How to Decorate and Store With Sideboards
You might be wondering what the heck a sideboard is, but more importantly, you should be asking what you can do with one when it comes to modern design. Okay, let's start with a brief (very brief) history: So, what is a sideboard? Originally, it was a literal board or shelf mounted to the wall beside a dining table to hold food and store plates and such.
Fast forward a century or so, and the sideboard is still a practical part of interior design. But it’s morphed into a stylish piece (more interesting than a piece of lumber, that’s for sure) on legs, with doors and sometimes drawers to hide what’s stashed inside. Some of the most eye-catching, iconic designs take their cues from the modernist movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Folks might refer to a sideboard as a credenza, buffet or media cabinet and that’s okay; essentially, sideboards and buffets are the leggier of the bunch, but each piece serves as a good-looking, interesting form of storage—and we all know that storage is a vital part of good design. It’s acceptable and forward-thinking to use sideboards and their similar-looking “cousins” in virtually any room we like, not just the dining room. Naturally, you might now be wondering how to decorate and store with one of these attractive pieces. Let’s break down that query room by room.
In the Living Room
The obvious use for a living-room sideboard is as an entertainment cabinet. If your television has a stand and sits directly on top of the unit, don’t clutter the top with anything else; simply hang a slightly narrower piece of art or a clock on the wall above. If your TV mounts to the wall, use a slightly wider sideboard to fill the void space below. Either way, tuck remote controls, a satellite receiver and any other related devices or hardware neatly behind the sideboard’s doors or in its drawers.
For a living space without a TV as the focal point, use a sideboard for visual balance or symmetry by placing it across the room from a large contender, such as a fireplace or sofa. Achieving balance in any room keeps it from appearing like a sinking ship or looking too weighty on one end.
In the Bedroom
A sideboard’s shelves can hold virtually any household item that fits, so why not folded sweaters, T-shirts and pants? Choose something with drawers like the Color Pop sideboard, so you’ll have somewhere to store socks and undies or delicates, if needed.
What decor should you place on top? Maybe a table runner to complement your bedding, a sleek lamp and a few framed photos—or a TV, if you like to watch a flick before nodding off.
In the Entryway
A slim sideboard, such as the Color Theory, would make an ideal hallway feature and a useful catchall if topped with, say, a mid-century-inspired teak tray for mail, change and keys. Set an umbrella stand with an angular or geometric design on the floor nearby as a nod to the modernist era. A simple vase brimming with posies completes a clean look. Hang a mirror on the wall above the storage piece for a quick check as you head out the door.
In the Bathroom
If your bathroom has room for a sideboard, use it to store hair-styling tools, lotions, towels, bathroom tissue and personal-hygiene products. Top it with candles in assorted heights, an attractive bin stuffed with rolled washcloths and finish with a humidity-loving plant in a simple macramé hanger above.
Or, what about retrofitting a sideboard that’s 34 to 36 inches high and about 18 inches deep into a narrow vanity for a tight washroom? Even a slightly low sideboard could work, if you fit it with a vessel-style basin or two. If you choose to go either route, complete the look with period-friendly faucets and fixtures—and do your homework: Avoid poorly made furniture that will swell in wet, steamy conditions or collapse under the weight of a stone top, if you plan to attach one.
And, of Course, in the Dining Room
To answer the age-old question “What is a sideboard?”, it’s more than a catchall for flatware, china, platters, linen and glassware, with a surface for candles, a floral arrangement and steaming platters of goodness in the dining area. It can be a statement piece that sets the tone in any space.
Armed with suggestions for where and how to use a sideboard, why not consider additional complementary pieces that add usefulness, beauty and clean, contemporary form throughout your home to fulfill other storage needs?
Lorna Hordos is a home-improvement business owner and freelance writer. She has composed thousands of friendly, helpful home and business articles for numerous clients, including Lowes, Daltile, ModernMom, WordPress.com and Bizfluent.
References:
- https://www.kardiel.com/storage/mid-century-modern-sideboards-credenza-media-cabinet-buffet/
- https://www.kardiel.com/george-nelson-ball-clock/
- https://www.kardiel.com/sofas/
- https://www.hatchdesign.ca/principles-of-interior-design-part-1-balance/
- https://www.kardiel.com/storage/sideboards/color-pop-sideboard/
- https://www.kardiel.com/color-theory-69-sideboard-natural-grey/
- https://www.kardiel.com/baths/
- https://www.marthastewart.com/326650/organizing-sideboards
- https://www.kardiel.com/storage/mid-century-modern-sideboards-credenza-media-cabinet-buffet/
- https://www.kardiel.com/storage/
- https://www.finewoodworking.com/2005/09/14/a-short-history-of-sideboards
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2016/08/26/10-pieces-of-furniture-to-turn-into-a-bathroom-vanity/#77000a557cbf
