Modifying Cabinet Shelving in Home Designer

QUESTION

How do I change the type, number, thickness, spacing, and depth of the shelves inside of my cabinets?

ANSWER

In Home Designer 2026 and newer, as well as in Home Designer Pro 2025 and prior, you can control various shelf attributes within a cabinet, such as number, depth, spacing, and thickness.

To modify cabinet shelving

1. Using the Select Objects  tool, click on the cabinet you want to change, then click on the Open Object  edit tool. 
   
   

   You can select multiple similar cabinet objects at the same time before clicking Open Object to edit all selected cabinets simultaneously. To learn more, please see the "Group Selecting Objects" resource in the Related Articles section below.

   
   
2. Select the Front panel of the Cabinet Specification dialog, then click once on the door that is displayed in the 3D preview.
   
   

   Note: If you do not want a door at all, but just an open area with shelves, change the Item Type to an Opening.
   
   If you do want a door on your cabinet, but want to change the style of the door, such as to one with glass, click on the Specify button next to Appliance/Door/Drawer. For more information on adding glass doors to a cabinet, please see the Related Articles section below.

   
   
   
   
   
3. With the door face item selected, click the Specify button next to the Shelves setting located in the lower half of the dialog.
   
   
   
4. In the Cabinet Shelf Specification dialog that appears next, select the Manual radio button under Shelf Management to specify cabinet shelving for the selected door or opening.
   
   
   
5. The number of shelves, as well as the shelf style, thickness/height, spacing, and depth can be specified here. To choose a specific shelf to modify or to modify all shelves, select the shelf number or All Shelves option from the Shelf drop-down menu.
   
   
   
   
   • Use the Library button to choose a shelf style.
     
     
   • Check the Rollout box to specify a rollout shelf. You can also specify the amount the shelf rolls out when set to Show Open.
     
     
   • Enter a Thickness/Height in fractions or decimals.
     
     
   • Changing the Spacing From Previous value allows you to specify how far each shelf is from the next.
     
     
   • You can select Full, Half or Specify the shelf depth manually. 
     
     

     Pressing the Tab key on your keyboard will update the preview image once a change has been made

   
   
   
6. Once you have finished editing your cabinet shelves, click OK to close the dialog and return to the Cabinet Specification dialog.
   
   
   
7. After you have completed editing any other desired features of your cabinet, such as its Materials, click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog.
   
   
   
8. To see the results, select 3D> Create Perspective View> Full Camera  from the menu, then click and drag a camera directed at the cabinet. 
   
   
   
   

   You can also show cabinet doors open in both plan and camera views. To do so, open the cabinet up to specification, select the Front panel, then check the Doors and Rollout Shelves box next to the Show Open setting. You can control the percentage a door opens by clicking on a door face item and changing the Swing Angle setting