Sideboard: A Versatile Piece of Furniture

What Are Sideboards?

Sideboards are long and low pieces of furniture that have many drawers and cupboards. Originally, they were dining room furniture used for storing or displaying dining accessories, linen, and wine. The top surface of the sideboard was also used as buffet furniture for serving food. That’s why sideboards are also known as buffets. The earlier sideboards were wooden and bulky. 

During the Victorian era, they were essential pieces that everyone had in their dining rooms. Later, due to changes in style and the emergence of new furniture pieces, their popularity diminished. Nowadays, there are many different designs that can match any interior design style, offering the owner a plethora of benefits. 

Where to Use Sideboards and How to Style Them?

These days, sideboards aren’t just used in the dining room area. They’re versatile pieces that can be used anywhere you need extra storage or you need practical buffet furniture for your home.

In the Dining Room

Choose a sideboard that matches your dining room décor and use it for storing all of your dishes, glasses, cutlery, and linens. It’s a great space for putting all of the stuff that you don’t use on a daily basis if it’s a closed-style buffet. But don’t let it become a messy place where you can’t find anything. 

To make the sideboard more functional, organise the dishes that you don’t use very often in storage cases to prevent them from breaking. Place the dinnerware that you use frequently in the front of the sideboard and organise it in storage cases or plate carriers for easy access.

If you’re having a party, you can make it buffet-style and use the sideboard for food. Otherwise, you could use it to display wines, favourite brews, or precious china. However, if that’s not your style, set candles, vases with flowers, or something else that you prefer on top of the sideboard and use it as a place for decorations.

In the Living Room

Sideboards come in different sizes and designs such as vintage, contemporary, and minimalistic, so you’ll find something that goes with the interior design of your living room for sure.

They can be low sideboards that can serve for displaying items because of their more accessible height, and they can be high sideboards that can be used as storage units because they offer even more space for storing. Another type that you can consider for your living room are wall-mounted sideboards. They’re fixed on the wall and give you that sleek and uncluttered look because they appear like they’re floating.

Sideboards can be used as TV stands. It’s wide enough to hold all of the devices and cables so the entertainment area won’t look messy.

Coffee tables or bookshelves are commonly found in every living room but the problem is that they’re open and if you put too many things, they can easily become chaotic. Having a sideboard cabinet will provide you with a nice space for displaying all kinds of décor items, plus additional storage space for all the things you don’t want lying around.

In the Hallway

Oftentimes, hallways can be left empty, especially if they’re long and narrow. Oftentimes, many furniture items look too big for this kind of space. But the long design of sideboards makes them the perfect fit for hallways. They can be customised according to the size of the hallway and decorated with plants and little decorative dishes on the top. Place a large, gorgeous painting above your sideboard and you’ll create a stunning entryway that many will remember.

In the Bedroom

The bedroom is the most important space for us and we need the right accessories to connect with it. There shouldn’t be any clutter in the room so we can unwind properly and have a good night’s sleep. A sideboard will serve as a hidden storage space for additional clothing and books, and you can even use its surface for displaying several items and accessories. Placing a mirror above it can turn it into a practical make-up vanity or a nice focal point in the room.

In the Kids’ Room

It doesn’t take much for the kids’ room to become a chaotic jumble. Extra space is always needed and it might come as a surprise to tell you that kids’ toys can look neat. With a simple sideboard, all of the toys will have their place. They’ll be easily accessible for playtime and later the kids can pick them up and put every toy back inside the sideboard. There’ll be no need for boxes for toys and everything will look tidier.

Types of Materials Used for Sideboards

Sideboards are made from different kinds of materials and the one you choose will depend on your needs and preferences.

Solid wood is the wood that’s cut from a tree and isn’t manufactured in any way to look like wood. It’s strong, long-lasting, it ages well, and it’s easy to repair if some damage occurs. It has a natural beauty that’s seldom achieved with engineered wood.

If you’re all about furniture made from recycled wood, you could pick sideboards made from such wood. This way, you’ll have a functional and eco-friendly piece of furniture for your home.  

Sideboards made from engineered wood come in different finishes and colours. They are a more inexpensive solution that offers a variety of styles.

Metal, plastic and glass sideboards are available as well but usually, only parts of the sideboard, like doors and shelves, are made from these materials for adding visual diversity. The countertops may contain unusual materials as well, like stone or marble, for a unique and sophisticated design.