How to Choose The Best Modern Sideboard for Your Home
01/04/2026
Long-time favorites in various homes, sideboards, have always come in many shapes and sizes. From the ornate Renaissance Italy credenzas to the popular 19th century dining room buffet, these earlier designs have inspired many modern designs we see today. Nowadays, these home furniture must-haves are staying relevant with unmistakable practicality fused with characterful designs to keep your space feeling fresh.
Have we got you feeling curious? Join us as we take a look at what modern sideboards are actually used for, how to choose the right one and we’ll even point out common mistakes to watch out for. Let’s go!
What is a modern sideboard?
First things first, let’s start with the basics. Traditionally, sideboards were long and low furniture pieces found in the living room, dining room and hallway, housing that all-important home storage behind either drawers or doors with a surface up top ready to be dressed up.
As the times have moved on, sideboards can now be found in all sorts of shapes and sizes throughout the home, bringing style and functionality wherever they stand.
A modern sideboard simply denotes a cabinet made in a modern style, which is usually characterised by a minimalist look, without ornate design additions or prominent handles, and having a focus on functional storage.
Why are sideboards trending?
Shifts towards less cluttered living, with popular modern styles such as Scandi and Japanese, have kept sideboards with storage relevant. However, they don’t just keep every room in your home looking calm and collected; when they’re so easily customised with colour, they really can have a delightful impact on the visual scene as a statement-maker or palette-balancer. With so many colours available nowadays, modern sideboards really can be that beautiful, eye-drawing anchor you need in any room of your home.
What can I use a modern sideboard for?
Think about it this way – if there’s somewhere in your home that could benefit from some extra storage and style, a sideboard is probably the missing piece you’re looking for.
Sideboards that let you live your best life in the living room
Where sideboards can provide practical living room storage for your books, games and other household bits and bobs, they also offer that meaningful opportunity for you to adorn their surfaces with your favourite items and dearest memories, making your nest truly feel like yours. Living room sideboards can also be a fitting stand for your TV – that extra storage underneath for cables and games consoles can really help with keeping your media unit looking slick.
If you’ve got an empty-looking alcove or want to divide your space into purposeful zones, why not place a piece there to host a sophisticated drinks area or your retro record player setup? Sideboards really are living room staples.
Being a hosting helper in the dining area
Making their mark just as importantly in the dining room, sideboards help to keep your occasion tablecloths, best wine glasses and fancy table mats neat and tidy or even serve up dinners when hosting family and friends. For instance, modern options with sliding doors can be a satisfyingly simple way to make sure your dinnerware is within easy reach when it’s time to serve up.
Celebrating you in your most personal spaces
Sideboards are ideal for your snug or bedroom, because they present you with the perfect empty stage for you to position your favourite momentos so that you can curate a nuanced display that really reflects who you are. Currently we’re obsessed with Rowan Midi with an oak and Regent sage green finish that’s great for adding both spacious storage and much-needed serenity to your sleep sanctuary.
Keeping the hallway feeling breezy with a modern sideboard
Don’t forget the high-traffic hallway which really benefits from a sideboard as a key bowl or post perch and a place to tuck away your outside accessories. Small additions like that can make your daily routine feel far more effortless.
How to actually pick the best modern sideboard for your home
With so many spectacular options out there, it can be hard to know where to start when choosing the best modern sideboard for your home. We’ll take you through the process step-by-step to make sure when that piece arrives at your door, you know it’s going to fit right into its new home…
Measure up your space to make the perfect choice
It’s important to get your measurements and proportions right first. Get your chosen spot measured up, ensuring when drawers or doors are opened, there isn’t anything in the way and that walkways remain clear.
Our go-to advice: always think about balancing the proportions in your room too, so that every piece has room to shine. For instance, a big sofa beside a tiny sideboard can leave one of them feeling a little out of place. And if you are working with a smaller space, you should go for taller sideboards to maximise the storage you can incorporate – cabinets with open shelves can be a thoughtful option for this as the storage space just keeps on climbing!
Let your daily routine decide your storage needs
Once you’re clear on the space you’re working with, it’s time to think about your likely usage of your new modern sideboard to help you pick a storage style. Are there any parts of your day that could do with a little improvement? Could you really do without stepping on toys during your playroom tidy-up? Or maybe you’re drowning in paperwork in your home office? Think about what problem your cabinet can solve for you and let that dictate the kind of option you go for.
For example, in the bedroom, a cabinet with drawers is ideal for neatly arranging your clothes that don’t live in your wardrobe. However, a sideboard with doors could be great for the easy sliding-out of baskets containing items that you don’t really want on display. Equally, a colourful display cabinet can be a gorgeous alternative to a classic sideboard; it can help the room to open up a bit more with see-through windows letting the light shine through.
Taking care of how your modern sideboard fits into your home decor
Now you’ve got doors, shelves or drawers in mind, it’s time to have fun with the visuals.
Choosing colours that achieve visual harmony
The first step is to make sure to match your modern sideboard’s colours with that of your existing decor, following the 60:30:10 rule is a good place to start (that’s 60% dominant colour, 30% secondary colour and 10% accent colour) to ensure both cosiness and cohesion.
Once you’ve got your palette balance pinned down, just know that there’s a spectrum of colours at your fingertips ready to cast whatever mood you fancy over your room. A Prussian navy blue, for instance, encourages mindfulness with its deep, authoritative tone, whereas a Bisley Lilac reminds us of gleeful springtime. Have a think about what your home atmosphere is missing and have a look through some of our colour options to get inspired.
You might also want to try to switch things up with colour. As your sideboard is likely to be one of the larger pieces in your room, it can add a pleasing contrast for it to be of a different shade to other statement pieces, such as a sofa in a living room or wardrobe in a bedroom.
Honing in on a style to nurture the ambience in your home
Another way to tackle the visuals is by selecting a specific style to reflect your personality or the mood you want to immerse yourself in.
Modern sideboards often feature minimalist blocks of colour and contrasts to strengthen those calming, contemporary lines, such as wood and steel combinations, found in many of our Bisley sideboards. However, if bright colours, busy patterns and eye-catching textures are for you, have a look at the modern maximalist style options, inspired by the energetic bursts of Dopamine Decor style.
And don’t worry, if you find yourself drawn to a more traditional style instead, just opt for lighter finishes on your modern sideboards paired with subtly coloured doors, such as our Regent sage green, to create a more balanced look that is a perfect fit for those Scandi-style lovers too.
Making the right choice with sturdy materials for your modern sideboard
With the practicality that sideboards bring, they are often put to work in high-traffic home areas which is why choosing a sturdy material for your newest addition is a really good idea.
Alongside being easy to customise with colour, metal locker sideboards are valued for their longevity, strong structures and easy maintenance. Solid wood cabinets are another sturdy option, however, those pieces must be looked after carefully to ensure they last in tip top condition. But if that rustic style is your thing, it’s worth exploring treated woods as they are usually engineered for longevity too, and can often be easier to clean.
Last but not least, glass or mirror sideboards are also an option and while they can brighten and open up a space, they do require regular cleaning to keep smudges away.
Common mistakes to avoid when choosing a modern sideboard
We’ve made finding your ideal sideboard even easier with this handy list of common mistakes to keep an eye out for.
Choosing trendy over timeless
There are certain styles and features that always seem to stay popular such as mid-century modern and Scandinavian, both characterised by functionality, clean lines and natural woods. So, while they might be trendy now, they are also timeless pieces.
Style aside, having a really good understanding of your personal taste for colours will also help you choose a sideboard that you know you’re going to love for years to come, whether that be a refreshing Bisley Blue or confident Cardinal Red that you’ve always had a soft spot for.
If you’re not sure where to start, you can’t go wrong with neutral tones, such as Natural Canvas beige or Chalk off-white. Not only do they never seem to go out of style, these hues allow you to pepper the rest of your room with colourful accents which you can easily swap in and out depending on current trends.
Prioritising style over storage
Creating a space that looks sophisticated yet characterful is key to you feeling good in your home. However, it also needs to function well and provide organised homes for your belongings – there’s not much point to your cabinet looking fabulous if it’s surrounded by clutter! Get the best of both worlds and make sure to choose a modern sideboard that has plenty of either drawers or shelves whilst also packing the visual punch you’re longing for.
Overlooking material durability
As we’ve mentioned, make sure to choose a sturdy, reliable material for your hardworking modern sideboard, such as steel or solid wood. Your newest piece should be built to live with you throughout everything your home sees.
Not checking assembly requirements
Did you know you can skip one of the least-loved parts of new furniture – the flat pack frustration? To be able to hop right to dressing up your new piece, go for cabinets that arrive ready assembled, just like most of our Bisley sideboards.
Skipping the real-world experiences
Customer reviews really are your best friend when finding the sideboard of your dreams; never skip this simple yet important step to make sure your new piece comes highly recommended. They’ll tell you if a piece lives up to the hype and might even spark a few ideas for the rest of your home too.
We hope this simple guide to choosing the best modern sideboard for your home has got you feeling excited and confident about your future furniture choices. Ready to get going with your search? Have a browse of our UK-made sideboards and be on your way to filling your home with practical storage and plenty of style.
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