Best sideboards UK 2023: stylish, practical sideboards for house storage

The best sideboards for maximum storage and styleThe best sideboards for maximum storage and style
The best sideboards for maximum storage and style | Shutterstock

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Storage; we all need more of it. Enter the sideboard, a piece of furniture which, chosen correctly, can provide a practical storage solution and add a stylish focal point to the room

Don’t sleep on the notion of a sideboard: they’re a fabulous storage solution, allowing for you to capitalise on the narrow space available to you in a dining area, kitchen, or hallway.

How to choose the right sideboard for my house

In essence, a sideboard serves the same purpose as a console or dresser - a piece of furniture designed with internal storage and to place decorative items on top - but it is generally either more narrow or lower to the ground than a dresser.

When choosing a sideboard, consider

  • which room you’re placing it in.

  • what it is for. Does it need shelves inside, for books, bedding, or photo albums? Or would you be better served with an interior that has no shelving, to allow for duvets and pillows? Are you storing kids’ toys, or electronics - in which case, multiple internal compartments in different size are invaluable for organising

  • which design, material, size and colour to chose - it should be sympathetic to the rest of your décor

When you have those details shored up, you’ll need to consider the dimensions. When measuring the space it goes in, remember you’ll need 60cm clearance from other furniture in the room, to allow the doors and drawers to open and you to access the interior.

Regardless of the preferred term, when wondering how to choose a sideboard, we must look at dimensions first. Decide on its purpose and the room where you want to place it. Then consider the layout of the room and the rest of the furniture. If you need it for your dining area, pay attention to the size of your dining set. Remember to place it at least 60 cm away from other furniture, to allow the doors and drawers to open.

What is the best height for a sideboard?

This, again, depends on your intended use. Usually sideboards have short (or sometimes no) legs, which means they’ll often be 70-90cm tall. Love entertaining? This is a handy height, as you’ll be able to serve food or drinks off if for parties.

It’s also a comfortable height for placing a TV on. However, if you’re placing your sideboard in the dining room, match it’s height to the dining table - it’s aesthetically more balanced that way.

Going in the hallway? A sideboard that’s generous in length is great (you can never have too much storage) - one with three compartments or drawers in a row will be incredibly practical (around 150cm is a good length for a standard hallway).

What style and colour sideboard should I choose?

Of course, you’ll want to pick a sideboard that complements the décor of the room it’s going in, matching the colour scheme and style.

That said, if you’re placing tableware in your sideboard, you’ll be wanting to pick one with doors (not drawers) for ease of access. Glass doors are great for helping your kitchen feel light and airy, as too much wood can feel oppressive.

By contrast, if you’re placing the sideboard in a large room with plenty of light, bulky wooden sideboards can look downright chic.

What material should I choose for my storage furniture?

A mixture of wood, metal or glass is handy if you want a Scandi or minimalist vibe. Vintage style credenzas, particularly in the Art Deco fashion, are brilliant if you want a piece of furniture that makes a statement, particularly if you’re planning on placing booze or glassware on it (Art Deco + bottles of spirits are a marriage made in Dorothy Parker’s conception of heaven).

Can we put an earnest word in for recycled wood as a material? It’s better for the environment, durable, suits most style homes, and timelessly chic.

If the chosen room is a little drab, a painted sideboard is great as a focal point (bright colours are ideal for a kids’ room, while pastels and white are ideal for adding a romantic softness to a room).

To finish the look, consider placing some indoor plants or treasured family photos on the top, or stylish bottles of your favourite tipple.

For even more storage solutions for the rest of the home, check out our guide to the best storage beds.

Swoon Ziggy Sideboard, Brass

Key Specs:

Dimensions: Height 75cm, Width 45cm, Length 120cm

Materials: stained and sealed mango wood, antiqued brass foil, feet painted Black

Assembly required: none

Spectacular. We can’t keep our eyes off this brass, Art Deco inspired sideboard from purveyors of furniture excellence, Swoon.

Perfect for adding a sense of luxury and style to an otherwise unremarkable room. The brass frontage means it can stand up to deep colours or opulent furnishings, too, if you have a darker room or velvet fabrics.

Vox Nature Small Wooden Sideboard in White & Oak Effect

Key Specs:

Dimensions: Width: 120cm x Depth: 40cm x Height: 72cm

Materials: solid wood and laminated board

Assembly required: Full Assembly Needed

Also available in all wood, rather than white, this is a bijou option for those of you without much space in the room.

Two doors open up to reveal two adjustable shelves. Ideal for hallways or kids’ rooms.

Wayfair

Key Specs:

Dimensions: 82.9cm H x 187.3cm W x 41.1cm D

Materials: Manufactured Wood

Assembly required: Full Assembly Needed

If minimalist chic is your vibe, this white finished sideboard is ideal for your living room.

A taller, thinner sideboard, with three shelves, and three additional compartments (containing shelves themselves) it’s good if you need to file plenty of household items, photo albums, or electrical components.

Metal handles finish the look and keep the piece looking modern, sturdy and strong.

Maisons Du Monde

Key Specs:

Dimensions: Height87 x Width220 x Depth48cm

Materials: Mango Wood

Assembly required: Full Assembly Needed

Made in India, this stunning sideboard is large and eye-catching, great for brining warmth and character to your living room.

With four doors and three moveable shelves, it’s a pleasingly versatile piece - ideal for adapting to whatever you’re looking to store at the time.

We love the vintage-inflected feet, slender and elegant, which stop this piece from feeling oppressive, despite it’s size. And those colourful doors? Manage the neat trick of being gorgeous, not gaudy.

Made.com

Key Specs:

Dimensions: Height (cm)60Width (cm)160Depth (cm)42

Materials: engineered wood, powder-coated steel

Assembly required: some

Long and low, very sleek, this sideboard has a touch of a Tardis to it: you may think, given how skinny it is, it won’t store much, but boy, it’s capacity in impressive. Ideal in the hallway, it’s an organiser’s dream.

With minimalistic metal handles and a plinth base, and a pleasing mixture of drawers and cupboards internally.

Great looking and good quality, the drawers run smoothly and you can adjust the height of the two shelves (one in each cupboard).

Made.com

Key Specs:

Dimensions: Height (cm)82Width (cm)140Depth (cm)38

Materials: powder-coated iron

Assembly required: none

Is your house cluttered? Do you have plenty of bits and bobs you need to keep, but that don’t seem to comfortably live anywhere? This is the answer to all your storage concerns.

An apothecary-style sideboard, this is rendered in iron and rustic brass, to lend it a modern, industrial style - oh so cool and stylish.

If you’ve previously resisted filing cabinets for being ugly, this glamorous piece of furniture will convert you - and help you organise your home at the same time.