How to Style a Sideboard: A Room-by-Room Guide

Few pieces of furniture work as hard as a sideboard. It hides the clutter of everyday life, gives you a surface to decorate, and anchors a wall that would otherwise sit empty. Yet most of us buy one for a single room and never think about what it could do elsewhere. This guide walks through styling a sideboard room by room — what to put on it, what to store in it, and the small decisions that make it look considered rather than crowded.

First, the golden rules (they apply everywhere)

Before we go room by room, three principles hold wherever your sideboard lives. Work in odd numbers: a lamp, a stack of books and a vase read as deliberate; four matched objects read as a shop display. Vary your heights: the classic arrangement is one tall element (a lamp or branch in a vase), one medium (framed art or a mirror leaning against the wall), and one low (a bowl, a candle, a small stack of books). Leave breathing room: aim to cover no more than two-thirds of the surface. The empty third is what makes the styled two-thirds look intentional.

A note on scale: art or a mirror hung above a sideboard should be roughly half to two-thirds of its width. Smaller than that and it floats; wider and it overwhelms.

The dining room: the sideboard's natural home

This is where the sideboard earned its name, and it still does its best work here. Inside, store what the dining table needs — table linens, serving dishes, candles, the glasses that only come out when friends do. Everything is one step from the table rather than a trip to the kitchen.

On top, keep the styling low enough to talk over if the sideboard doubles as a serving surface. A pair of lamps at either end gives lovely evening light for dinner parties and frames whatever sits between them — a bowl, a low arrangement of seasonal stems, or nothing at all if the grain of the wood deserves the attention. Solid hardwood pieces like our Chestnut Sideboard need very little dressing; the timber does the talking.

The living room: media, books and balance

In a living room a sideboard often stands in for a media unit, and it's frequently the better-looking choice. If a television sits on top, resist symmetry — place the TV off-centre and balance it with a tall lamp and a trailing plant on the other side, which softens the black rectangle considerably. Cables disappear into the cupboards below, along with consoles, remotes and the board games nobody admits to owning.

No television? Then the sideboard becomes your display shelf for the things that actually say something about you: books stacked horizontally with a small object on top, framed photographs at staggered heights, a lamp for the evening. Rotate pieces seasonally rather than adding — the discipline keeps it looking curated.

The hallway: first impressions and last-minute exits

A slim sideboard transforms a hallway. Practically, it swallows the chaos of family life — shoes, dog leads, the shopping bags — while its surface handles the daily rituals: a bowl for keys, a tray for post, somewhere to put the parcel that needs returning. Style it simply: a mirror above (invaluable for the final check on the way out, and it doubles the light in a narrow space), a lamp if there's a socket nearby, and one beautiful object. Hallways are passed through, not lingered in, so one strong statement beats five small ones.

The bedroom: the unexpected candidate

A lower sideboard makes a superb alternative to a chest of drawers, especially under a window where taller furniture won't fit. Jumpers, spare bedding and the linen overflow live inside; on top, keep it calm — a small lamp, a scent, a dish for jewellery. Bedrooms reward restraint more than any other room, and a half-empty sideboard top is part of what makes a room feel restful.

The home office: storage that doesn't say 'office'

If you work from home in a room that must also be lived in, a sideboard hides the apparatus of work — printer, files, cables — behind doors that close at six o'clock. Style the top like a living room surface, not a desk return: art, a plant, a lamp. When the laptop shuts, the room goes back to being a room.

Choosing the right sideboard to style

Styling is easier when the piece itself has presence. Solid wood carries decoration effortlessly — grain, knots and hand-finished edges give the eye something even when the surface is bare. Consider height too: dining sideboards sit comfortably at 75–85cm; a media sideboard can sit lower; hallways suit slimmer, taller pieces. Our sideboard collection spans all of these — many handcrafted from solid mango and sheesham wood, made to order by skilled artisans (there's a little more on why that wait is worth it in our made-to-order guide).

Frequently asked questions

What should I put on top of a sideboard?

Work in odd numbers with varied heights: typically a lamp or tall vase, a piece of art or a mirror behind, and one or two low objects such as a bowl or stacked books. Cover no more than two-thirds of the surface.

How big should a mirror or picture above a sideboard be?

Roughly half to two-thirds of the sideboard's width, hung with its centre at eye level (around 145–155cm from the floor). Leaning a large frame against the wall is a relaxed alternative.

Can I use a sideboard as a TV stand?

Yes — and it usually looks better than a purpose-built unit. Check the height suits your seating (your eye line should meet the upper third of the screen) and drill or route cables into the cupboard space below.

What's the difference between a sideboard and a buffet?

Very little in modern usage — 'buffet' is the more common term in America, 'sideboard' in Britain. Historically a buffet had longer legs; today the words are interchangeable.

How deep should a sideboard be for a hallway?

Around 30–40cm keeps a walkway clear in most British hallways. Standard 45–50cm deep pieces suit dining and living rooms where there's more floor to spare.