A wall cupboard is a cupboard fixed to or hung on a wall, or built into a recess within it, used for storing household goods, food, linen or valuables. The term overlaps with wall cabinet, though it is often used for plainer, more utilitarian pieces and for cupboards built into the fabric of a house.
Built-in wall cupboards have a long history in British houses, from the aumbries set into the walls of medieval churches and halls to the alcove cupboards beside chimney breasts in Georgian and Victorian rooms. Freestanding hanging cupboards in oak, elm and pine were made by country joiners from the seventeenth century onwards, often with a single panelled or boarded door, simple mouldings and iron or brass hinges. Food cupboards were sometimes fitted with pierced or spindled panels for ventilation. Corner wall cupboards with shaped shelves and bowed doors were popular in the eighteenth century. Collectors look for original paint or surface, honest wear, old hinges and locks, and well-made joints. Antique wall cupboards suit kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms and cottages, where they offer useful storage and bring authentic country character to the room.
