Sideboards (furniture)

Rather low, wide case pieces on legs with cupboard space beneath. They are placed along the wall of a dining room and used for storage, serving, and displaying plate and other precious tableware. Early pieces were often simply a board on legs placed near the dining table. By the 17th century sideboards were being designed with a cupboard or drawers beneath a flat table surface. The top was higher than a standard table, allowing the plate on display to be seen easily, as well as making the food more conveniently accessible to a standing person. Victorian sideboards often had levels or shelves above the primary surface, in order to create more space for displaying tableware. "Dressers (cupboards)" may be similar in design and function, but were typically found in kitchens rather than dining rooms. For side tables used along the walls of dining rooms, use "sideboard tables."