Town guide / South Manchester and Stockport
Antique sideboards for Cheadle dining rooms
Cheadle keeps a village centre around St Mary's church, with the Victorian Abney Hall set in parkland nearby. Most homes, though, are twentieth-century semis and detached houses where the dining room has often become part of a through room.
i.
The houses
When two rooms have been knocked into one, the sideboard often ends up on the long side wall or under the window at one end. That gives more length to play with than a single Victorian parlour, but less depth, because people walk past it all day. Interwar houses also tend to have a radiator under the window and sockets at skirting level, so note where both sit before choosing a piece.
ii.
Antique sideboards in that setting
Sideboards range from slim pieces on slender legs to deep Victorian pedestal sideboards. In a through room depth is usually the deciding measurement, so ask Sara for the depth at the top and at the base, since some sideboards are deeper at the plinth. Check the drawers too: well-used drawers can drop as their runners wear, and a sideboard gets opened every day.
iii.
Buying from Caernarfon
Cheadle is in Stockport borough and Life: Full Colour is in Caernarfon, with no branch in between.
Buying works the same way from anywhere: find a piece, ask Sara about it by the enquiry form or on 01286 400155, and buy through Creative Caernarfon.
Visiting and delivery
Life: Full Colour is based at 9 Segontium Terrace, Caernarfon LL55 2PN. Ask Sara whether delivery or viewing is possible for a particular piece.
Antique sideboards listed on Creative Caernarfon
One-off pieces: ask Sara whether a listing is still available.
iv.
Questions for a Cheadle buyer
It depends on the walkway. Leave enough clear floor to pass comfortably and to pull drawers fully open, then work back to a maximum depth. Pedestal sideboards can be deeper than they appear in photographs, so ask Sara for the depth at the top and at the base, including any overhang.
It is best avoided. Heat rising straight into the back of an old piece dries the timber unevenly and can split panels or lift veneers. If the window wall is the only space, choose a sideboard on legs that leaves the radiator clear, and keep a generous gap behind it.
Drawer runners wear over decades, and changes in humidity make drawers swell or shrink. A little wax on the runners often helps. Persistent sticking may need a restorer to renew a worn runner. Ask Sara whether the drawers on a particular sideboard open and close freely.
A sideboard usually stands a few centimetres from the wall because of the skirting, which can leave room for a plug and lead. If the socket sits exactly where the back would go, check how much gap that leaves, or ask an electrician about moving it.
Centring it on the wall or on the table usually looks calm and balanced. Offset can work if there is a door or window at one end. Measure the wall, then move a chair or box of the same width along it to see what suits the room.
Compare the sideboard height with the sill and any curtains, since the top should sit comfortably below both. A radiator under the window often makes this awkward, as heat rises straight into the back of the piece. A free wall is generally easier.
Often, because you can see the floor beneath and the piece looks lighter. It gives less storage than a pedestal sideboard, and the legs need a floor that is level. Check the depth, too, as slim legs can still carry a surprisingly deep top.
A sideboard is often a little higher than the table, handy for putting dishes down while serving. Measure both, and check the sideboard drawers clear any chair backs. Ask Sara for the full height of the sideboard you like, with and without any back.
Pull a chair out from the table as if someone were sitting and measure from its back to the front of the sideboard. If the gap is tight, a shallower sideboard or a different wall may work better, because people also need to walk past.
Take the length and clear depth of the wall, the height to any picture rail or window sill, and the positions of radiators and sockets. Add the space for drawers to open and people to pass. Write the numbers down and take them with you when you enquire.