What is the difference between a sideboard and a server?

The difference between a sideboard and a server mostly pertains to usage. A sideboard is a side-table with cabinet doors that is used for serving, most often in a dining room (today, sideboards can sometimes be found in living rooms and foyers). In form, a credenza has much in common with a sideboard. Sideboards have short legs or no legs at all. A server is very slim and is meant to be placed along the dining room wall. It is shorter and takes up less room than a sideboard and is also considered to be more formal than a sideboard — a sideboard might offer a surface to serve dinner, whereas a server might best be used to serve dessert. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary sideboards and servers from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.

Antique Server Sideboard

Mahogany Server

Dining Room Buffet Cabinet Servers

Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Server Sideboard

Materials

Materials

Elm

American Sheraton curly maple sideboard/server

Unavailable

American Sheraton curly maple sideboard/server

Located in Kenilworth, IL

American Sheraton curly maple sideboard/server. The divided top drawer is fitted with its original drop ring brass drawer pulls.

Category

19th Century Antique Server Sideboard

Early 19th Century French Sideboard or Server

Unavailable

H 38.5 in W 75 in D 21.5 in

Early 19th Century French Sideboard or Server

Located in Richmond, VA

Early 19th Century French Enfilade or Buffet

Italian display cabinet by Eugenio Quarti

Unavailable

Sold

H 35.25 in W 42.75 in D 17.5 in

Antique Server / Sideboard in Elm

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Chinese server, with two drawers and two doors, late 1800's. Nicely crafted with mortise and tenon & dove-tail construction.

Materials

Mahogany

Romweber Chippendale Flame Mahogany Carved Sideboard Buffet, Circa 1920s

$3,995

$3,895 / item

H 36 in W 21 in D 78 in

Mahogany Sideboard

Located in Annville, PA

This Mahogany Sideboard or buffet from Niagara Furniture has a great amount of storage space. Produced using the finest quality veneers and solid mahogany woods this item is a perfec...

Category

2010s Regency Antique Server Sideboard

Materials

Mahogany

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Pair of Modern Walnut Side Tables

$4,554 / set

H 28.5 in W 26 in D 26 in

Pair of Modern Walnut Side Tables

By Theodore Alexander

Located in Westwood, NJ

A Pacific walnut side table, the square top with rounded corners and a reeded edge above a similar under tier, on bobbin turned legs. Dimensions: 26" W x 26" D x 28.5" H.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Antique Server Sideboard

Materials

Wood

Vintage Louis XVI Style Hand Painted and Breche Violette Marble Top Console

$2,480

$3,996Sale Price|20% Off

H 38.5 in W 84 in D 23 in

Fantastic Adams Paint Decorated Satinwood and Walnut Sideboard Buffet Circa 1920

By Rockford National Furniture Company 1

Located in Swedesboro, NJ

This fantastic Adams style paint decorated satinwood and walnut sideboard buffet, circa 1920, is a masterpiece of refined neoclassical design and elegant craftsmanship. Beautifully e...

Category

1920s American Adam Style Antique Server Sideboard

Materials

Satinwood, Walnut

19th Century French Louis XVI Style Marble Marquetry Sideboard , Set of 2

$8,750 / set

H 30 in W 42 in D 20 in

19th Century French Louis XVI Style Marble Marquetry Sideboard , Set of 2

Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Indulge in the timeless elegance of this exquisite cabinets dating back to the 19tj Century. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, this set showcases a stunning hand crafted f...

Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Server Sideboard

Materials

Marble, Brass

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Antique Server Sideboard For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the antique server sideboard you’re looking for. Frequently made of wood, mahogany and oak, every antique server sideboard was constructed with great care. Your living room may not be complete without an antique server sideboard — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 20th Century. An antique server sideboard is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Victorian, Georgian and Regency styles are sought with frequency. A well-made antique server sideboard has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Baker Furniture Company, Maison Jansen and Royal Furniture Co. are consistently popular.

How Much is a Antique Server Sideboard?

An antique server sideboard can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $3,500, while the lowest priced sells for $598 and the highest can go for as much as $145,000.

Finding the Right Storage-case-pieces for You

Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items.

In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior.

Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time.

Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room.

In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.

A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.

Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.

Questions About Antique Server Sideboard

What is the difference between a sideboard and a server?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021
The difference between a sideboard and a server mostly pertains to usage. A sideboard is a side-table with cabinet doors that is used for serving, most often in a dining room (today, sideboards can sometimes be found in living rooms and foyers). In form, a credenza has much in common with a sideboard. Sideboards have short legs or no legs at all. A server is very slim and is meant to be placed along the dining room wall. It is shorter and takes up less room than a sideboard and is also considered to be more formal than a sideboard — a sideboard might offer a surface to serve dinner, whereas a server might best be used to serve dessert. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary sideboards and servers from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.

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