Can marine furniture be designed to look incomplete?

Most marine furniture features rounded corners and is manufactured using fireproof or flame-retardant materials. Generally, marine furniture is more compact in size than its land-based counterparts. Marine furniture designs may sometimes be "incomplete" in form; since all marine furnishings must be securely anchored to the floor and bulkheads, wardrobes positioned flush against a bulkhead, for instance, may omit the rear backing panel, utilizing the bulkhead itself as the back of the cabinet. Similarly, some units may utilize the ceiling, thereby rendering a separate top panel unnecessary.

Marine furniture must strictly adhere to the regulations established by classification societies. Primary reference is made to the statutory inspection technical rules issued by the various classification societies. Marine furniture materials fall into two major categories: wood and metal; the specific choice of material inevitably dictates variations in the furniture's structural design.