The Best Sideboards for Every Home Style (And How to Style One Like a Pro)
A sideboard is one of those pieces of furniture that quietly does more work than almost anything else in your home, and once you have one, you will genuinely wonder how you functioned without it. Storage, display space, a surface for entertaining, an anchor for a dining room or living room wall: a great sideboard handles all of it with style and makes the whole room feel more intentional and put-together in the process.
I became a sideboard convert a few years ago when I realized that the chaos happening in my dining room, the serving pieces with no home, the table linens stuffed into a drawer across the house, the bar cart that was always in the way, could all be solved with one well-chosen piece of furniture. The right sideboard doesn’t just store things. It creates a moment in a room, a focal point that anchors the space and gives you a surface to style that makes the whole room feel elevated.
Here’s everything you need to know to find the right one for your home.
What Is a Sideboard and What Is It Used For?
Table of Contents
A sideboard is a long, low piece of furniture typically used in a dining room, living room or entryway. It has a flat top surface for display or serving, with storage below in the form of drawers, cabinet doors or a combination of both. The terms sideboard, buffet and credenza are often used interchangeably, though there are subtle traditional differences between them that matter very little in modern home design.
What matters is what it does for your space: it adds storage, creates a display surface, anchors a wall and brings a sense of order and intentionality to any room it lives in.
Sideboard Styles Worth Knowing
Modern Sideboard
A modern sideboard prioritizes clean lines, minimal hardware and a sleek profile. Think flat-front cabinet doors, handleless drawers with push-to-open mechanisms and materials like lacquered wood, glass or matte painted MDF. A modern sideboard works beautifully in a contemporary home where clutter is concealed and surfaces are kept deliberately spare.
The color palette for a modern sideboard leans toward white, black, charcoal or muted earth tones. Matte black hardware, if any hardware is used at all, is the most common accent choice. Shop modern sideboard on Amazon
Mid-Century Modern Sideboard
The mid-century modern sideboard is having a sustained moment in interior design that shows no sign of ending, and it’s easy to understand why. The tapered legs, the walnut or teak veneer finish, the mix of open and closed storage and the warm, organic geometry of the style all translate beautifully into a wide range of home aesthetics.
A mid-century sideboard with hairpin or tapered wood legs sits lower to the ground than a traditional buffet, which gives it a lighter, more floating quality that works well in smaller spaces. It pairs naturally with other mid-century pieces but also looks surprisingly good in more eclectic or transitional rooms. Shop mid century modern sideboard on Amazon
Farmhouse Sideboard
A farmhouse sideboard brings warmth, texture and a relaxed, lived-in quality to a dining room or kitchen space. Look for natural wood finishes, shiplap or beadboard panel doors, black iron hardware and a slightly distressed or wire-brushed surface treatment that signals handcrafted rather than mass-produced.
The farmhouse sideboard pairs beautifully with linen table runners, ceramic vessels, woven baskets and the kind of organic, imperfect styling that makes a room feel genuinely comfortable rather than staged. Shop farmhouse sideboard buffet on Amazon
Rustic Sideboard
A rustic sideboard takes the warmth of farmhouse a step further into reclaimed materials, live-edge details and a raw, organic quality that feels deeply rooted in natural materials. Reclaimed wood panels, iron pipe hardware and an imperfect, one-of-a-kind character define the best pieces in this style.
A rustic sideboard works best in spaces that already have some natural texture happening: exposed beams, stone floors, linen upholstery or plenty of indoor plants. It can feel out of place in a very polished, minimalist interior. Shop rustic sideboard reclaimed wood on Amazon
White Sideboard
A white sideboard is the most versatile choice in the category because it works with virtually every color palette and design direction. It reads as clean and fresh in a modern space, classic and airy in a coastal or cottage interior and bright and cheerful in a more colorful, eclectic room.
The finish matters significantly with white sideboards: a matte or chalk-painted finish reads as more casual and farmhouse-adjacent, while a semi-gloss or lacquered white reads as more modern and refined. Shop white sideboard buffet on Amazon
Black Sideboard
A black sideboard makes a statement in any room and does it with remarkable restraint. Unlike a colorful accent piece that competes for attention, a well-chosen black sideboard grounds a space and makes everything around it look more considered. It works especially well in dining rooms with white or light walls where it creates a strong visual anchor without overwhelming the room.
Black sideboards pair beautifully with warm wood tones, brass or gold hardware and ceramic or rattan accessories. The contrast between the dark cabinet and warm natural materials is one of the most reliably beautiful combinations in interior design. Shop black sideboard buffet on Amazon
Sideboard Sizes: What to Know Before You Buy
Getting the size right is the most important practical consideration when shopping for a sideboard, and it’s worth measuring carefully before you commit.
Width is the most variable dimension. Sideboards range from about 40 inches on the compact end to 80 inches or more for larger pieces. As a general rule, a sideboard should be no wider than the wall it sits against minus about 6 inches on each side, and ideally it should be roughly two-thirds the width of the dining table if it’s in a dining room.
Height is fairly consistent across styles, typically between 30 and 36 inches, which sits comfortably below most dining room windows and at a practical height for serving food buffet-style. Mid-century pieces on tapered legs sometimes run slightly lower at 28 to 30 inches.
Depth is where small dining rooms can run into trouble. A standard sideboard is about 16 to 18 inches deep, which requires that much clearance from the wall before the traffic path begins. In a narrow dining room, look for a shallower profile of 12 to 14 inches or consider a console table style which is even more compact.
Where to Put a Sideboard in Your Home
Sideboard in the Dining Room
The dining room is the most traditional home for a sideboard and it works perfectly there for practical reasons: it gives you a surface for serving food buffet-style during dinner parties, storage for table linens and serving pieces and a beautiful display wall to style with artwork and decorative objects.
Position it on the wall opposite the dining table for maximum impact, or on a side wall if the room layout calls for it. A sideboard centered under a piece of art or a large mirror creates a vignette that anchors the entire room. Pair it with candles, a simple floral arrangement and a few meaningful objects and the dining room instantly looks more pulled-together.
For more ideas on styling a dining or entertaining space, check out my post on wine rack cabinets for another beautiful storage piece that works perfectly alongside a sideboard in a dining room.
Sideboard in the Living Room
A sideboard in the living room functions as a media console, a bar cabinet alternative, a display surface for books and objects or all three at once. A lower mid-century style sideboard in a living room creates a horizontal line that makes the room feel longer and more expansive.
For a living room sideboard that doubles as a bar setup, style the top with a tray holding glassware, a small ice bucket and a few bottles alongside a plant or floral arrangement. Check out my post on bar cabinets for more ideas on creating a sophisticated home bar situation that complements a sideboard beautifully.
Sideboard in the Entryway
A sideboard in the entryway is one of the most functional placements in the house. It gives you a surface to drop keys and mail, storage for shoes, bags and seasonal items and an opportunity to make a first impression with the styling on top. A lamp, a small dish for keys and a piece of art above it creates an entryway vignette that makes every person who walks through your door feel like they’ve arrived somewhere considered and beautiful.
Sideboard in the Bedroom
A sideboard in the bedroom sounds unconventional until you try it and realize it’s actually the most elegant dresser alternative for certain room layouts. A low sideboard with drawers along the wall opposite the bed functions as dresser storage while also providing a beautiful display surface for a lamp, books and a few personal objects. It gives the bedroom a slightly more grown-up, editorial quality than a traditional dresser.
How to Style a Sideboard: The Formula That Works Every Time
Styling a sideboard well is the thing that separates a beautiful room from a great one, and there’s a reliable formula that works in almost every style direction.
Start with height. The tallest element on the sideboard, whether it’s a piece of art leaning against the wall, a tall lamp or a large vase with branches or stems, sets the scale for everything else. Everything else builds down from that.
Add a light source. A lamp on or near the sideboard creates warm, layered lighting that makes the whole room feel more inviting in the evening. Table lamps with linen or drum shades work in almost every style direction. Shop table lamp for sideboard on Amazon
Bring in something living. A plant, fresh flowers or even a high-quality faux arrangement adds organic warmth and breaks up the hard lines of the furniture. A simple vase with eucalyptus branches, a potted fiddle leaf fig or a low bowl of seasonal flowers all work beautifully. For terra cotta pots that look beautiful as part of a sideboard display, check out my post on terra cotta pots for options that add warmth and texture to any surface styling.
Layer in texture. A woven basket, a ceramic bowl, a stack of books or a piece of driftwood adds tactile interest that keeps the styling from feeling flat. Vary the materials: mix something smooth with something rough, something shiny with something matte.
Edit ruthlessly. The sideboard styling that looks best in real life and in photographs is almost always more spare than you think it should be. If something doesn’t add to the composition, take it off. Negative space is part of the design.
Add something personal. A framed photo, a piece of art that means something to you, a travel souvenir or a book you love makes the display feel like it belongs to a real person rather than a showroom. The personal element is what makes a styled surface feel warm rather than clinical.
Sideboard Styling Ideas by Room Aesthetic
For a Warm, Organic Living Room
A natural wood mid-century sideboard styled with a large ceramic lamp, a stack of oversized art books, a low bowl of dried pampas grass and a single trailing pothos in a terra cotta pot creates a layered, lived-in display that feels effortlessly warm. Add a small woven tray to corral remote controls or other practical items and the surface stays organized while still looking beautiful.
For a Coastal or Light-Filled Dining Room
A white sideboard under a large round mirror styled with a coral or shell collection, white ceramic vases in graduated heights and a simple linen table runner draped across one corner creates a breezy, coastal vignette. Keep the color palette to white, natural and a single accent tone, either sea glass blue, warm sand or a muted coral.
For a Modern, Minimalist Space
A black or charcoal sideboard in a modern space should be styled with restraint. One or two objects maximum on the surface: a sculptural ceramic piece, a single stem in a bud vase or a low bowl with smooth stones. A piece of abstract art above it in a floating frame completes the look without adding clutter.
For a Farmhouse Dining Room
A distressed wood sideboard styled with a galvanized metal trough of fresh greenery, a vintage-style lantern, a stack of white ceramic serving pieces and a linen runner creates a warm, welcoming farmhouse display. Add a chalkboard sign or a framed seasonal print above it and the whole dining room coheres beautifully.
Sideboard vs. Buffet vs. Credenza: What’s the Actual Difference?
These three terms get used interchangeably so often that the distinction has become largely semantic in modern interior design, but here’s the traditional breakdown for context.
A sideboard traditionally refers to a dining room piece with legs that lift it off the floor, typically used for serving food and storing dining essentials.
A buffet is similar to a sideboard but traditionally sits directly on the floor without legs, giving it a slightly more substantial, grounded appearance.
A credenza originally referred to a piece used in offices or formal rooms for storing documents and serving purposes, and it typically sits low on short legs with a long, horizontal profile. In modern usage it most often refers to the low, long storage pieces used as media consoles or dining storage.
In practice, the terms are used so interchangeably by retailers and interior designers that shopping by style, size and function is more useful than trying to sort by label.
Shop This Post
Sideboard Styles
Mid Century Modern Sideboard Walnut
Rustic Sideboard Reclaimed Wood
White Sideboard Buffet Cabinet
Black Sideboard Buffet Cabinet
Styling Accessories
Dried Pampas Grass Arrangement
FAQ: Sideboards
What is a sideboard used for? A sideboard provides surface space for serving food, display space for decorative objects and concealed storage for dining linens, serving pieces, barware and everyday items. It can also function as a media console, a bar cabinet or an entryway storage piece depending on placement.
What is the difference between a sideboard and a buffet? The terms are largely interchangeable in modern use. Traditionally a sideboard has legs while a buffet sits directly on the floor, but most retailers use both terms for the same style of long, low storage furniture.
How tall should a sideboard be? Most sideboards range from 30 to 36 inches tall, which sits comfortably below windows and at a practical serving height. Mid-century styles on tapered legs sometimes run slightly lower at 28 to 30 inches.
How wide should a sideboard be for a dining room? A sideboard should generally be no wider than the wall it sits on minus a few inches on each side. As a proportion guide, aim for a sideboard that is roughly two-thirds the width of your dining table for a balanced look.
Can a sideboard be used in a living room? Absolutely. A sideboard in the living room works beautifully as a media console, a bar cabinet alternative or a display surface for books and decorative objects. A mid-century style sideboard on tapered legs is particularly well-suited to living room use.
What should I put on top of a sideboard? A lamp for height and warm light, something living like a plant or flowers, a piece of art or a mirror above it and a few carefully chosen decorative objects in varying heights and textures. Edit down to what genuinely adds to the composition and leave some negative space for the display to breathe.
How do I style a sideboard for entertaining? For a dinner party, clear the decorative display and use the surface as a buffet: a stack of plates, serving dishes with food, a bread basket and a simple floral arrangement in the center. Add candles on either side for atmosphere and it becomes the most beautiful part of the table setup.
What size rug goes under a sideboard? A rug is not typically placed under a sideboard since it sits against a wall, but if you’re using a runner in a dining room the sideboard can sit at the edge of the rug or slightly off it. The rug in the room should primarily be sized to anchor the dining table.
A great sideboard is one of those foundational furniture investments that pays dividends in every room it lives in, and the right one for your home is out there at every price point and in every style. Take your time choosing it, measure carefully and then invest in styling it beautifully. It will become one of your favorite things in your house.
For more home decor and furniture inspiration, check out my posts on floating shelves for adding display space to any room and bistro tables for creating beautiful outdoor spaces that carry the same intentional, styled quality indoors.
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