Dresser-Sideboard-Console-Buffet...

Dresser? Sideboard? Console? Sofa Table? Buffet?

Any furniture with a low profile and storage fits all the descriptors above. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes functioning as table, cabinet, display, room divider all in one. In the interior design trade, they’re categorized as case goods. They’re adaptable multi-taskers that work in many rooms. (To keep it simple, we’ll refer to them as sideboards for the purpose of this discussion).

A typical dresser can overpower a bedroom. The low profile of a sideboard keeps the room looking streamlined and feeling comfortable, at the same time, complementing larger furniture. Choose a finish that blends with other wood tones in the room.

For an entry hall, sideboards drawers add function as well as style. 

It’s a great place to place to

drop your keys out of sight, for packages, and to store everyday items.  Place a mirror above flanked with sconces or a pendant light for a stylish vignette.

Create a kitchen island with a sideboard. The surface increases the room’s workspace while the drawers provide additional storage. Add castors to move it around where needed.

In the living room, the sideboard can be placed behind a sofa to define the space, almost serving the same purpose as a room divider. I often use them in open floor plan design schemes to separate the living room from the dining area. The sofa faces the conversation grouping, and the sideboard is placed behind it facing the dining table. It’s the perfect place to set up an elegant bar and/or to use as a buffet when entertaining. If there is space below, ottomans can be tucked beneath and slid out when extra seating is needed.                              the table above and below are the same,

                                                                                                      serving different functions in each space.

Versatility is one of the sideboard’s qualities. Tucked neatly under windows, they make a previously unserviceable window-wall functional. Antique sideboards can be retrofitted as bathroom vanities.  Sideboards add character to any design scheme, and character is what makes a space uniquely your own.