Pick cube storage if you want flexible, open storage that can change with your needs, especially for toys, books, records or baskets of everyday clutter. Pick a sideboard if you want a grown up piece with closed doors and drawers, a useful top surface and a more finished look in a living or dining room. Put simply, cube units are about adaptability and access, while sideboards are about concealment and presence. Many homes end up using both, in different rooms.
Our modern storage furniture UK range covers both approaches, from modular cube units to low sideboards in wood, glass and high gloss finishes. Below we compare them in practical terms so you can see which suits each room in your home.
Cube storage is built from a grid of equal compartments, usually square, open at the front. You can leave the cubes open, add fabric or wicker inserts, or choose units with a mix of doors and open sections. The grid can sit horizontally as a low bench or vertically as a tall tower, depending on the design.
A sideboard is a long, low cabinet with doors, drawers or both. It developed as dining furniture for storing tableware and serving food, and it still carries that sense of formality. Modern sideboards appear in living rooms, hallways and bedrooms as well, holding everything from board games to spare linen.
Both pieces sit naturally among our wider living room furniture UK sale collection, but they bring very different characters to a room.
Cube units excel at quick access. Each compartment is easy to reach, and inserts can be pulled out like drawers. That makes them practical for items you use daily and need to grab quickly: children’s toys, craft supplies, shoes or vinyl records.
Sideboards offer deeper, enclosed storage. The cupboards behind closed doors can take bulky items, such as serving platters, table linen, games consoles or files, and the drawers keep small things organised. Because everything is hidden, a sideboard can hold a surprising amount while still looking tidy.
If you value order and want clutter out of sight, the sideboard usually wins. If you want things within easy reach and do not mind them showing, cube storage is often more convenient.
Cube units have a relaxed, casual character. They suit family rooms, playrooms, children’s bedrooms, studio flats and home offices. Filled with baskets in a single colour, they can look calm and coordinated. Left open with mixed contents, they can look busy.
Sideboards have a more composed presence. A well chosen sideboard can anchor a living room wall, sit beneath a mirror or artwork and act as a display surface for lamps, books and ceramics. They suit dining rooms, formal living rooms and hallways where you want the room to feel finished.
Our collection of modern sideboards UK includes walnut, oak, white and high gloss designs that work across both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Cube storage adapts well to changing needs. A unit that holds toys today can hold books, records or work files later. Some modular designs can be stacked or rearranged. Inserts can be swapped to change the colour scheme without replacing the furniture.
Sideboards are more fixed in function and style, but they tend to age well. A good quality sideboard often moves with you from one home to the next, shifting from dining room to living room to hallway as your needs change. It is more of a long term piece of furniture than a flexible storage system.
A sideboard is usually the stronger choice in a living room where you want a calm, finished look. Cube storage works if the room doubles as a family space and you need easy access to toys or games. Some households place a low cube unit under the window and a sideboard on the main wall.
Sideboards are the natural fit. They hold tableware, cutlery and linen, and the top surface is useful for serving. Cube units can work in a casual kitchen diner, but they rarely suit a more formal dining room.
Cube storage is a clear winner. Children can see where things go and put them away independently. Fabric inserts are soft and light, and low units keep everything within reach. Our range of childrens storage furniture UK includes cube designs suited to younger children. For more ideas, our guide to children’s bedroom storage furniture for UK family homes explores practical layouts.
A narrow sideboard in a hallway gives you a surface for keys and post, with hidden storage for gloves, scarves and dog leads. Cube units can work for shoe storage, with one pair per compartment, but they need enough depth to stop shoes sticking out.
Cube storage suits home offices well, holding box files, printer paper and stationery in baskets. A sideboard can work too, especially in a dual purpose room, as it hides work clutter at the end of the day.
Cube units are often shallower than sideboards, with depths typically around 30 to 40 cm. They can also be taller, which saves floor space in smaller rooms. Sideboards are usually deeper, often 40 to 50 cm, and longer, which gives them their capacity but also means they need a decent stretch of wall.
Measure the wall and the walkway in front. Remember that sideboard doors need room to open, so allow extra clearance in front of the unit. Cube inserts slide out but need less space to use.
Cube storage looks best when it is edited. Choose inserts in one or two colours, leave a few cubes open for books or a plant, and avoid filling every compartment with mixed items. A low cube unit can also take a few framed prints or a lamp on top.
Sideboards suit a composed arrangement on top: a lamp at one end, a stack of books or a bowl at the other, and a mirror or artwork above. Our guide to matching TV units with sideboards in UK living rooms is useful if you are placing a sideboard near a TV wall.
Cube units vary widely in construction. Lighter designs made from thin board are fine for soft toys and paperbacks but can sag under heavy loads such as vinyl records or large books. If you plan to store heavier items, look for thicker panels, a solid back and a stated load per compartment. Fixing tall cube towers to the wall is important, as they can become top heavy when filled.
Sideboards are generally more substantial pieces, with doors, hinges and drawer runners that see daily use. Check how the drawers run, whether doors close softly and how the top surface is finished. A sideboard is often a long term purchase, so build quality matters more over the years than it might for a flexible storage unit you could replace later.
Cube units and sideboards can work side by side in larger rooms. One effective arrangement is a sideboard on the main wall, styled with a lamp and artwork, and a low cube unit beneath a window or behind the sofa for books and baskets. Choosing the same finish for both, such as white or oak, helps them feel related rather than competing.
In a kitchen diner, a sideboard can hold tableware at the dining end while a cube unit by the back door takes shoes, bags and recycling. Each piece then does the job it is suited to, and neither has to stretch beyond its strengths.
Ask what you need to store, who will use it and how you want the room to feel. If you want open, flexible storage that children can manage, choose cube units. If you want a calm, finished room with hidden storage and a display surface, choose a sideboard. If you have room for both, use each where it fits best.
We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, and Returns are available up to 30 days. You can browse cube storage, sideboards and the rest of our storage range at Furniture in Fashion.
A tall cube unit saves floor space, while a slim sideboard gives a more finished look. In very small rooms, a shallow sideboard or a low cube unit under a window are both good options.
Yes, if it is edited carefully. Use inserts in one or two colours, leave a few cubes open for books or plants and keep the top styled simply.
No. Sideboards work in living rooms, hallways, bedrooms and home offices, wherever you want closed storage and a useful top surface.
Cube storage, especially low units with fabric inserts. Children can see where things go and tidy up without needing to open heavy doors.
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