A classic dining room sideboard is a great piece of furniture to have in your home.  Beyond the dining room, a sideboard can be used in many different decorating applications.  Here’s just a few to inspire you.

♦♦♦

Sideboard In A Hallway

A sideboard can be placed at the end of a hallway and used as the foundation for a decorative vignette.  A bow front sideboard is an ideal style for a hallway since the sides slope inward and provide more space to move around each side.

Sideboard In A Foyer

Placing a sideboard in the foyer creates impact and drama at the entrance of your home and it will give you a natural landing space for useful items like mail, keys and bags.

Sideboard In The Kitchen

A sideboard in the kitchen is a fantastic way to personal your kitchen decor without giving up any functional storage or workspace. Select a piece that has ample cabinet and drawer space and when it comes to color, instead of painting your kitchen cabinets or island, use this piece to add a vibrant pop of color to the kitchen.

Sideboard In The Office

I love how Kris from Driven by Decor used a sideboard for storage and decor in her home office. In an office space, a sideboard can provide lots of surface space to hold decorative objects and office equipment can be stored behind closed doors to keep your workspace neat, tidy and stylish. 

Sideboard In The Bathroom

Just as it would in a kitchen, a sideboard in the bathroom can add distinct style plus the bonus of added storage space.  Most vintage sideboards can be retrofitted to accommodate bathroom pipes, sink vessels and vanity countertops so you there are lots of design options to fit your style.

Sideboard In The Bedroom

The idea of a sideboard in the bedroom has been a popular trend for the last few years. A TV can be hung over a sideboard and the cabinet space can be used to hold clothing in the same way a traditional bedroom dresser would. Mid-century modern styles are great for bedrooms because of their simple and minimal style details.

Sideboard As A TV Cabinet

Most definitely one of my favorite ways to use a sideboard is as a TV cabinet.  Under a TV, the sideboard takes the edge off the big black box above it and keeps the room looking decorative and stylish. The bad news… sideboards with closed fronts won’t work with traditional TV components since the infrared signals will be blocked.  The good news…there a electronic kits that you can install to work around this issue and many cable companies now offer wireless boxes which can be placed anywhere in the room.

 

 

One question I hear a lot is about the difference between a sideboard and a buffet.  Here’s the scoop...

♦  When it’s placed in the living room, it’s called a sideboard.
♦  When used in a dining room, it’s called a buffet. Traditionally, buffets in the dining room are not only used for their storage purposes but also to display meals before serving.
♦  When an open front cabinet is added to the top of a buffet for additional storage and display options, the piece is called a hutch.

Kate Marker Interiors

Today you can find quality sideboards at thrift stores and flea markets.  Here’s what to look for when shopping for vintage sideboards:

♦  Think about the space the sideboard will go. The height and depth of a vintage sideboard will vary, so make sure that the space where the sideboard will be placed is measured carefully and think about how you’re going to use the piece which might determine your size needs.

♦  Consider what type of storage the sideboard offers.  Not all sideboards have drawer and cabinet space so if storage is a must, look for a piece that offers both types of storage.

♦  Analyze the quality.  The first thing to do is to check the stability of the legs, doors, drawers and pulls.  Does everything open and close smoothly and is the piece sturdy?  Also look for dovetail joints which are a sign of quality craftsmanship.  And a manufacturers stamp and company logos can indicate the age and quality of a piece.

I hope this post gets you thinking about sideboards in a new way. Thanks for stopping by!

image source:  top image // 1 // 2 //3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7