A 70cm wide sideboard can be a smart storage addition to a compact home office. Its smaller footprint makes it useful for keeping files, stationery, printer supplies, chargers and work equipment close by, while closed drawers and cupboards help the room feel tidy once the working day is over.
It is not a replacement for a properly sized desk, ergonomic chair or dedicated TV/media unit. However, it can work very well as a printer station, filing cabinet alternative, household-admin hub or storage cabinet beside a desk.
The original article has useful office-storage ideas, but it recommends drilling into furniture, running power strips inside cupboards, storing networking equipment in enclosed spaces and using a sideboard as a standing desk without considering cable safety, ventilation or ergonomic working height. This rewrite keeps the useful storage advice while replacing those recommendations with safer, more practical options.
Why a 70cm Sideboard Works in a Home Office
A 70cm-wide sideboard can provide useful enclosed storage without taking up the wall space of a wider cabinet. It can be particularly practical in a home office created from a spare bedroom, dining-room corner, living-room alcove or compact flat.
A smaller sideboard can help you store:
- Printer paper and ink cartridges
- Files and important documents
- Notebooks, pens and stationery
- Chargers, cables and headphones
- Laptop accessories
- External hard drives and USB storage
- Household paperwork and post
- Craft or hobby supplies
- Video-call accessories
- A small printer or scanner, if the product dimensions and weight are suitable
The main advantage is that it helps keep work equipment out of sight. This is especially helpful when your desk is in a shared living space and you want the room to feel less like an office at the end of the day.
The existing 70cm-wide-sideboard collection is positioned for compact living, while the original article correctly identifies the format as a useful storage solution for a smaller home office.
Measure the Office Space First
A compact sideboard can still make a small home office feel cramped if it reduces the route between the desk, chair and doorway.
Before choosing a 70cm sideboard, measure:
- The available wall width
- The maximum furniture depth before it enters a walkway
- Space behind your office chair when you move it back
- Clearance for cupboard doors and drawers
- The distance from nearby radiators, windows and plug sockets
- Access to the desk, printer and storage
- Door swings and routes through the room
- Hallway, stair and doorway space for delivery
A 70cm-wide cabinet may fit neatly beside a desk or beneath a clear section of wall, but depth is equally important. If the sideboard projects too far into the room, it can make a home office uncomfortable to use.
Mark the footprint on the floor with masking tape or cardboard before ordering. This gives you a realistic sense of the remaining floor space and helps avoid buying furniture that looks compact online but feels bulky in the room.
Use It as a Printer Station
A sideboard can work well as a printer station, provided the top is large and stable enough for the specific printer and there is safe access to a suitable wall socket.
A printer station can help keep work equipment in one place:
- Place the printer on top, leaving space around it for loading paper and accessing controls.
- Store printer paper in a cupboard or lower drawer.
- Keep spare ink or toner in a labelled box.
- Use a tray for printed documents that need filing or action.
- Store envelopes, labels and other supplies in a drawer.
- Keep a recycling folder for draft printouts or paper that can be reused.
Before placing a printer on a sideboard, check the printer’s footprint, weight and ventilation needs. Leave enough space to open paper trays, replace cartridges and remove jammed paper without moving the furniture.
Do not position the printer beside a water-filled vase, drinks station or other source of moisture. Keep cables routed safely behind the furniture and avoid trapping them beneath drawers, cupboard doors or furniture legs.
Create a Filing and Paperwork System
A sideboard can be a useful alternative to a traditional filing cabinet, especially when you need storage that blends into a dining room, living room or bedroom rather than looking overtly office-like.
Use drawers or cupboards for:
- Tax records and business paperwork
- Household bills and insurance documents
- Product manuals and warranties
- Client paperwork and project files
- Receipts and invoices
- Notebooks and meeting notes
- Postal supplies, stamps and labels
- Spare printer paper
Use file boxes, document wallets or magazine files inside the cabinet to create simple categories. For example:
| Storage zone | Suggested use |
|---|---|
| Top drawer | Pens, notebooks, stamps, chargers and daily admin |
| Second drawer | Current projects, invoices and paperwork requiring action |
| Cupboard shelf | File boxes for tax, insurance, warranties and archived records |
| Lower shelf | Printer paper, folders, storage boxes and bulk office supplies |
| Top surface | An inbox tray for incoming post and documents to process |
Avoid allowing important paperwork to collect in loose piles. Use one “action” tray for items that need attention, then sort it once or twice a week into files, recycling or a task list.
Organise Chargers and Tech Accessories Safely
Cables and charging accessories can make a home office feel untidy quickly. A sideboard drawer or cupboard can help contain them, but technology storage should remain safe, accessible and well ventilated.
Use drawers for:
- Charging cables
- Headphones and earbuds
- Laptop adapters
- USB drives and memory cards
- Power banks
- Spare batteries
- Webcams, microphones and video-call accessories
- External hard drives when not in use
Use small labelled pouches, fabric boxes or drawer dividers to separate different types of cables. Categories such as “charging,” “laptop,” “audio,” “camera” and “spares” are easier to maintain than one large cable drawer.
For active charging, use a quality charging hub or extension lead connected to an appropriate wall socket, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep chargers accessible and ventilated, do not overload sockets and avoid charging devices inside a tightly enclosed cupboard.
Do not drill holes into a sideboard for cable management unless the furniture is specifically designed for that purpose and the work can be carried out safely. A safer option is to run cables neatly behind the furniture using removable cable clips, reusable hook-and-loop ties or cable sleeves.
The original article recommends drilling cable holes and keeping power strips inside the sideboard. That may create avoidable safety and ventilation problems, so it is better to keep electrical connections accessible and follow the instructions supplied with each device.
Create Zones for Better Focus
A sideboard can help you divide a home office into practical zones. This is particularly useful if your workspace shares a room with dining, sleeping or living areas.
Create a simple system:
- Desk zone: Laptop, monitor, keyboard, working notebook and daily essentials
- Current-work zone: Files, paperwork and tools needed this week
- Reference-storage zone: Manuals, archived paperwork and less-used equipment
- Household-admin zone: Post, bills, warranty documents and personal paperwork
- Technology zone: Chargers, cables, headphones and accessories
- Personal zone: Water bottle, a small plant, photographs or decorative objects
A sideboard helps keep these zones separate. Instead of leaving everything on the desk, return items to their designated drawer, box or cupboard section at the end of the day.
This makes it easier to begin work the next morning and allows a shared room to return to normal use more quickly.
Use the Top as a Practical Work Surface
The top of a compact sideboard can support a printer, document tray, lamp or a few personal decorative objects. It can also provide a useful temporary surface for sorting post, preparing paperwork or setting down a laptop bag.
However, avoid turning it into a permanent second desk. A sideboard is not usually designed around desk-height ergonomics, and working for long periods while standing at it may place your screen, keyboard and wrists at an uncomfortable height.
Use the top for:
- A printer or scanner
- An inbox tray
- A desk lamp
- A small plant
- A framed certificate or artwork
- A water bottle on a coaster
- A charging tray for devices not actively charging
- A small bowl for paperclips or everyday stationery
Keep enough free space to access the printer or sort documents. If the top becomes covered with equipment, paperwork and decorative objects, the room can start to feel cluttered again.
Add Storage Without Making the Room Feel Like an Office
A home office should still feel comfortable, especially if it is in a bedroom, dining room or living area. An oak sideboard can help soften the appearance of work equipment through natural materials and closed storage.
Style it simply:
- Add a table lamp for softer evening light.
- Hang one framed print or mirror above it.
- Use a small plant or vase to add greenery.
- Keep a tray for incoming paperwork.
- Use matching storage boxes or file holders inside cupboards.
- Choose one or two personal photographs rather than filling the surface.
- Keep visible cables to a minimum.
If your sideboard is in a living room or dining area, use storage boxes or baskets that match the room rather than office-branded plastic containers. Woven baskets, linen boxes, black metal trays and simple wooden organisers can all look more integrated.
Use It in a Shared Space
A 70cm sideboard is especially helpful when your office is not a dedicated room. It can provide a clear boundary between work and home life.
Dining-Room Office
Use the sideboard to store laptop accessories, paperwork and printer supplies. At the end of the day, clear the dining table and return work items to the drawers or cupboards.
Living-Room Office Corner
Place the sideboard near the desk or wall-mounted monitor. Use it for equipment, files and cables, then style the top with a lamp and artwork so it feels like part of the living room.
Spare-Bedroom Office
Use it as storage beside a desk, or as a printer and paperwork station. Keep the drawers organised so the room can still function as a guest space when needed.
Hallway or Landing Workspace
In a larger hallway or landing, a compact sideboard can provide storage for stationery, post and household admin. Keep the top minimal to preserve a clear route through the area.
Consider Alternatives for Specific Needs
A sideboard is versatile, but it is not always the best furniture choice for every office task.
| Your main need | Better furniture option |
|---|---|
| Full-time desk work | A properly sized desk with ergonomic chair |
| Television or games console | A purpose-designed TV unit with suitable cable management and ventilation |
| Large quantities of hanging files | A dedicated filing cabinet or purpose-designed office storage |
| Books, manuals and display items | A bookcase or shelving unit |
| Frequent printing and scanning | A printer stand or office cabinet designed for the printer dimensions |
| Small home-office storage | A compact sideboard, chest of drawers or cupboard |
The best office arrangement often combines a desk for work, a supportive chair for comfort and a sideboard for discreet storage.
Keep Office Storage Organised
A sideboard will only make the office feel calmer if its contents are organised and maintained.
Use these habits:
- Put equipment back after use.
- Keep daily items in the top drawer or front of cupboards.
- Label file boxes and storage containers.
- Sort incoming post once or twice a week.
- Archive older paperwork regularly.
- Recycle outdated documents and packaging.
- Keep only a small number of spare cables.
- Review what is inside each season.
- Avoid filling every cupboard to maximum capacity.
Leave some empty space inside the cabinet. This makes it easier to access items and prevents the sideboard from becoming a hidden collection point for things that do not have a proper home.
Find a Compact Sideboard for Your Home Office
A 70cm-wide sideboard can provide useful, flexible storage for a smaller home office. It can organise files, printer supplies, chargers and household admin while helping a shared room feel tidier and more settled at the end of the day.
Choose a size that fits the room, a storage layout that matches the items you need close by and a finish that works with your wider décor.
Explore our range of 70cm wide sideboards and small oak sideboards to find compact storage for your home office.
