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The art and science of styling a sideboard, according to the best examples on Pinterest.
The best sideboard styling ideas tick a number of design boxes – first and foremost they should make a show of your most treasured accessories, create a harmonious balance of heights and colours, provide some modest storage opportunities, and work with the broader design language of your room.
With your excess bits and pieces hidden away in the internal storage, sideboard surfaces are a bit of an opportunity for self expression, and whilst there really are no hard and fast rules on what your should display, there are some design tricks for making everything look considered and arranged.
In looking for inspiration, Pinterest is a pretty unbeatable platform but with hundreds of billions of pins (we Googled it,) finding the best can be a laborious task. We've done the legwork, scouring the boards to find 16 of the best examples of sideboard styling.
A clever gallery wall has been made here with vinyl records, and the retro musical references have been mirrored in the Marshall speaker and guitar. This is definitely a vote for aligning the artwork on your gallery wall in an ordered manner.
Using a round mirror above a sideboard is a very common styling device to soften strict lines. Note too that the mirror sits over the panelling – this can be replicated with art or even whole gallery walls, you don't have to position everything above your panelling for it to make sense.
Shop: For an affordable dupe of the table lamp, try this one from B&Q.
Often, oversized pieces create more of a visual impact than lots of small accessories grouped together – and in fact it does a good job of framing a small collection. A few of these pieces are propped up on a little pile of books, which is a great way to add height to your sideboard styling.
Read more: 31 really useful hallway ideas from interior design experts
Trays are a really under-utilised organisational device. If you like your sideboard to be full of trinkets and treasured objects, contain them to a single tray. This will create a busy corner that draws the eye without taking up too much space.
Most stylists would recommend a real mixture of heights on your sideboard as uniformity can read as a bit contrived and clinical. The artwork has been hung particularly high here so as not to get lost behind the wonderful frothy plant. The replication of turquoise blue in the lampshade, vase and Country Living Kirkton Armchair ties everything together.
This mint green sideboard is lovely and modern, but certainly doesn't need to be matched with something of the same design era. The ornate mirror and traditional lamp shape provide a strong case for mixing old and new.
Read more: How to decorate a period living room
This slick floating sideboard is a blank canvas for the styling on top, which introduces rust tones and a wonderful cornflower blue. A buttercup yellow would make a great third addition.
Shop: For an affordable dupe of the striking blue table lamp, try this one from H&M.
Using a feature lamp is a failsafe styling device for your sideboards, so too is propping everything on coffee table books to manipulate heights. This is the viral Gioia Table Lamp by The Socialite Family that pops up in every stylish French home.
We love this clever cluster of candles on an eclectic mismatch of candlesticks – so original, and so easy to replicate in your own home.
Read more: 17 best sculptural candles holders
Mid-century sideboards tend to be made from a really rich oak, which could dictate your colour palette when styling. Here, accessories are kept in relatively dark shades aside from a pop of mustard yellow.
Often, propping up your artwork on your sideboard looks far more relaxed and stylish than creating a display above. Don't be afraid to layer your artworks, even if some are partially hidden – the overall effect will be a fabulous one.
Stripping a sideboard of colour can work well if you lean into something quite glamorous and a touch vintage. Black, gold and white are fairly failsafe – this feels appropriate for a more intimate space like the bedroom or a dressing corner.
A masterclass in block colours. White walls provide a clean base for bright primary colours, and a case here too for painting vintage or antique wooden sideboards.
The Gioia Table Lamp by The Socialite Family returns here in its white iteration. This sideboard styling feels quite personal, with unique treasures and trinkets – which is always a reliable formula. Heavy glass decanters are a great choice, as too is dried flowers.
This is a great template to follow if you want to create a gallery wall above your sideboard. Note that all the frames are different – this is a great rule to adopt in creating your own, whilst a central feature piece is surrounded by smaller works that pick up its blues, reds and browns.
Read more: How to create a gallery wall
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