In the quest to create homes that are warm and practical, many of us choose to merge the dining room and kitchen into one. When you want to define a separate dining space within your kitchen, there isn’t only the table and chairs to think about, there’s the sideboard as well. A kitchen sideboard can simplify your dining experience by providing storage for linens, flatware, and cutlery, and also serving as an area for placing dishes of food or drinks.

However, this piece of furniture can be a lot more than just a practical addition. In a room where there aren’t many opportunities to add decorative accents, a stylish sideboard can serve as an interesting focal point that transforms the space. With that being said, it’s important to pick a design that will complement your home’s existing style. For instance, a sleek-lined, polished black buffet can beautifully enhance an urban-contemporary kitchen, whereas cosy and airy spaces call for French country or Hamptons-style kitchen sideboards in a milk white finish.

Additionally, there are also other factors to consider when choosing a sideboard. Like for instance, whether you want open or closed storage. A sideboard with open shelving feels lighter in the room as opposed to a heavy, closed piece. If you want to display your fine china or other decorative touches, a sideboard with open shelving is the perfect way to do so. A closed piece, on the other hand, can be more practical as you don’t have to worry about storing the items nicely. Alternatively, you can opt for glass doors as a way to compromise between open and closed shelving.

But no matter what style of sideboard you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s proportionate with everything else in the room. A bulky buffet accompanying a small table will look out of place, as will a small buffet with a very large table. With that being said, make sure to check whether these two pieces work well together. An unwritten rule is that the sideboard should be a bit higher than the dining room table and positioned near its end.

Additionally, when their surface is not in use, kitchen sideboards are perfect for displaying pretty objects such as lamps, plants or other ornaments. When decorating your sideboard, try to stick to thematically selected objects, like for instance items with a connection to the sea for a coastal theme. If you position the sideboard next to a wall, you can boost its decorative effect by creating a gallery wall right above it. By using artwork with complementing colours and frames you can achieve a nicely balanced look.