Kenora, thank you for your lovely comments. I inherited my mother's machine back in 2002, and in 2003 my daughter got married and I made her wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses and my own outfit. The tension on straight stitch on my Elna was playing up a little so I used the Bernina 830 for the bulk of the sewing on all the wedding items, however I have an exquisite stitch on the Elna, again not on the Bernina, and that is a decorative scallop satin stitch so I used this firstly on the petticoat and the bottom tier of the net, then my daughter decided she wanted more oomph under the dress but no hooping, so I made another whole skirt of net and then packed the entire back with tiers upon tiers of more netting and each tier was also edged with this lovely scallop stitch which was sewn over some perle cord, then days before the wedding I was asked to make a veil and for this to have large scallops all edged with this smaller scallop stitching. We got there in the end thank goodness. However I then decided that it was time that my Elna was looked at and as nobody knew whether the Bernina had ever been serviced that this should also have a service so both machines went off and were away at the same time - my service place was not local. So I was without my machines for a while, but luckily it did not matter too much as I needed a break from the intensity of all the months of sewing.
Shame if you could not use the sewing cabinet's platform, but seeing again how your room is set up can understand. I must admit my wedding sewing was done in my lounge with the cabinet only being moved out the night before the wedding. Now though both my kids have left home I have one of the bedrooms as my sewing room and yes this is lovely to have, only I still have far too much stuff and could do with more room.
Anyway don't let my rambles spoil your enjoyment of your lovely sewing room, and fingers crossed that you can eventually have all of that cupboard for your sewing stuff and stash. I have no doubt that when you use your older machine on the cabinet top that you will be thinking of your Dad.