I sew with vintage machines. I far prefer cabinet mounted machines over tabletop machines for sewing. Portable machines are much nicer for storing though. I don't think it's possible to have too much surface behind or to the left of you and your machine for quilting. If you use your free arm frequently a desk with a lift and an insert to fit your machine is a good investment. If you don't use the free arm feature much then you can probably save some money and not buy a lift. Just lift the machine out when you need the free arm.
If your budget is an issue (mine is) I've seen some older (1970s?) Kenmore cabinets with built in lifts that pick the machine straight up and down. They can be had cheaply from thrift stores but it may take a while to hunt one down.
Dc989 good point about the size of machines. Vintage machines in general have a smaller footprint than many new machines though they're hardly standardized either. Measure before you buy.
Rodney