5 Ways to Style Bedroom Furniture With Sideboards

A sideboard belongs in a bedroom whenever you need a long surface and closed storage in the same piece. The five arrangements that work best are: as a dressing area beneath a mirror, as a wide alternative to a chest of drawers, as a base for a wall mounted television, as a divider in a large or open plan room, and as a media and linen store along a short wall. Each one solves a different problem, and the piece itself barely changes.

Sideboards migrated into bedrooms because they offer something chests of drawers cannot: a continuous uninterrupted top. That surface is what makes them useful for dressing, display and everyday landing space, while the cupboards below take the bulky items that drawers handle badly.

1. As a Dressing Area Under a Mirror

Place a sideboard against a clear wall, hang or lean a large mirror above it, and add a lamp at one end. This is the most immediately useful arrangement, because it gives you a full dressing station without the narrow proportions of a traditional dressing table.

The advantage over a dressing table is depth. A sideboard is typically around forty centimetres deep, which is enough for trays, jewellery boxes and a lamp while still leaving clear working space in front of you.

Height is the detail to check. A sideboard at around seventy five to eighty centimetres suits standing use. If you prefer to sit while getting ready, look for a lower unit or choose a design with a recessed centre section so a stool can tuck underneath.

Lighting makes the difference between a workable dressing area and a decorative one. Two lamps placed either side of the mirror give even light across the face, which a single overhead fitting never does. Options within our modern table lamps UK range in matching pairs are the simplest way to achieve this.

2. As a Wide Alternative to a Chest of Drawers

In a bedroom with a long uninterrupted wall, a sideboard often stores more than a chest while sitting lower in the room. The low horizontal line makes ceilings feel higher, which suits new build bedrooms where ceiling height can be modest.

Cupboards suit different contents from drawers. Folded jumpers stack well on a shelf, spare bedding fits where it would jam a drawer, and boxes and baskets can be pulled out whole rather than rummaged through.

Mix the two if the wall allows. A sideboard for bulk storage paired with a narrow chest for daily clothing covers both needs, and the difference in height between the pieces adds interest to the wall.

Look for adjustable internal shelves. Fixed shelves at fixed heights waste space, whereas an adjustable shelf lets you tailor the interior to what you actually own. Our modern wooden sideboards UK selection includes designs with adjustable interiors, which matters far more in a bedroom than in a dining room.

3. As a Television Base

Where a television belongs in the bedroom, a sideboard handles it better than most alternatives. The height works for viewing from bed, the top takes the screen or sits beneath a wall mounted one, and the cupboards hide boxes, cables and controllers.

Check cable management before buying. A rear panel with a cut out for cables keeps the back of the unit tidy and allows the piece to sit close to the wall. Without one, you either lose several centimetres of floor space or end up with visible cables.

Position matters for comfort. The centre of the screen should sit roughly level with your eyeline when sitting up in bed, which usually means a lower unit rather than a tall one. Comparing heights against a standard modern TV units UK range is useful, since many are built to exactly this height.

Keep styling minimal in this arrangement. A television is already a large visual element, so the top of the sideboard is better left mostly clear with perhaps a single plant or small object at one end.

4. As a Room Divider

In a large bedroom, a loft space or a studio flat, a sideboard placed away from the wall separates areas without blocking light. The back of the unit faces one zone and the openings face the other, which keeps the storage usable while defining the boundary.

This only works if the back of the piece is finished properly. Many sideboards have an unfinished or plain back panel that was never meant to be seen. Check before committing, or place the back against a bench, a headboard or a row of plants to disguise it.

Height is the deciding factor. Around eighty centimetres is enough to signal a division while allowing you to see across the whole room, which prevents either side feeling boxed in.

Anchor it with a rug. A rug that stops at the line of the sideboard reinforces the zoning and stops the piece looking as though it has simply been left in the wrong place.

5. As Linen and Media Storage on a Short Wall

Short walls beside a window or between a chimney breast and the corner are frequently left empty. A compact sideboard, sometimes only a metre wide, turns that dead space into useful storage for bedding, towels and the items that clutter bedrooms.

Spare duvets and pillows benefit from cupboard storage because they can be stacked rather than compressed. Keeping them in the bedroom rather than a distant airing cupboard makes changing bedding far less of a chore.

Consider ventilation for textiles. Solid doors are fine for most items, though anything stored long term benefits from occasional airing. Avoid storing damp or freshly laundered items in a closed cupboard.

Choosing the Right Size and Proportions

Sideboards vary far more in size than chests of drawers, and getting the proportions right matters more in a bedroom than in a dining room, where the piece usually sits against a long clear wall.

Width should relate to the wall rather than the room. As a rough guide, a sideboard looks settled when it occupies between half and two thirds of the wall it sits against. Much narrower and it looks stranded, much wider and the wall feels crowded.

Depth is the figure to check most carefully. Dining sideboards are often forty five centimetres deep or more, which is generous in a bedroom where the walkway past the end of the bed may already be tight. Shallower designs around thirty five centimetres give most of the surface benefit with considerably less intrusion.

Leg height affects how heavy the piece feels. A sideboard raised on legs shows floor beneath it and reads as lighter, which helps in a room already containing a bed and a wardrobe. Plinth based designs store slightly more but sit more solidly.

Door type is worth a thought as well. Hinged doors need clearance in front, which is fine against an open wall but awkward in a narrow gap. Sliding doors remove that problem entirely and suit tight bedrooms, though they restrict access to half the interior at a time.

Finally, check the wall behind. Radiators, sockets and skirting all affect how close a sideboard can sit, and a unit pushed away from the wall by a deep skirting board loses a few valuable centimetres from the walkway.

Styling the Top Without Clutter

Whichever arrangement you choose, the top of a sideboard fills up quickly unless you give it structure. A tray is the most effective tool: it contains small items and turns scattered objects into a single group.

Work in odd numbers and vary heights. A tall lamp, a medium vase and a low stack of books reads as composed, whereas five objects of similar height reads as a row. Leave at least a third of the surface empty so it remains usable.

Mirrors, art and wall lighting above the sideboard tie it into the wall rather than leaving it stranded. Hang art so its lower edge sits roughly fifteen to twenty centimetres above the surface, close enough to relate to the furniture below.

Repeat one material from elsewhere in the room. If the bed frame is oak, an oak framed mirror above an off white sideboard links the two pieces without needing them to match.

We stock sideboards in widths and finishes that suit bedroom use as well as dining rooms at Furniture in Fashion, with full dimensions listed so you can check the fit against your own wall before ordering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use a dining sideboard in a bedroom?

Yes. The construction is the same, and the main things to check are depth against your available floor space and whether the internal shelves suit folded clothing or bedding.

What height should a bedroom sideboard be?

Around seventy five to eighty centimetres suits standing use and dressing. Lower units work better beneath a television or where you want the room to feel taller.

Is a sideboard better than a chest of drawers in a bedroom?

Neither is better outright. Sideboards suit bulky items and give a longer surface, while drawers are more convenient for everyday folded clothing. Many bedrooms benefit from both.

How do I stop a sideboard looking too much like dining furniture?

Style it for the bedroom. A mirror above, soft lighting and personal items rather than serving pieces shift the character of the piece immediately.

Can a sideboard work in a small bedroom?

It can if the wall is long enough and the unit is shallow. Look for depths around thirty five centimetres and keep the top surface disciplined so it does not become a dumping ground.