10 Quick Styling Steals for Your Sideboard

Make the most of a trusty sideboard by carefully choosing what you put above it

27 April 2017
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and various magazines. I'm now excited to part of the editorial team at Houzz UK & Ireland, bringing the best of British and Irish design, interiors and architecture to Houzz.com.
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and... More
Comment18
Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.
Sideboards come in many styles and sizes, from a classic midcentury original to a rustic chunky beast or a contemporary designer piece, and these useful storage units are ubiquitous in our homes. But whichever look you choose, these classic pieces of furniture don’t just fulfil a practical function: the large surface space they provide makes them a substantial display area. But what to fill (or not fill) yours with? Check out these quick ideas from homes on Houzz to get some inspiration.
Contemporary Living Room by 2LG Studio
2LG Studio
Create symmetry (but not too much)
This clean-lined white sideboard (made from three cabinets joined together and mounted onto a wooden plinth) has been styled with confident restraint – and hidden symmetry. While it’s not bookended with identical lamps or ornaments, there is still a lot of balance going on here.

Check how the glimmering gold artwork sets the tone, and is connected to the display below by a couple of colour-matched details and the wall lights punctuating the arrangement either side. The black, glossy lamp is partnered by the picture frames, and while the greenery and tonally similar pots are on their own, there are three of them – the design magic number that creates its own balance.

When arranging any display, use your eyes to decide whether there is equal visual weight on either side, if your colours have partners and if there’s enough variety of height and shape.
Midcentury Living Room by Clifton Interiors Ltd
Clifton Interiors Ltd
Max your midcentury style
Here, the sideboard is part of a magic trio with the midcentury chair and table, each of which is made from wood in similar tones.

The display ramps up the vintage era of the sideboard, particularly in its use of colour. The earthy accent hues used are pure 1950s/1960s and, combined with the bright-but-muted blues in the painting and recurring black, create a distinctly midcentury palette.

Check out some instantly nostalgic period-specific palettes or colour swatches online and use them to build your display.

Want to create a midcentury mood in your home? These are the key pieces you need
Eclectic Dining Room by sarah & bendrix
sarah & bendrix
Make it practical
This painted piece is positioned at the end of a dining table, and makes itself eminently useful for holding plates and glasses.

It can be tempting to put only your ‘for best’ crockery and glassware on display, but make your sideboard part of the family by using it daily, and make your everyday tableware lovely instead.

To boost the well loved furniture effect, further combine function with beauty by creating a gallery wall of artworks above your sideboard. Pay close attention to colours and frames when assembling your collection, ensuring you have some element of coherence to prevent it looking too busy.

Keen to hang the perfect gallery wall? Follow these expert tips
Transitional Home Office by De Rosee Sa
De Rosee Sa
Keep an eclectic collection tidy
This sturdy, rustic piece of furniture bears a packed and eclectic display. But don’t be fooled, it’s been carefully styled with an artful eye. And here, symmetry comes into play again, but in a slightly different way.

For your own busy arrangement of objets, choose something that’ll provide symmetry – a trick that will ensure your display looks pulled together rather than chaotic. In this home office, the matching table lamps either end of the sideboard do that job, allowing a free-flowing collection of treasures in between.
Coastal Entrance by Sally Gardner Interiors
Sally Gardner Interiors
Have a theme
A sideboard can become a helpful focal point for establishing your room’s theme in a flash.

Here, you can see how vividly a coastal feel can be conjured up in a space, simply by the use of blue, white and natural rope, along with thematically selected objects.

Again, be aware of balance with your display – take care to vary heights and shapes and, as shown here, try playing with different textures too.
Contemporary Dining Room Contemporary Dining Room
Let an artwork shine
Sideboards have a surface that’s ripe for housing pretty ornaments, good-looking books, stylish lamps and plants or flowers… but you can also use them as a mini stage by leaving them almost bare.

Here, you can see how. It’s all about that wonderful large-scale artwork, which has little – bar a low plant and delicate bowl in colours that echo those in the art – to detract from it. If you have one standout object or image, don’t be afraid to keep things simple to make the most of it.
Eclectic Dining Room by West Elm UK
West Elm UK
Go au naturel
These sprigs of green foliage make the most of the beautiful wood texture in this sideboard with shelves.

If you have open shelves or shelves above your sideboard, keep either the top of the sideboard or the shelves sparsely populated or they’ll compete visually.

Even if you don’t have shelves, stacking books on their sides is a great way to display attractive hardback tomes on a sideboard; choose your colours with care though, and consider removing paper jackets, which might reveal a potential stack of lushly hued matt hardcovers. For the super stylists out there, you might fancy turning the books around so that the spines are hidden and the pleasingly neutral pages are on show. Not, perhaps, one for bookworms.
Contemporary Kitchen by Ensoul Ltd
Ensoul Ltd
Use mirrors
This floating sideboard in an open-plan living/cooking space has been given the kitchen cabinet treatment – it’s got a mirrored splashback. This one is purely for aesthetic purposes though.

If your sideboard is positioned to face a view of greenery, or is perpendicular to windows or doors onto the garden, the mirrored effect can be especially lovely as all the reflected foliage becomes part of your interior too.
Transitional Dining Room by De Rosee Sa
De Rosee Sa
Don’t forget flowers
The sideboard is the perfect place for a fresh vase of flowers or a jungle-y stem or two.

Make sure you have a couple of really good vases of different shapes and sizes (for varied flowers) that work with the colours in your sideboard room, and make your blooms a key part of your display. It’s a great way to vary your sideboard display weekly, as different styles of flowers will create different moods, from strong and sculptural to soft and country. Or simply opt for blooms in a striking shade that complements a large piece of art, as seen here, or a statement ornament.
Contemporary Living Room by Pink & Bird
Pink & Bird
Focus on colour
Here, the ornaments are sparse, but there’s no lack of interest with a colour scheme like this.

If you have a strongly coloured piece, or are inspired to revamp your sideboard with bright paints, you can get away with keeping your surface clutter free and focus on echoing and amplifying your chosen palette instead. These artworks cleverly pick up on just two of the hues in the cabinet, since the third, that lush teal, is a feature in its own right. Elsewhere in the room, for balance, you might like to dot a couple of small accessories – a cushion or a framed photo or candleholder – in the same green-blue hue.

Do you have a sideboard in your home? Where is it, what do you use it for and what’s on top of it? Share all in the Comments below.
Comment18
Comments (18)
See 15 more comments
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
liasuz
Sideboards are a really nice piece of furniture. I have a collection of tonal vases on mine.
1 Like    
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Noornika Khuraijam
Can anyone tell me the correct height and depth of a sideboard? Should it be the same height as the dining table or slightly higher?will 20 inches of depth suffice? Thanks in advance
   
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
brinnie
Noornika- our antique sideboard is 20 inches deep, 56 inches wide and 36 inches tall- perfect for platters/serving dishes when dining or displays during festive holidays, but a little too deep for us for easy traffic flow between it and guests seated at the table. Depth of sideboard will depend on the size of your dining area and traffic flow. Also keep in mind if you have a ceiling light, if it it will be entered over the table, when a sideboard lines one of the walls.
1 Like    

Related Stories

More Rooms The 5 Most Popular Laundry Rooms on Houzz Right Now
By Victoria Harrison
Get decorating ideas for your laundry or utility room from these most-saved photos on Houzz
Full Story
Dining Rooms The 5 Most Popular Dining Rooms on Houzz Right Now
By Kate Burt
Vintage furniture, great lighting and top tables – feast your eyes on dining room ideas collated from your own clicks
Full Story
Colour 8 Clever Ways to Use Strategic Colour Blocking in Your Home
By Kate Burt
Paint can do so much more than refresh your walls. Explore ways to highlight features, zone areas and trick the eye
Full Story
Utility Rooms 15 Richly Coloured Utility Rooms
By Sarah Alcroft
The trend for strong, earthy tones has reached the utility room, with hues from plum to ochre to deep green adding depth
Full Story
Kitchens Which Kitchen Worktop Colour Should You Choose?
By tidgboutique
Consider these popular colours and styles to get the look you want, no matter which material you use
Full Story
Colour 8 Ways to Work a Rust Red and Blue Palette in the Bedroom
By Kate Burt
We’re seeing variations of this combination all over Houzz right now. Check out these tips for trying it yourself
Full Story
Colour Creative Ways to Make a Feature of Structural Beams
By Amanda Pollard
Turn your RSJ into something more than just functional with these clever ideas from our Houzz Tours
Full Story
Gardens 9 Ways to Enjoy Colour in Your Garden All Year Round
By Kate Burt
However your garden grows, you can add colour with hardscaping, furniture and accessories
Full Story
Gardens What Will We Want in Our Gardens in 2024?
By Amanda Pollard
Discover the gardening trends homeowners will be bringing into their outdoor spaces this spring and summer
Full Story
Kitchens What to Expect at the Biggest Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Show
By Amanda Pollard
Plan ahead with our rundown of what’s in store at the kbb Birmingham event this March
Full Story
| ABOUT | MOBILE APPS | PROFESSIONALS | BUTTONS | FAQs | CAREERS | BRANDS |
Terms & Privacy
Houzz Inc. © 2024