If we had to select a single piece of furniture as the ultimate storage device we’d be hard pushed to find anything better than the trusty sideboard. Not only can it work in any room, but it has a range of compartments for different needs.
However the common problem with such a useful item, that can be used to store almost anything, is all too often what’s behind closed doors and drawers is a chaotic jumble; and a black hole for the item you need at the time you need it.
To reduce the scrambling for lost items and in aid of protecting your finest wares from chips and cracks, we’ve decided to dedicate this post to helping you reap the benefits of what could be the most practical space in your home.
Extra storage devices to help
Once you understand the storage purpose of your sideboard, you can begin to categorise your items and assign them specific areas of the sideboard. Consider if items should be stored vertically or horizontally and think about any storage devices, liners and accessories that may fit your needs.
- Store valuable china in special padded storage cases – these zip-up accessories, come in a variety of sizes and help prevent chips and cracks, they also lock out moisture and dust.
- Upright racks are a good idea for more frequently used crockery and dinnerware, providing accessible storage.
- Protect your finest silver cutlery and line shallow drawers with cloth cut to size. Place utensils single file and facing up; add a box of chalk to absorb moisture and prevent tarnishing. You may also consider utensil trays to multiply the storage space, stacking them on top of one another.
- If you are using your sideboard to store glasses, consider a miniature steamware rack, which hooks onto a shelf, allowing you to store your wineglasses whilst leaving the shelf below free for trays or other low items.
- Lazy Susans are in our opinion just not used enough. Make storage easier by adding one into your sideboard. They make it simple to store and access heavy items such as teapots and jugs.
- Add a storage cube to hold small, easily damages nik naks such as salt and pepper shakers and sugar bowls; these can be bought from most kitchen stores.
Keep linen crinkle free
The last thing you need to be worrying about when you have guests coming is ironing linens for the table. Large table cloths, table runners and other linens can be rolled around cardboard tubes (those used for wrapping paper) to keep them neat and tidy.
And let’s not forget the napkins, you need a fair few when entertaining, so we’d suggest you save a drawer or two specifically for them; you can use adjustable dividers to create custom compartments for folded dinner napkins, cocktail napkins and napkin rings.
Protect the top
The top of a sideboard offers a whole extra surface, whether you wish to use it for serving from, as a display area or to add some light to a room (with the addition of lamps), protecting the top is important. You may wish to place a piece of tempered glass on top of use silver serving trays to hold items.
Alternatively you could use silver service trays to stand items on or choose a slab of natural stone to protect the top; a large stone cheese board is a perfect option.
Don’t forget bits n bobs
All the best sideboards have a miscellany of entertaining items, whether its bottle openers, toothpicks, corkscrews, umbrellas, a nutcracker, drink mats or after dinner mints and games, dedicating space for those bits that will aid you throughout the evening is a winner.
The recommendation
If you’re missing the ultimate storage device in your home or perhaps you need a new one, we recommend the
Hudson Oak 3 Drawer Sideboard.
But there’s no need to take our word for it, our customers rate it 5/5 with comments such as:
“Superb piece of furniture very pleased”
and
“Beautiful, better than I thought it would be”
1 comment
I have the Newark sideboard and TV console and I am extremely pleased with both items couldn’t gave chosen better beautiful items