Guest Picks: 20 Stunning Sideboards
I think opting for a sideboard reveals a love of design. It’s really incredible how boxes on legs can be endlessly reinterpreted to provide a practical solution for clutter while also dramatically enhancing the look and feel of a space. Though, as a couple of examples in this ideabook illustrate, they don’t always have to be about boxes, or legs for that matter. Which sideboards resonate with you? — Denise from The Swelle Life
I’m getting that summery, feel-good vibe from this beachy sideboard. And I want it. Bad. The slatted design is inspired by the shingled roof of an English cottage and enhances its perfect symmetry. It would be ideal in a room with lots of natural light to wash over that gorgeous sky blue.
I love a piece that stands on its own, outside of its function. Color blocking, open space, contrast, geometry — this sideboard has everything. I’d leave the windows free of objects; there’s still plenty of storage in the drawers and behind the doors.
I previewed this sideboard in person back in autumn, and it made me realize that I’m smitten with slatted wood. It lightens up heavier pieces and makes the design more interesting while still keeping things clean and streamlined. You can experiment with different looks by sliding either door over a bit and displaying objects on the inside.
This is a very cost-efficient sideboard, great if you love the look of oak in a contemporary style but can’t afford solid wood joinery. Its combination of drawers and shelving hidden behind touch-to-open doors offers a variety of storage options in a clean and simple design.
If only my memories of ’70s decor matched Orla Kiely’s superstylish interpretations of the era. Her updated midcentury sideboard features her signature double-stem print and that particular shade of green that only she can make work in 2014. With a piece oozing such nostalgia, you just might have to go all-out with the rest of the decor and stay true to the decade.
You don’t have to choose between light and dark woods — you get the best of both worlds in this striking, high-contrast piece. The stained oak side is a set of three drawers that creates a nice linear feature. A retro starburst clock on or over this sideboard would complement its strong lines and color-block design.
This piece was created at a level of furniture making that spares you the unsightly inner workings such as rails and bearings. In addition to the beauty of the expert craftsmanship, the variety of colors available for the doors and drawers is so fun. I’d love to play around with contrasts and complementary hues and explore the dozens of possible color combinations to create a custom, changeable design.
I think one room in each home should have a burst of sunny yellow — a big one like this sideboard if you’re daring enough. In matte lacquered mustard, it’s neutral enough to work in nearly any color scheme, but it would be most at home in a retro-inspired room.
This season I’ve found myself drawn to white-wax-finished oak for its wintry, Scandinavian charm. It’s a wonderfully rustic option for a white or ivory palette, offering a distinct textural character that illustrates how cool woods can be cozy and homey.
One of the most unusual sideboards I’ve seen, this contemporary design occupies a space in a way traditional furniture cannot. Concealed in its architectural casing are four doors that open to reveal three internal shelves, and the exterior can be done in any RAL color to suit your decor — or in this case, your most fanciful whims.
A twist on decorative storage, this sideboard features a sliding door of silk-screened glass with a circular design. Choose from a range of colors to pop against the black, or go with the full saturation for dramatic impact. I’d have fun experimenting with different objects on the shelves to play off the circular shapes.
Now this makes me smile. It’s a dutiful wooden cow to take care of your stuff. It’s more of a kitchen storage piece, but stocked as a bar, it’s well suited to a dining or living room in need of some eclectic charm, especially for animal lovers.
Some spaces need something that sits higher on the wall, but you may not want the bulk that comes with more substantial sideboards. The long legs on this elegant, minimalist piece are a nice compromise between low and tallboy designs.
I’m a huge fan of color blocking on sideboards. It plays up the linear structure of the design and makes the piece stand out. The slanted legs on this one keep the chunky design from appearing too boxy, and you can never go wrong with a little retro style.
Colorful “windows” turn this sideboard into a curio cabinet as well as a storage unit. It would look great with nothing on top, just a few well-placed objects in one or both of those neat lime-green boxes.
What a gorgeous mix of features: glass inlays in solid oak, stainless steel handles inlaid in drawers and a limestone slab for a luxurious finish. I love the elegant angle of the tapered legs. This sideboard would be perfect for giving a traditional space a more contemporary feel.
This one is high on my lottery wish list. It’s so simple and elegant with its refined style, clean lines, sleek design and quiet color blocking. It’s a stunner that stands on its own.
Open shelves in sideboards are nothing new, but here we have Mondrian-esque converging lines in the shelves and the facade — which create a composition reminiscent of De Stijl’s masterworks, minus the color. I love the unusual asymmetry of this design.
Now this is a sideboard that will work for you. It’s wall mounted, and you can use it as a traditional sideboard and store items in the two large front drawers. It can also function as a bathroom unit: Add a bowl sink and a water mixer; it already has a built-in cabinet for toiletries and appliances. Or in the kitchen, it can be a compact breakfast bar. Just slide a couple of stools under and you’ve got a new place to eat that takes up virtually no space.Next: Buffet, Sideboard, Server, Credenza: What’s the Difference?
Yes, this is a sideboard. The designer used reclaimed larch to bring the outside in. The way the boards are arranged in varying lengths and tones a (mix of cool and warm, light and dark) creates a visually stunning composition. You can mount it to the wall or opt for the legs — which is my preference, as they define and anchor the piece.
Q