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Writer's pictureEric WEILER

The sideboard family: history, functionality and elegance

Updated: Feb 27

Sideboards, the centerpieces of our dining rooms, are pieces of furniture with a history, whose use has evolved over the centuries.

Nestled in our dining spaces, they are a reflection of the art of living, a testimony to the history of furniture. Their evolution is marked by the balance between functional necessity and artistic expression.



The origins of sideboards

Formerly known as dressers or armoires, sideboards have their roots in French social traditions. Once a symbol of social status, they were highly elaborate and used to store and display dishes and other precious objects. Originally, these sturdy, functional pieces of furniture were reserved for reception rooms.

These imposing, often very long pieces of furniture, also known as "enfilades", can be found in the Louis-Philippe and Louis XVI-Directoire eras. The French regions also adapted these royal sideboards to a more country style, also known as rustic or charm, when the finish of the furniture added touches of soft colors.



Classic, contemporary or designer cabinets: a wide range of styles


Our sister brand, Maison GONTIER, began making these antique copies as early as 1920, and still produces them individually and 100% in solid wood. You can choose your wood stain and opt for 2, 3 or 4 doors, as well as tall sideboards or sideboards.

You'll also find more contemporary sideboards in oak, cherry and walnut with the CANNES collection. The 2 brands Mon Petit Meuble Français and GONTIER always use French sustainably managed wood species, but never melamine or laminated panels.

Wood is sometimes combined with metal, as here with a matt black lacquered steel base on the walnut sideboard. Black iron handles are used on the oak sideboard on the right.


Mon Petit Meuble Français, on the other hand, only offers designer sideboards in a very trendy, more refined Scandinavian style, enhanced by beautiful muted colors for the ÉGÉE collection.


The new sideboards: design and functionality


Today, the sideboard is at the heart of current living trends. The good old sideboard adapts to new, often smaller spaces, and to very different areas, from the kitchen to the bedroom. Its dimensions change for each room and each use.

Today's sideboard design has taken on a whole new technical dimension. At Mon Petit Meuble Français, Éric Gizard's innovative creations offer a range of new functionalities.

You can choose sideboards with doors only, or a combination of doors and drawers to suit your needs. Doors no longer have handles, and open with a simple push, thanks to "push-release" hinges that are more practical when your hands are encumbered.

The drawer fronts are also handleless and open with a simple push. The 2 specific runners allow you to press anywhere on the drawer front to open it.

The top drawer of the sideboards is lower than the other 2 drawers, and features removable dividers for storage of cutlery or placemats, for example.

You can take customization a step further, choosing the length and/or height to suit your everyday needs. For each sideboard, you can view the photo of the cabinet with the 11 colors and choose the one that looks best to you.

All in all, there are hundreds of combinations available to create a piece of furniture that perfectly matches your storage needs and your space.

All sideboard tops are in ash, so you can appreciate the beautiful grain of this wood every day, and use it to create attractive display trays.




Customized finishes


To help you choose your color, you can view them on our color chart or ask to receive a wood sample with the color you like before finalizing your project. Simply indicate the color you would like with your contact details in the contact form.

If you wish, we can produce a countertype of your preferred color based on a RAL reference, for example. The cost is €140, and you'll receive a unique piece of furniture that will fit in perfectly with your interior.






Take advantage of today's advances in door and drawer opening and closing technology to create a customized sideboard that's beautifully designed to meet all your storage needs!

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