. Bar and wine cabinets go the other way, 500 to 600 mm deep with stronger shelves, and cost more per foot. For shops and retail lots, such as display counters and lockable cases, we price each job after the site visit because mall rules and fittings vary.

How a job runs

1. Send a photo and the wall size. Tell us what you are displaying. We reply on WhatsApp with a price range.
2. Site measurement. We measure, check the wall and the power point, agree the laminate, glass and lighting, and send a written quotation. RM500, deducted when you go ahead.
3. Fabrication. Built in our Batu Caves workshop, three to five weeks from confirmation.
4. Installation. Our own team installs it and clears up before leaving. How long this takes depends on the size of the job, and we give you the schedule with the quotation.

Display cabinets we have built

All built and installed by us. More on the portfolio page.

• Park Regent, Desa ParkCity. A full-height glass display cabinet with a black grid frame and LED, built beside a wood-slat feature wall in a full-unit renovation.
• Saujana Akasia, Shah Alam. A built-in dressing table with illuminated open cube shelving beside the mirror.

Questions we get asked

Can the display cabinet have locks?

Yes, on laminate-framed glass doors, on low glass doors and on drawers, which most people want for watches, perfume or anything valuable. Slim aluminium-framed doors are too thin for a standard lock, so if you want that look with a lock we work out the option at the site visit.

Will glass doors keep the dust out?

They keep most of it out, which is why collectors choose them. Open shelving needs dusting every week or two.

How heavy can the shelves be?

Laminate shelves on plywood carry books and ceramics without sagging over a normal bay width. For heavy stone pieces or bottles we add a fixed shelf or a centre support.

Can it match my TV cabinet or wardrobe?

Yes, if the laminate is still available. Give us the laminate code or a door to match against.

Can you build a display cabinet into a shop?

Yes. Display counters, wall displays and lockable cases for retail lots are priced per job after the site visit.

Also see: TV cabinets and feature walls · wall panelling · built-in wardrobes · custom carpentry