How To Decorate a Sideboard
Sideboards and buffets are a great addition to the furniture in the house. They provide extra storage space and are compact enough to be placed on the sides of the room. The rest of the furniture in your living room or dining area takes centre stage while the sideboard or buffet remains on the side and makes the room look a bit more complete. However, decorating them proves to be a challenging task especially when you’re not sure which style you are going to go with. As part of this article, we will be covering the different ways that you can style your sideboards, starting with just simply stacking them up.
Stack ‘em up!
When we talk about stacking, we are referring to books. A stack of a few books would always look good on top of a sideboard placed in the living room. However, make sure that you choose the right kind of book. You can’t just place any books on top of the sideboard and call it decoration.
Hardcovers look great and stack up great as well. But choose hardcovers that are either similar in colours or are a complete contrast. Stacking the books vertically always works best however, if you are using coffee table books that are slightly larger in size, you can stack them horizontally. With horizontal stacking, do not go beyond 2-3 books depending on their thickness. Additionally, stacking books using bookends works beautifully.
Trays
As mentioned before, sideboards and buffets were used to place serving dishes and trays of drinks in the 19th Century. While we’re not in the 19th Century anymore, we can still use trays as a way to decorate the sideboard. Instead of placing drinks in the tray, you can use a combination of items. Candles, diffusers, succulents, etc., are a few things that can go in these trays.
Play with height and materials. Antique trays with metal cups paired with fresh fruit or artificial fruit is a good combination. Moreover, if you have a traditional-looking tea set, you can decorate the buffet in your dining room or even the living room with it.
Decorate around it!
Sideboard decoration is not all about the things you place on top of it. It is a piece of furniture that is said to add something more to the room. So, you can make it decorative and have it stand out by brightening up the surroundings.
Lights
Lights are a great way to enhance the look of any type of furniture. Whether it is a simple lamp, a single bulb or a chandelier, it can make all the difference. This being said, decorating your sideboard with lights does not mean placing a whole bunch of string lights on top. You can simply have a small lamp with low lighting placed on top or a tall lamp standing right next to it. The low lighting would provide enough light to enhance the features of the sideboard and not take the focus away from the rest of the room’s furniture.
Mirror Mirror on the Wall
Mirrors can always transform the look of a room, a corner or a piece of furniture. Whether it is a tiny mirror or a full-length one, it can capture one’s attention. So, look for mirrors with attractive frames and place them above the sideboard. With mirrors, you can do a lot.
There are different types of styles and designs available in mirrors. If you want that rusted antique look, it is not hard to find an antique mirror. You can also make things simple and go for a small mirror with a dramatic frame. The shape of the mirror also makes a lot of difference. If you have a big room with enough space for a big sideboard, we recommend going for a rectangular mirror For smaller spaces, round mirrors are great as the shape makes it more flattering in a smaller space.
Art Deco
When it comes to sideboard decor, wall art and paintings are great options. Keep in mind, that you can’t have too many things placed on top of the sideboard in this scenario. The centre of attention is the piece of art you place above the sideboard. We recommend using framed paintings or canvases that are big but do not exceed the length of the sideboard. Instead, you could go for frames that are slightly smaller than the length of the sideboard. You can also play with shapes, so if your sideboard is rectangular then the painting above it can be square-shaped.
Overlapping Art
Using a still life painting as decoration in dining areas is quite a popular trend. But overlapping it with real-life items is even more popular. Recreating the still life painting on the surface of a sideboard gives a unique 3-D effect. Say the painting you are using has a pear in a bowl and a flower vase – just place a similar-looking bowl with pears in it and a flower vase with the same flower in it.
Made For Each Other
If your living or dining room has a very set style and you don’t want to steer away from it just because you have a sideboard in the room, blend it in. Sideboards and buffets should always be similar to the rest of the furniture in the room. To completely make them a part of the room, place accessories on and around it that make them blend in with everything.
For example, if you have a sideboard made of reclaimed wood and has multiple colours in it; place accessories of similar colours on top of it and maybe place a mirror with a reclaimed wood frame above it. Furthermore, you can add those different colours all around the room with cushions, runners, table covers, etc.
