Bespoke Cabinetry
Bespoke Sideboards
A sideboard is often the one substantial piece of furniture a dining room has to itself. We build them to the exact width of the wall, with an interior planned around what will actually go inside.
Sideboards, designed around the room
Most sideboards are made to a handful of standard widths and hope for the best against the wall they end up on. Building one to measure means the piece can run the full length available, or stop deliberately short of a socket or radiator, rather than being a compromise between too small and too large.
Inside, the layout follows what the sideboard needs to hold: adjustable shelving for china, felt or fabric-lined drawers for cutlery and linen, and space set aside for the glassware in daily use. Where drinks are kept in the sideboard rather than a separate bar, we can include bottle storage and a lined tray drawer without disturbing the rest of the layout.
A sideboard can be built as a fitted piece, scribed to the wall and skirting so it looks as though it grew there, or as a genuinely freestanding piece on legs or a plinth, finished on the back and sides so it can be moved or repositioned without exposing raw carcass. Our woven-fronted, brass-handled sideboard shown here is one of the freestanding kind — properly finished all round, standing forward of the wall rather than built into it.
Both approaches are made to the same standard in our workshop. The decision usually comes down to whether the room is settled for the long term, in which case a fitted piece makes fuller use of the space, or whether you want a piece of furniture that travels with you if you move house.
What can be included
01
Full-width construction
Built to the exact wall or alcove width available, rather than a standard sideboard size.
02
Adjustable interior shelving
Shelving set to the height of your china and serveware, adjustable as your collection changes.
03
Lined cutlery and linen drawers
Felt or fabric-lined drawers sized for cutlery trays, table linen and place settings.
04
Glassware storage
Shelving or racking for stemware and everyday glasses, positioned within easy reach.
05
Drinks and bottle storage
Optional bottle racking and a lined tray drawer where the sideboard also serves as a drinks cabinet.
06
Freestanding or fitted construction
Finished on all visible faces for a freestanding piece, or scribed to the wall and skirting for a fitted one.
07
Textured and upholstered fronts
Woven, leather or fabric-faced door panels for a softer front than plain timber or paint.
08
Handle and leg detailing
Brass, bronze or blackened steel handles, and a choice of plinth, block or slim metal legs.
09
Top surface options
Timber, stone or painted tops suited to daily serving use.
From our work
Every commission begins with a conversation about the room, how it is used and what needs to be stored or shown.
Built for the architecture you already have
- Wall widths
- The sideboard is set out to the full width of the wall or the space between doorways, rather than a stock size that leaves a gap.
- Chimney breasts and alcoves
- Where a sideboard sits within an alcove, depth and width are taken from that specific recess rather than an average.
- Skirtings and cornices
- A fitted sideboard is scribed to the skirting profile; a freestanding piece is set on legs or a plinth clear of it.
- Radiators and sockets
- Sideboard depth and back detailing are planned around any radiator or socket on the wall behind it.
- Circulation around the table
- Depth is checked against dining chairs pulled fully out, so the sideboard does not narrow the room's working space.
Materials & finishes
Specifications are developed with you during the design stage and sampled before anything is built. Not every option suits every commission, and we will say so where a material is the wrong choice for the room or the use.
Woven and textured door fronts
Fabric or rattan-effect panels set within a solid timber frame, as shown in our woven brass-handled piece.
Oak and walnut veneers
For carcasses, doors and tops, matched for grain across the full width.
Hand-painted timber
Sprayed and hand-finished frames in a colour matched to the room.
Solid timber and stone tops
Serving surfaces built to take daily use.
Fabric and felt-lined drawers
For cutlery, linen and delicate glassware.
Brushed brass and blackened steel
Handles, legs and trim detailing to suit the rest of the room.
Plinth, block and slim metal legs
Base options for a freestanding sideboard, chosen to suit the room's proportions.
Designed and built bespoke
We measure the wall, survey any radiator, socket or skirting behind it, and agree the interior layout before manufacture. Sideboards are built in our Derbyshire workshop and delivered and positioned by the team who built them, whether the finished piece is set against the wall or scribed permanently to it.
Read our full process
Sideboards — your questions answered
- Should a sideboard be fitted or freestanding?
- A freestanding sideboard suits a room you may change or a piece you want to take with you if you move; a fitted sideboard makes full use of an alcove and looks built-in permanently. Both are made to the same standard in our workshop — the choice depends on how settled you are in the room.
- Can a sideboard be built to match our dining table?
- Yes, we can work from the table itself or a sample of its finish to match timber tone and grain as closely as possible. An exact match to a factory-produced table is not always achievable, and we will tell you honestly what to expect before manufacture.
- How do you plan drinks and glassware storage inside a sideboard?
- We ask what you keep and how often you use it — everyday glasses in an accessible section, better glassware and bottles in a lined drawer or racked shelf. The layout is drawn around your belongings rather than a fixed template.
- Can lighting be fitted inside a sideboard?
- Yes, warm LED lighting can be built into glazed or open sections, usually on a dimmer, though many closed sideboards work perfectly well without it.
- Can you match the veneer to other furniture in the room?
- We can select and sequence veneer to sit as closely as possible to existing furniture, though natural timber varies piece to piece and an identical match cannot be guaranteed.
- What happens to a freestanding sideboard if we move house?
- It comes with you. A freestanding piece is finished on all visible faces, including the back, so it looks proper standing away from a wall in a new room rather than only against the one it was built for.
- What finishes are available for a sideboard?
- Hand-painted timber, oak or walnut veneer, and textured or upholstered door fronts such as the woven fabric panels shown here, each with a choice of brass, bronze or blackened steel hardware.
- How long does a bespoke sideboard take to make?
- Design usually takes a few weeks, followed by manufacture in our workshop. A freestanding piece is typically quicker to deliver than a fitted one, since there is no on-site scribing to allow for.
- Can a sideboard be built into an alcove?
- Yes, a fitted sideboard can be scribed to the width and depth of an alcove either side of a chimney breast, making fuller use of the recess than a standard freestanding piece would.
- Do you deliver and position the finished sideboard?
- Yes, delivery and positioning are carried out by the team who built the piece, whether it is a freestanding sideboard or one fitted permanently to the wall.
- What areas do you cover for bespoke sideboards?
- We design and build from our workshop in Coton in the Elms, Swadlincote, and deliver across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands.
- Can you build a pair of matching sideboards for a large room?
- Yes, a pair either side of a doorway or on opposite walls can be built to match, with the same veneer sequencing and hardware used across both pieces.
Related bespoke services
Bespoke Cabinetry
Alcoves, boot rooms, utilities, panelling and everything that does not fit a category.
Dining Room Cabinetry
China, glassware and drinks storage built into the dining room rather than left to freestanding furniture.
Living Room Cabinetry
A full wall of storage and display built to your room's proportions rather than assembled from separate pieces.
Display Cabinets
Glazed cabinetry sized and lit for what you actually want to display, not a generic showcase unit.
Home Bars
Bottle display, glassware, refrigeration and lighting in one properly detailed piece.
Banquette Seating
Fixed dining seating built into a dining room, snug or bay window, with storage beneath the cushion.
Room Dividers
Slatted timber screens and open cabinetry that zone a room without closing it off entirely.
Areas we work in
Everything is designed and built at our Derbyshire workshop and installed by our own team across the Midlands, including Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield, Birmingham, Burton upon Trent, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, Leicestershire.
Areas we coverSpeak to us about your project on 07542 822456 or send us the details.
Planning Something Bespoke?
Tell us about your space, what you're looking to create and where the project is located.