by Erin Feith, Coordinator of Research & Visitor Engagement
February 3, 2026
With roots in the Middle Ages, sideboards have long been a household staple. Created to provide additional space, they stored any number of items associated with dining including plates, decanters, and silverware. Through the evolution of their design, sideboards reflected the shifts in social hierarchy spurred by technological advancements over time.
Sideboards arrived in the United States by the late 18th century. Produced by cabinetmakers, early American sideboards followed a simple design featuring a long, bare top that could extend up to seven feet in width. While several small drawers were typically found underneath, the emphasis was placed on the top surface. At that time, a room dedicated solely to dining was still uncommon for many, apart from the wealthiest in society, and sideboards typically needed to reflect the multi-purpose nature of the room in which they occupied. Therefore, though useful for storing dining accoutrements, it was necessary that they be stylistically suited to spaces that might otherwise function as a sitting room when not mealtime.
The design of sideboards experienced a shift in the 19th century as developments in technology led to an expansion of the middle class. With the greater ability to afford more space, dining rooms became an increasingly common room in homes, one that now required specialized furniture. Earlier simplicity was replaced by large, highly decorative sideboards that consisted of numerous compartments for storage and a solid back often ornately carved in crisp detail. They also grew taller, with built-in cabinets found underneath the top surface that extended to the floor. The display of one’s silver, glassware, and china further distinguished the sideboard as the centerpiece of the room, and indeed, by the close the century, it was the considered the best piece of furniture in the household.
Prominent sideboards continued to be popular through the start of the 20th century. By the 1930s, calls for simplistic décor and a rejection of the ostentation of putting belongings on exhibition led to the return of a more minimalistic design. Indicative of their adaptability to change, sideboards retain a place in the home today, recalling a time when they took center stage.
