Sideboards are bought for dining rooms and end up doing several other jobs. They are one of the more versatile pieces of furniture, and the versatility is worth planning for rather than discovering.
The Original Job
Storage for things used at a table but not on it: tableware, glassware, linen, serving dishes.
And a surface at a useful height for serving from, which is why they are typically around thirty inches tall rather than at table height.
The Jobs They Actually Do
- Dining storage, as intended
- A coffee or drinks station, which is now the most common secondary use
- A media unit, with a television on top
- Hallway storage for everything that comes through the door
- Extra kitchen storage where a kitchen has run out
- A landing place beside a front door
Units described as sideboards and coffee bars in the same listing, of the kind at facbotall.net, are acknowledging that the second use has become as common as the first.
Drawers Versus Doors
The internal layout decides what it is good for, and this is worth thinking about before buying.
Drawers suit small items: cutlery, linen, stationery, cables. Everything is visible when open and nothing is lost at the back.
Cupboards behind doors suit large items: serving dishes, appliances, boxes. They hold more volume and things do get lost at the back.
A mixture, with drawers above and cupboards below, covers most households.
Measure the Room, Not the Wall
A common error is checking the wall length and forgetting the walkway.
A dining room needs enough space behind chairs to walk past when people are seated. A sideboard that fits the wall and reduces the walkway to a squeeze will be resented daily.
Height Matters for Use
For serving, around thirty to thirty-six inches works. For a television, the screen centre should be roughly at seated eye level, which usually means a lower unit than a sideboard.
Using a sideboard as a television stand frequently puts the screen too high, which produces neck strain over an evening.
The Top Will Get Used
Whatever the intention, the top of a sideboard becomes a surface for keys, post and drinks.
That argues for a durable finish, and for coasters if it is a wood or wood-effect top, since a wet glass base marks a laminate edge as readily as a lacquer.
Anchoring
Lower and wider than a bookcase, so less prone to toppling, and not immune.
Anything with drawers a child can climb, or anything carrying a television, should be anchored. A television falling from a sideboard is a recognised cause of serious injury to children.
Buy for the Second Use
Since these pieces get repurposed, choosing one that would work in another room is worth doing at the point of purchase.