A 110cm wide sideboard can do much more than store dinnerware and table linen. With a little planning, it can become a useful home for chargers, cables, remote controls, games consoles, headphones, speakers and everyday household technology.
Modern homes often have more devices than convenient places to keep them. Phones are charged on kitchen worktops, cables gather behind sofas and remote controls seem to disappear whenever they are needed. A well-organised sideboard provides discreet, accessible storage that helps keep technology close by without allowing it to take over the room.
Here are practical smart sideboard storage ideas for creating a more organised living room, dining room, home office or hallway.
Choose the Right Sideboard for Technology Storage
Before turning a sideboard into a tech hub, consider what you need it to store. A good layout will usually include cupboards for larger equipment, drawers for smaller accessories and enough surface space for a lamp, charging station or decorative display.
A 110cm wide sideboard is often large enough to provide useful storage without taking over the room. It can work well in a living room, dining room, hallway or open-plan space where you need to keep technology nearby but out of sight.
Look for features such as:
- Cupboards large enough for storage boxes, games or media equipment
- Drawers for remotes, chargers and smaller accessories
- A solid top surface for a lamp, charging tray or smart speaker
- Enough clearance around the furniture for doors and drawers to open fully
- A finish and design that works with the rest of the room
If you are primarily looking for furniture to support a television and media equipment, a purpose-designed TV unit may be the better choice. TV units are designed to accommodate screens and media accessories, and a unit that is wider than the television generally creates a safer, more balanced arrangement.[oakcastlefurniture.co.uk][oakcastlefurniture.co.uk]
Create a Neat Charging Station
A charging station is one of the easiest ways to make a sideboard more useful. Instead of leaving phones, tablets, cables and chargers scattered around the home, create one simple location where devices can be charged and stored.
Start with a good-quality extension lead or USB charging hub positioned safely near a suitable wall socket. Keep the unit accessible for inspection and avoid overloading it. Then use a drawer or cupboard section to contain the cables and devices.
A practical charging drawer or cupboard might hold:
- Phone and tablet charging cables
- USB charging plugs and multi-port charging hubs
- Power banks
- Wireless earbuds and headphones
- Smartwatch chargers
- Spare charging leads for guests
- A labelled box for unused or replacement cables
Use cable clips, reusable hook-and-loop ties or cable sleeves to stop wires becoming tangled. Small labelled pouches can also help you separate USB-C, Lightning and other charging cables.
Do not drill through a sideboard, alter electrical wiring or place loose extension leads where they may be trapped, damaged or exposed to heat. Keep chargers ventilated, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and avoid charging devices unattended for long periods.
Keep Cables and Accessories Out of Sight
Cables are often the most visible source of clutter in a living room or home office. A sideboard can help conceal them, but it is important to keep access straightforward and avoid packing equipment too tightly together.
Use the drawers for smaller accessories:
- Remote controls
- HDMI and charging cables
- Headphones and earbuds
- Spare batteries
- USB sticks and memory cards
- Instruction manuals and warranties
- Controller charging cables
- Laptop adapters
For cupboard storage, use baskets or lidded boxes to group related items. For example, one box can hold spare cables, another can be used for gaming accessories and another can contain camera equipment or travel adaptors.
A simple label on the inside of each box makes it easier for everyone in the household to find what they need. You do not need to label every cable individually; categories such as “charging”, “TV and media”, “travel” and “spares” are usually enough.
Organise a Living-Room Media Zone
A sideboard can be an excellent secondary storage piece in a living room. It can keep media accessories, games and entertainment essentials close to the sofa, while allowing the room to look calmer when they are not in use.
Use it to store:
- Board games and card games
- Games-console controllers and accessories
- Headphones
- Streaming-device remotes
- DVDs, Blu-rays or physical games
- Spare batteries
- Instruction manuals
- Small speakers and charging accessories
- Blankets, magazines and reading glasses
If the sideboard is near the television, use it for accessories rather than placing the TV on top unless the furniture is explicitly suitable for that purpose. A purpose-built oak TV unit is the better option when you need to support the screen itself, house a soundbar or accommodate a games console with regular ventilation needs.[oakcastlefurniture.co.uk]
Keep items you use frequently near the front of a drawer or shelf. Store occasional-use accessories, spare cables and old instruction manuals further back. This simple approach stops the main storage area from becoming cluttered.
Use Smart Lighting Thoughtfully
Lighting can make a sideboard both more practical and more attractive. A small table lamp on top creates a warm, layered light source in a dining room or living room, while rechargeable motion-sensor lights inside a cupboard can make it easier to find items without switching on the main room light.
Useful lighting ideas include:
- A table lamp for ambient light and a more inviting room
- Rechargeable motion-sensor lights inside dark cupboards
- Battery-powered LED puck lights for drawers or shelving
- A small smart bulb in a table lamp for timed or voice-controlled room lighting
- Warm-white lighting for a relaxed, natural look alongside oak furniture
Choose lighting that can be installed without damaging the furniture. Rechargeable or battery-powered cupboard lights are often the simplest option, as they can be attached with removable fixings and recharged when needed.
Avoid attaching lighting where cables will be pinched by doors or drawers. Never cover vents, chargers or electrical equipment with fabric, paper or other materials that could trap heat.
Add a Smart Speaker Without Adding Clutter
A smart speaker can be a useful addition to a sideboard in an open-plan kitchen, dining room or living space. It can provide music, timers, reminders and hands-free control of compatible lighting or smart-home devices.
Place it on the top of the sideboard rather than inside a cupboard. This gives it clearer sound and means voice controls are more likely to work reliably.
Keep the arrangement simple:
- Position the speaker away from the edge of the furniture
- Keep its power cable neat and safely routed
- Use a small tray nearby for any associated accessories
- Leave room for a lamp, plant or decorative object
- Avoid placing drinks directly beside electrical equipment
If the sideboard sits in a hallway, a compact smart speaker may also be useful for household reminders, music and voice-controlled lighting as you come and go.
Make a Digital Home-Admin Station
Technology storage does not have to be limited to entertainment. A sideboard can provide an excellent home-admin zone, especially in a dining room, kitchen or home office.
Reserve one drawer or cupboard section for practical household essentials:
- A laptop or tablet when not in use
- Chargers and power banks
- Files and important paperwork
- Printer paper and stationery
- A portable hard drive or USB storage
- A household calendar or notebook
- Spare ink cartridges and labels
- A basket for incoming post
Use a document organiser or labelled file box to separate bills, warranties, manuals and paperwork that needs action. Set aside ten minutes each week to clear the post tray and put documents in their proper place.
This prevents paperwork and chargers from spreading onto dining tables, kitchen worktops and coffee tables.
Style the Sideboard Around the Technology
A tech-friendly sideboard should still feel like part of your home, not an equipment cabinet. The key is to contain practical items inside and keep the top surface simple.
A good styling formula is:
- Create height with a mirror, framed print, table lamp or tall plant.
- Add warmth with a ceramic vase, books, candleholders or greenery.
- Contain loose items in one tray for remotes, keys, charging devices or coasters.
- Leave open space so the oak finish remains visible and the surface stays useful.
Oak works particularly well with woven baskets, linen, stoneware, clear glass, matte-black accessories and soft neutral colours. If your home is more contemporary, add contrast with black frames, smoked glass or a sleek lamp. For a softer look, choose cream ceramics, natural textures and leafy greenery.
For a wider choice of designs that combine hidden storage with natural warmth, explore our full collection of oak sideboards.
Keep Your Sideboard Tech Storage Safe and Useful
A tidy system is easier to maintain when every item has a place. Keep your most-used chargers and remotes within easy reach, but move old cables and rarely used accessories into labelled boxes or another storage area.
Use these simple rules:
- Keep electrical accessories dry, clean and well ventilated.
- Avoid overloading sockets and extension leads.
- Check cables regularly and replace any that are damaged.
- Keep chargers away from soft furnishings, paper and other materials that can trap heat.
- Store batteries safely and away from children.
- Recycle old chargers, batteries and electronics responsibly rather than leaving them in drawers indefinitely.
- Keep a small number of spare cables, not every cable you have ever owned.
By combining practical storage with sensible cable management, a 110cm sideboard can become a useful part of your everyday routine. It keeps technology accessible when you need it, concealed when you do not and integrated into your home without unnecessary clutter.
Find a Sideboard for Smarter Storage
A well-chosen sideboard can provide more than attractive dining-room storage. It can create a discreet charging station, organise household technology, reduce cable clutter and make your living space easier to manage.
Explore our selection of 110cm wide sideboards to find a practical oak storage solution for your home.
