A chic modern credenza is the perfect place to store all the little things that come with modern life. It doesn’t matter if you live in a sprawling mansion in Dallas, or a compact New York City penthouse. We all collect way too many things and we all need a place to keep the clutter at bay. And hence the stylish modern credenzas that currently steal my eye. You will see there is something for everybody.

First up, a fab rubber and bronze credenza from LA based designer Brian Thoreen. Sleek with a very cool linear profile, Thoreen keeps the lines simple and slightly boxy. His choice of an industrial rubber coupled with weathered brass gives us a welcome update to a traditional form. I love the rich dark matt finish of the rubber that seems to soak up all the light in the room, drawing your eye to this mass of industrial chicness. The geometric bulging drawer and door handles are the only decoration to the piece. This is a wonderful cabinet for a dining room or even better, for a living room under a TV used to conceal cable boxes and video equipment. It’s truly a chic statement credenza with a rock-and-roll soul.

The puzzle cabinet from Sylvan Fiss was conceived when the San Francisco based furniture designer was helping his young son with puzzles. This modern credenza is formed as three interconnected puzzle pieces finished in a beautiful hand-polished high gloss lacquered parchment. Each piece is unique because of this process, which allows vagaries in the finish to shine through as part of the overall design. With a more delicate finish, this sideboard is better suited in a dining room where the play of soft light off the burnished surface would be gorgeous. How cool to have the warm glow of flickering candlelight reflecting off this unusual cabinet? It’s a sophisticated statement piece that makes one smile.

In a nod to Art Deco, Tann and Sandra Jallu are creating truly stunning furniture pieces on a bespoke basis. Here you work with the designers to craft a piece that is perfect for your home and space. They draw on the luxurious materials of the period using marble, brass and sycamore to fashion the body of this credenza before paneling it in gypsum, a soft mineral that has a glowing luminosity similar to mother-of-pearl. Unique and unexpected – just the type of piece every room should have to grab your attention the moment you enter. This one has a cultured sensibility and elegant soul.

Brooklyn-based Wud Furniture uses innovative designs and classic techniques to build stylish furniture for today’s hectic lifestyle. This is the type of modern credenza that you can use in your entry foyer to toss keys or a wet umbrella onto without worrying about ruining the finish. The Sterling Sideboard is a walnut frame with paneled doors and drawers made from brass encased in resin. It’s another luminous look without the expense of the more expensive lacquer or gypsum used in the previous examples. A credenza like this in your home’s entry sets the tone for your whole house – it says welcome to a home that is timeless and modern and yet not fussy at all.

My last example is from HH Ruseau and Doug Levine. The modern credenza combines exotic materials with a midcentury aesthetic that results in the uber refined Queue Cabinet. Strong horizontal lines keep the eye moving along the piece giving it a sleek, low profile. I love the contrast of the rich dark wood with the shimmering brass accents. This modern credenza clearly draws inspiration from the past which means that it will look as good in ten years as it does today. No fear here of buying something that will look dated anytime soon! This modern credenza channels masculine élan into a remarkably beautiful furniture piece.

A great versatile piece of furniture, a modern credenza can be used in almost every room of your home to provide the always-needed extra storage. And with so many designs and finishes available today, the perfect one awaits!

Richard Rabel is a New York Interior Designer and Principal at Richard Rabel: Interiors+ Art, a studio offering residential design, decorating and art advising.

image credit from top to bottom modern credenza: Brian Thoreen, LA; Sylvan Fiss, San Francisco; Jallu Ebenistes, Brittany, France; Wud Furniture, Brooklyn; HHRuseau, Dallas.