A sideboard, also called a buffet, typically consists of shallow drawers over cabinets.
Designed to hold china, flatware, linens and other necessities for entertaining, such as matches, bottle openers and coasters, this piece of furniture can be one of the most practical in the house.
But often what’s behind closed doors is a chaotic jumble. As the holiday season approaches, the following ideas will help make the most of this indispensable cupboard and its contents.
Getting started
Remove everything from the sideboard. Relocate items not used when entertaining or setting the table. Give away, or donate to charity, any pieces you no longer want. Make a list of any missing or damaged items that need replacing. Vacuum and wipe down the interior.
Create categories for those items that you will return to the sideboard, and assign them to specific drawers and cabinets. It may be helpful to make a list or create a rough sketch.
Reinforce any wobbly shelves with brackets. Test drawers to make certain they open and close smoothly. Line shelves with cushioned nonskid liners to protect delicate pieces.
Following the strategies below, purchase whatever storage devices, liners and accessories fit your needs. Remember to measure your sideboard’s interior and exterior before heading to the store.
Clean and polish items before returning them to your sideboard.
China
To prevent breakage and facilitate access, space out china generously and keep the stacks short. If you don’t have a lot of room, separate stacks with risers. Here are two ways to store dishes safely:
Place china reserved for special occasions in quilted storage cases (available at kitchen- and bath-supply stores) to prevent chipping and lock out moisture.
Store dinnerware used more frequently in plate carriers. They keep dishes accessible and can be brought directly to the table to make setting it easier. Place felt dividers between the dishes to provide additional protection.
Flatware
To reduce the amount of polishing sterling-silver and silver-plate pieces require, store them in anti-tarnish cloth — a soft treated fabric that maintains their polished finish. It’s available ready-made as bags and sleeves or by the yard. Use one of these strategies for silverware.
If you’re tight on space, make utensil trays stackable by adding rubber bumpers to the corners. Attach drawer pulls to the sides and labels framed with metal plates to the front. Before placing silverware in the trays, wrap it in labeled anti-tarnish-cloth rolls for easy identification and protection.
For the finest silver flatware, line shallow drawers with anti-tarnish cloth cut to size. Place the utensils single file, facing up. Add a box of chalk to absorb moisture and help maintain their shine.
Silver pieces
Use lazy Susans to store infrequently used or heavy items, such as pitchers and teapots. Wrap silver pieces in anti-tarnish cloth bags.
Store smaller, delicate items, such as salt and pepper shakers and sugar bowls, in a wooden storage cube with drawers — the kind often used in closets — nested within the sideboard. Line the drawers with anti-tarnish cloth if the contents require it.
Glasses
Store glasses upright and in widely spaced rows on a nonskid liner.
To store wineglasses, use an overhead stemware rack designed to hook onto a shelf. Keep trays, platters or other flat items on the shelf below.
Table linens
Use adjustable drawer dividers to create compartments for cocktail napkins and napkin rings in one drawer and neatly folded and stacked dinner napkins in another.
To keep tablecloths from becoming wrinkled, roll them around cardboard tubing (the kind used for wrapping paper). You may need to fold the linen lengthwise first. Use the same technique for table runners, but use paper-towel tubes instead. Place the rolled cloths in a basket or a box, with protective acid-free paper on top, and store it in one of the cabinets.
Serving platters
Store large trays and platters against the back wall of the cabinet, behind a pair of expandable cafe curtain tension rods: one near the top of the space and one near the bottom.
Keep smaller trays and trivets in a vertical plate stand, available at kitchen-supply stores.
Utility drawers
Dedicate a drawer for miscellaneous items needed for setting the table and serving the meal, such as bottle openers, corkscrews, floral frogs and coasters. Store them in an adjustable drawer organizer.
Appoint a second drawer for candles and matches, separating items into drawer organizers. To protect loose tapers, store them in paper-towel tubes wrapped in decorative paper.
Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036. E-mail to mslletters@marthastewart.com.
&Copy; 2008 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.
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