Sideboards & Console Tables

Sideboard or console table?

A sideboard is a storage piece: cupboards and drawers at roughly waist height, with a top for lamps, plates or photos. A console table is slimmer and mostly surface, with perhaps a drawer or an open shelf. Use a sideboard where you need to hide things away, and a console where you only need somewhere to drop keys or display a plant, such as a hallway or behind a sofa.

Choosing the right size

Measure the wall and leave space either side so the sideboard does not look wedged in. In a dining room, allow about 90cm between the sideboard and the back of the dining chairs so people can still walk past when someone is seated. Then decide how much storage you need:

• Compact sideboards, such as the Lancaster and Rowan compact models, suit alcoves and small dining rooms.
• Large and wide sideboards with three or four doors and a run of drawers give the most storage. Alice Springs, Naia and Pontypool all offer several configurations.
• Merchant chests and multi units, such as Lancaster, combine lots of small drawers with cupboards.
• Glazed sideboards with glass doors, such as Fribo, Chelsea Living, Cortina and Lyon, put your best glassware on show.

Useful extras

Some sideboards include a wine rack, such as Celesto and Rapallo. Others have built-in lighting, such as the Lyon LED sideboards and the Toronto models with plexi lighting. Alice Springs sideboards use push-to-open doors and drawers with no handles to catch on. The Jaxon stands are designed for a turntable and records.

Finishes

The range covers oak and walnut effect, high gloss, painted two-tone finishes, rattan effect, ceramic effect fronts, and console tables with glass, marble or metal details. Each product page lists exact materials and dimensions.

Pair a sideboard with the matching TV unit or dining table from the same range, shown in the range cards above. For a glass-fronted alternative see display cabinets, and for entrance halls see hallway furniture.