Modern highboards – how to find the right one for your home
1. Highboard, sideboard or low sideboard – which piece suits you best?
2. The advantages of a highboard
3. Highboard, display cabinet, cupboard, shelf – what's what?
4. Materials and styles
5. Decorating highboards
6. Summary
1. Highboard, sideboard or low sideboard – which piece suits you best?
Highboards are not only functional pieces of furniture but also real eye-catchers in any room. With their generous storage space and stylish design, they are a popular choice for storing and displaying items in living and dining areas and in the study. Before you choose a highboard, though, think about which piece of furniture suits you best and meets your needs.
While sideboards and low sideboards are usually lower and longer, highboards stand out for their height. A highboard is around 110 cm to 180 cm high. Anything taller is considered a cupboard. Unlike sideboards and low sideboards, which can also be wall-mounted, highboards always stand on the floor.
Highboards usually have shelves and drawers as well as doors so you can store things neatly. This combination of open and closed compartments lets you display decorative objects attractively, keep personal items out of sight and protect everything from dust.
2. Highboards – the advantages at a glance
Highboards have many advantages that make them an attractive choice as a practical, modern piece of furniture for the living room.
In the living room, highboards offer generous storage space where you can neatly keep tableware, glasses, textiles, books and other items.
At the same time, the doors and drawers allow for organised storage and protect your belongings from dust and dirt. This keeps them looking good for longer and always within reach.
Available in various designs, a highboard in the living room is also a real eye-catcher and can have a major influence on the style of the room. Highboards are popular in the dining room too. Highboards in the dining room are an elegant way to store tableware and glasses while adding decorative accents.
In the study, you can use highboards to keep folders, office supplies and personal items neatly organised. They help you create a tidy, inspiring place to work.
3. Highboard, display cabinet, cupboard, shelf – what's what?
While display cabinets usually have glass elements so you can see the objects on display, highboards tend to be closed. A highboard with glass elements is often called a display cabinet and is an elegant way to show off decorative objects.
Compared with cupboards, highboards are usually lower and wider. They nevertheless offer a similar amount of storage and are a space-saving alternative to large cupboards. Unlike shelves, highboards offer discreet storage thanks to their doors and drawers, creating a tidy look.
"Do you like things to be individual, or do you have specific requirements at home? Then choose a modular system that lets you put together your highboard exactly as you want it – so you can decide how many open and closed compartments it should have. This also lets you extend low sideboards and sideboards into a highboard." – Viktoria, interior expert
4. Materials and styles – the ideal highboard for your home
Highboards come in various materials and styles, so you can find the right highboard design for every interior.
Wood is timelessly beautiful and gives a highboard a natural charm with a cosy, country feel – a true highboard design classic. White or black highboards look simple and modern. Painted, coloured surfaces, whether wood or metal, on the other hand, add modern accents and let you choose your own colour.
If you love Scandinavian style, highboards in light wood with a minimalist design are particularly appealing. Glass fronts give the piece lightness and elegance. A highboard with wickerwork, on the other hand, recalls vintage style and adds texture and a subtle accent.
5. Decorating highboards – modern and individual
When decorating a highboard for a modern look, the aim is to find the balance between style and function. The rule here is: less is more! Especially when it comes to decorating the top of your highboard. It's better to decorate the compartments of the highboard itself rather than overload the top with too many objects – for a balanced overall look.
When arranging decorations in a designer highboard, it helps to bear the golden ratio in mind. Place individual items or small groups of different heights to create a harmonious arrangement. Wide or long items can be placed on their own in a prominent position to draw attention to them.
6. Summary
Highboards are 110–180 cm high and usually stand on the floor. Compared with display cabinets and cupboards, highboards are wider and lower.
Most modern highboards have a combination of open and closed compartments.
Highboards offer generous storage space that can be organised stylishly and discreetly with additional compartments and drawers.
With modular systems, you can design unusual highboards to suit your wishes or extend low sideboards and sideboards into a highboard.
Wooden highboards look natural and cosy, painted surfaces create colourful eye-catchers, light wood and minimalist design give the highboard a Scandinavian look, and highboards with wickerwork exude vintage charm.
When decorating your highboard, remember: less is more! Decorate the compartments and open shelves rather than the top. Bear the golden ratio in mind and play with decorative objects of different heights and lengths.
Buy highboards online at Connox – your benefits at a glance
- A carefully selected range from top design brands
- High-quality modern highboards by well-known designers
- Simple, direct online shopping
- Personal support from our customer service team
- Fair delivery costs
- Secure payment thanks to SSL encryption
Shopping advice at Connox
Would you like to buy a modern design highboard online but need some help? Our customer service team is always happy to help. We'll support you with advice while you shop, make recommendations and answer your questions quickly. Then simply sit back and have your chosen item delivered straight to your door.
