The uses of a curio cabinets in the modern world are very diverse. While originally designed to display oddments and rarities collected by those of a more intellectual nature, this renaissance-era artifact has gained widespread popularity in the modern world. Now curio cabinets are made to hold and display collections of all sorts. From dishes to dolls, and coins to cutlery, whatever a person likes to collect can find a curio cabinet that will match the room's decor and enhance the viewing pleasure of the display.

With the wide variety of makes and styles of curio cabinets, it can be daunting to find just the perfect piece of furniture to show off your treasures. Generally, the walls and shelves of a curio cabinet are made of glass for the best viewing of the enclosed objects. The framework and fittings of curio cabinets are usually designed to be as unobtrusive as possible while still providing structural support. Various models include wall mounted curio cabinets, floor-standing models, or on legs. Many modern home designs include built-in curio cabinets constructed right into the walls so the front is flush rather than sticking out into the room.

Among the features of common curio cabinets are multiple shelves for stacked displays, small lighting fixtures to highlight certain items, and locking mechanisms to keep the objects safe from curious hands. Often a curio cabinet will feature a mirror on the back wall for further display enhancement. Sizes of curio cabinets range from small stands able to sit on dressers or shelves to full-wall sized cabinets that dominate a room.

For those who have limited space for displaying curiosities in small living quarters, the option to choose a corner curio cabinet is worth investigation. Usually multi-tiered, these cabinets fit snugly in the corner of a room and do not block walkways in the room, while giving maximum exposure to the contents.