Chest of Drawers or Sideboard? Differences and Decision Guide

May 31, 2026

A chest of drawers is a tall piece of furniture, usually equipped with drawers, whereas a sideboard is wider than it is tall and predominantly features doors.

When planning a room and assembling furniture, DIYers often face the question of which cabinet unit is the right choice for the available floor plan. Both types of furniture provide storage, but they differ fundamentally in their construction, required footprint, and assembly effort. This guide breaks down the technical and functional differences to help you decide on your next assembly project.

What is a Chest of Drawers?

The classic chest of drawers is vertically aligned. It utilises room height to create storage on a relatively small footprint. Traditionally, it is primarily equipped with drawers, whilst modern variants often combine these with one or two narrow doors.

Because it builds upwards, a chest of drawers is the ideal piece of furniture for narrow wall sections. When space is limited, many opt for models that are merely 30 cm or 35 cm deep. These dimensions allow the furniture to be placed even in tight hallways or small bedrooms without obstructing walkways. When self-assembling, carcasses are usually made from melamine-faced chipboard or MDF, finished with various surfaces such as a white, black, or anthracite decor.

What is a Sideboard?

A sideboard is horizontally aligned. It is significantly wider than it is tall and offers an elongated top surface that is often used for decoration, lamps, or as a base for entertainment electronics. Typical widths range from 100 cm to over 200 cm.

In contrast to a chest of drawers, storage space in a sideboard is mainly realised through doors and shelves. Drawers are, if present at all, only integrated as a supplementary element in the upper area or in the centre. A living room cabinet with plenty of storage in the form of a sideboard requires a long, uninterrupted wall space. A long sideboard acts like an optical horizon line in a room – it stretches the wall horizontally and creates a calming spatial effect.

Overview of Core Differences

To simplify the choice from a technical and planning perspective, the differences can be divided into four main categories:

Proportions and dimensions: Chests of drawers grow in height (often 80 cm - 120 cm high) with a smaller width (e.g. 70 cm or 100 cm). Sideboards remain low (mostly 70 cm - 90 cm high), but extend in width (often 120 cm - 200 cm).
Storage concept: The chest of drawers organises smaller items using drawers that run on a single-extension runner or full-extension runner. The sideboard arranges larger objects behind doors on shelves supported by a shelf support.
Top panel: The surface of a chest of drawers is compact and square to slightly rectangular. The top panel of a sideboard is long and continuous, which often requires a second person when assembling chests of drawers & sideboards to prevent the panel from snapping.
Hardware technology: When assembling a chest of drawers, the focus is on screwing in drawer runners. With a sideboard, concealed hinges dominate for door mounting.

Room Planning: Which Dimension Fits Where?

The choice between the two pieces of furniture depends significantly on room dimensions.

In entrance areas or narrow hallways, depth is the decisive factor. A cabinet unit that is 30 cm deep or 35 cm deep does not obstruct passing traffic. This is where a chest of drawers plays to its strengths, as it compensates for the lack of depth with its height.

In living areas, space is often more generous. A living room chest of drawers can serve as an addition to a modern wall unit. However, the choice in the living room more frequently falls on the sideboard. A model that is 100 cm wide or wider is ideal as TV furniture. The low height places the television at an ergonomic viewing level from the sofa, whilst the depth (often 40 cm - 50 cm) provides ample space for receivers and cable routing.

Colour design also influences spatial perception. A solid-looking piece of furniture in black or anthracite exerts a stronger visual presence in the room than a white decor or a light wood finish.

Assembly and DIY: What DIY Enthusiasts Need to Know

Assembling both furniture types requires a systematic approach, but differs in the details.

Required Tools

For assembling panel-based furniture, a solid basic toolkit is usually sufficient:

Cordless screwdriver with matching bits (usually PZ or TX)
Manual screwdriver for fine adjustments
Rubber mallet for wooden dowels
Spirit level for alignment

Assembling a Chest of Drawers

The challenge when building a chest of drawers lies in the number of components. Each drawer consists of four frame parts, a base, and the front. Added to this are the drawer runners. The most crucial assembly step: runners must be screwed to the inside of the carcass walls before the carcass itself is assembled. Once the walls are fixed together using cam lock fittings or wood screws and furniture screws, the space for a cordless screwdriver becomes too tight. The alignment of drawer fronts is usually done via slotted holes in the front fixings.

Assembling a Sideboard

A sideboard consists of fewer small-scale elements, but the components are larger and heavier. The base panel and the top panel can easily sag on models from 150 cm in width, or break when lifted if not supported at the correct angle. The technical diligence with a sideboard is adjusting the doors. Modern furniture uses System 32 line drilling. Hinges are usually mounted as full overlay (for outer doors) or half overlay (for doors sharing a central partition). After hanging the doors, they must be precisely adjusted in height, depth, and overlay using the three adjustment screws on the hinge arm to achieve an even gap reveal.

Customisation Through Fittings

Flat-pack furniture straight out of the box often does not match personal preferences 100%. With a few adjustments, both chests of drawers and sideboards can be technically and visually enhanced.

Feet: If the furniture is too low or requires a lighter look, standard glides can be replaced with taller furniture legs. For uneven floors in older properties, height-adjustable feet with an M8 thread are recommended.
Damping: Slamming doors are disruptive. If the supplied hinges do not feature integrated soft-close, door dampers can be retrofitted. These are either clipped onto the hinge or drilled directly into the carcass side as an independent component.
Handles: The look of plain white or wood-coloured furniture can be completely transformed by replacing the handles. Modern furniture handles in brushed metal or matt black aluminium significantly enhance melamine-coated fronts. Pay attention to standard drill hole centres (e.g. 96 mm, 128 mm, or 160 mm).

Decision Guide: When to Choose Which?

The decision becomes easier once you define the specific intended use:

Choose a chest of drawers if:

The available wall space is narrow (under 100 cm).
The room is tight and a shallow depth (30 cm - 35 cm) is strictly necessary.
Many small items (socks, paperwork, cables, cutlery) need to be organised and kept dust-free.
You want to make better use of vertical wall space.

Choose a sideboard if:

A long, free wall (from 120 cm) is available.
The furniture is intended as a base for a TV or audio system.
Large, bulky items (box files, vases, crockery, board games) need storing.
You want to stretch the room horizontally without making it feel overwhelmed by tall units.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I use a standard chest of drawers as TV furniture? That is technically possible, but often ergonomically disadvantageous. Chests of drawers are usually between 80 cm and 120 cm high. If the television is placed on top, you will constantly have to tilt your neck back when seated on the sofa. Furthermore, they often lack the depth required for large TV sets to stand securely. A sideboard is the better choice here.

How do I properly align the doors on a sideboard? Alignment is done via the concealed hinge. The front screw on the hinge arm regulates the lateral gap between doors (side adjustment). The rear screw loosens the fixing to push the door closer to or further away from the carcass (depth adjustment). The screws on the mounting plate on the carcass wall provide height adjustment.

What depth is ideal for narrow hallways? For tight corridors, furniture should be a maximum of 30 cm to 35 cm deep. At this depth, shoes (often placed at an angle) or hats and scarves can still be accommodated easily without blocking the hallway.

Why do the drawers of my chest stick after assembly? This is usually caused by a carcass that is out of square. If the back panel is nailed on without first aligning the unit exactly to a 90-degree angle using a spirit level or set square, the frame twists. The drawer runners will then not run parallel, causing the drawer to stick.