'F' for Furniture Entryway The Victorian House

IKEA Stockholm Sideboard Review

Somebody sent me a message recently because he was thinking about picking up the same IKEA Stockholm sideboard that I bought for our entryway. Questions about it come my way pretty often, actually. Do the doors stay even? Has it held up well? Would I recommend it? Yes, yes, and yes. It’s my favorite IKEA purchase to date (which is saying something because I’ve owned many a piece from IKEA over the years), so I thought I’d offer a review.

Making it Lovely's Victorian Entryway

I bought mine two years ago, shortly after moving in to our house, because I was looking for shoe storage in the entryway. I didn’t want “anything too precious since it’s going to be used on a daily basis by the whole family” and I deemed the style, scale, and price right. The sideboard comes in a painted beige finish for $389 or a walnut veneer for $449. I like the painted version for my house because it already has so much woodwork, but the walnut finish looks good too — much better than some IKEA wood tones of the past (I’m looking at you, orange beech).

IKEA Stockholm Sideboard in Beige and Walnut

We keep shoes inside, so I added cushioned shelf liners that can easily be removed for cleaning or replacement. The kids have the left half, and the adults have the right. Besides shoes and bags on the shelves, their drawer holds things like sunglasses and floppy hats during warmer months, and winter hats, mittens, and gloves when it’s cold. ‘Our side’ has things like a lint roller, comb and small brush, and reusable shopping bags in the drawer, the bottom shelf has a few pairs of shoes, and the other shelf is home to our baby wrap and diaper bag.

Entryway Shoe Storage Cabinet

I spent some time adjusting the doors so that they would hang evenly when I first assembled the sideboard, and I haven’t had to do anything to them since. There are push-open mechanisms inside, and in my house, they’ve held up to a fair amount of abuse from the kids! The doors can be left plain but I drilled holes in mine for knobs. If you want to do the same, remember to leave enough clearance for the drawers inside. I’d hate to see someone make the mistake of drilling right at the top and then having the back of the knobs keep the doors from closing. And another note on choosing knobs — if you have kids and they’re anything like mine, you might want to go with something that doesn’t need to be aligned in a certain direction. All three of my kids spin them around, either on purpose or by accident, so something round would have been a better choice.

The Stockholm sideboard is sturdy and surprisingly heavy, making it feel like a good solid piece of furniture that should hold up long-term. My only complaint is that two years in, the top has a few small scratches and dings in the painted finish. They aren’t noticeable enough to bother me, but they are there. I’ve always thought that it would be nice to find a remnant of marble or travertine to top the sideboard, so that’s an option if the scratches worsen over time or I just feel like updating the look.

I’ve had people over who have commented on how nice the sideboard was, and they’re always surprised when I say that it was from IKEA. I highly recommend it.

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  • Cassidy
    November 20, 2015 at 2:56 am

    I like the blue rug. When did you get that?

    • Angela
      November 20, 2015 at 7:57 am

      Love it too and was hoping for a source.

    • Making it Lovely
      November 20, 2015 at 10:41 am

      It’s a rug that Brandon’s mom had and wasn’t using, so she offered it up to us. Isn’t it good? The photos I used here are older, so the rug has changed since then and the rug is rolled up right now. It’s a funny size, a 6′ square, so I’m not sure where to use it. It looks great in our kitchen and fits perfectly, but with the way Calvin likes to emphatically throw his food to the floor, it doesn’t seem like the best idea to have a rug in there right now. ;)

  • Danielle
    November 20, 2015 at 10:47 am

    Thanks for the thoughtful review! I see so many IKEA pieces on blogs and really appreciate when someone dishes the dirt, so to speak. It is a pretty sideboard and I think your knobs really make it special.

  • Lindy
    November 20, 2015 at 11:55 am

    Do you think this would work well in a nursery? We have room for something large and I like the fact that this has so much storage and drawers. We would be pairing it with the same black crib you’ve used for your children.

    • Making it Lovely
      November 20, 2015 at 12:09 pm

      Yes! It would be great for toy storage, or even as an alternative to a dresser. It’s a little low to work as a changing table (not sure if that was your intention), but would do. It’s an inch above standard desk/table height.

  • Erin
    November 21, 2015 at 10:51 am

    Thanks for posting this review. I bought the Stockholm sideboard for my hallway this summer after seeing it on your blog. The size was perfect for the space I needed to fill while offering much needed storage. So far I have been very happy with it!

  • Sam
    November 24, 2015 at 1:08 pm

    We have the matching TV stand in the walnut finish and love it. I was originally eyeing a Besta hack for our dining room but I think you’ve sold me on using Stockholm instead, especially with the drawers!

  • Sandy B
    November 25, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    Nicole, do you think the Stockholm in the beige painted finish could easily be painted another color? I’ve admired yours but when I saw it in the store the beige was just not the right fit for me.

    • Making it Lovely
      November 26, 2015 at 9:28 am

      It would look great in a different color. The finish is pretty smooth, so if it were me, I would scuff it up a bit first and then spray paint it (either with cans, or use a sprayer).

  • Heather
    September 5, 2016 at 7:02 am

    Hi! Not sure if you’ll see this since the original post was almost a year ago, but I just found your blog in a Pinterest search for the Stockholm, and I was wondering what knobs you added to it and how that process of adding them went. Thanks!

  • One Room Challenge: Week 2 (The Design Plan) – Making it Lovely
    October 12, 2016 at 9:14 am

    […] throughout the house. I still love the IKEA Stockholm Sideboard that holds all of our shoes (see my review here) with its leather and brass knobs. I’ll be topping it with a pair of lamps by Alexa Hampton* […]

  • Philip
    October 15, 2016 at 5:26 pm

    What are the dimensions of the center section of the sideboard/? We are considering removing the shelves in the center of the sideboard and adding a decorative element. Are the interior shelves removable?

  • Kathryn Haley
    July 17, 2017 at 3:51 pm

    I’m so sad this isn’t available in white anymore!!