BH | Studio Brecon 4-Door Sideboard

The sideboard took shape in English dining rooms of the late eighteenth century, when cabinetmakers gave the serving table cupboards and drawers so that plates, glasses and linen could live in the room where they were used. It has been the working heart of the dining room ever since.

This one has a long, quiet case of wood veneer in a mid walnut tone, raised on a slim frame of solid hardwood legs so it stands clear of the floor and looks lighter than its size. Four doors open on round wooden knobs, and soft-close hinges bring them shut gently, with no bang when the house is asleep. Behind them are two compartments, each with a shelf that sets at one of three heights, so tall pitchers and short stacks of plates both find a place. The top is rated to hold 176 lbs and each shelf 44 lbs. Assembly is required.

Long enough to span a dining room wall, it keeps serving dishes, table linens and the good glasses where the meal happens, with a pair of lamps and a bowl of pears on top. Beneath a wall-hung screen it keeps games and remotes out of sight, and in a wide hall it makes a handsome entry cabinet. Warm wood looks rich with a big landscape painting above and a sage wall.