Sunbury Occasional Sideboard

The kitchen safes that Sunbury is based off usually had legs to elevate them off the ground, which we’ve kept in Sunbury as they add elegance. We’ve replaced the traditional mesh ventilation panels though, swapping them for solid timber so the cabinet’s contents are tidily tucked away. There’s also a stop-chamfer edge down the sides, adding just a little decorative character and emphasising the feet.

Sunbury is a piece that’s as much about function as it is form. So, we’ve really considered details like its height, for instance, which is tall enough to make the most of a small space but not so tall that you can’t use the drawer easily (which, as a side note, sits on strong, soft-close runners hidden underneath). While the shelves inside are not only adjustable (resting on our sturdy, timber zig-zag supports), but also deep enough to hold dinner plates comfortably.

Kitchens and dining rooms are far from the only places you can use Sunbury. It would be great in a hallway as it offers lots of storage space in a small footprint (add little baskets inside and use it for hats, gloves, walking maps and dog leads). Or, take it into your home office, where its shelves could be filled with paperwork (they’re deep enough for A4 magazine files) and its drawer with stationery.

Tulipwood is always the timber we turn to when we know we’re going to use a painted finish. That’s because, as well as being strong and stable, it also has a very fine, very even grain. Because there’s little in the way of knots and swirls, it’s easy to create a flat, smooth and practically perfect finish using eggshell paint which, later down the line, you can easily repaint or touch up.

Oak is, hands down, our favourite timber. There’s just the right amount of visual texture in its grain so it has personality but doesn’t feel too rustic. It’s also a proven timber, chosen for its strength and reliability for centuries. You’ll find it tucked away inside Sunbury, forming the cupboard shelves and the interior of the drawer as a lovely surprise when you peer in.

You can choose from any of our colours for Sunbury, each applied in our water-based eggshell using a mix of spray and hand-painting techniques so the finish is perfect as can be. By using eggshell, rather than a seemingly more hardwearing plastic coating, you can not only repaint easily, but your cabinet will have a soft, low-sheen finish that’s so much more tactile and has a greater depth of colour.

The oak, meanwhile, is always finished using our Darkened Oak IsoGuard® – our own oil-based formula that protects the timber for a time from spills, without masking its natural texture. It also imparts a deep, rich brown colour that particularly suits this contemporary take on a traditional piece.

To tone in perfectly with the Darkened Oak, it had to be Black-Bronze hardware for Sunbury. We’ve picked out the Barlow beehive knobs, which are small and discreet but have a tactile ribbed detail to them, as well as matching hinges and magnetic catches.