What is the difference between a buffet and a sideboard?

The terms buffet and sideboard are used interchangeably, although buffets generally have higher legs and stand 34 to 38 inches tall.

What is the difference between a buffet table and a sideboard?

Buffet tables and sideboards are both types of cabinet furniture. Though often used as a synonym for “sideboard,” a buffet technically possesses a tiered or shelved superstructure for displaying decorative kitchenware. The term derives from buffet à deux corps, a piece which is seen mostly in French Provincial furniture. A sideboard is a side-table with cabinet doors that is used for serving, most often in a dining room. In form, a credenza has much in common with a sideboard (it's not uncommon to find a sideboard in a foyer, however). Find a wide range of mid-century modern buffets and sideboards on 1stDibs.

What’s the difference between a buffet and a sideboard?

The main difference between a buffet and a sideboard is that a buffet is usually slightly taller than a sideboard. However, both types of tables are typically found in the dining room and both serve the same function as a place to put serving dishes.

Antique Sideboard Buffets

19th Century Oak Sideboard

Stickley Oak

Stickley Mission Cabinet

Mission Buffet

Stickley Copper

Copper Measures

Category

1920s American Georgian Antique Sideboard Buffets

Materials

Brass

Stickley Brothers Style Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Sideboard Buffet

$3,295

H 35 in W 42 in D 20.13 in

Stickley Brothers Style Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Sideboard Buffet

By Stickley Brothers

Located in South Bend, IN

An exceptional antique Mission or Arts & Crafts sideboard buffet or server In the manner of Stickley Brothers USA, Circa 1900 Beautiful carved oak, with original hammered copper h...

Category

Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Antique Sideboard Buffets

Materials

Copper

Monumental Antique English Georgian Neoclassical Mahogany Sideboard Buffet 92"

$10,000

H 43.5 in W 92 in D 26 in

Monumental Antique English Georgian Neoclassical Mahogany Sideboard Buffet 92"

Located in Dayton, OH

A large and impressive antique 18th century English Georgian sideboard / buffet / credenza / cabinet. Made of mahogany featuring a Robert Adams Neoclassical style theme of bows / r...

Category

18th Century English Georgian Antique Sideboard Buffets

Materials

Mahogany

Stickley Brothers Style Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Sideboard Buffet

$2,995

$2,695

$3,996Sale Price|20% Off

$4,400

H 39.5 in W 70.25 in D 23.75 in

Mid-19th Century French Bleached Oak Sideboard Buffet

Located in Round Top, TX

Mid-19th-century French bleached oak sideboard with a three-drawer over two-door configuration. The drawers open with large, decorative drop-handle pulls that add strong visual chara...

Category

Mid-19th Century French French Provincial Antique Sideboard Buffets

Materials

Materials

Oak

Monumental Attribution to Jules Leleu Art Deco Sideboard or Buffet

Unavailable

Unavailable

Unavailable

W 96 in D 27.5 in

18c Italian Sideboard

Located in Palm Springs, CA

FABULOUS large scale 18c Italian rustic origional green painted sideboard/bookcase or china cabinet...Adorned with floral relief details and moldings.2 pieces~

1920's Wine Sideboard

Unavailable

H 33.5 in W 78 in D 16.5 in

1920's Wine Sideboard

Located in Southampton, NY

Wine Sideboard, Burgandy, Circa 1920's

Oak Art Deco sideboard by Jean-Charles Moreux

Unavailable

H 43.25 in W 95 in D 19.75 in

Oak Art Deco sideboard by Jean-Charles Moreux

By Jean-Charles Moreux

Located in Janvry, Essonne

A white cerused oak sideboard with three doors covered with brown leather, iron and bronze ornaments, one shelf and three drawers behind the doors, a wrought iron structure linking ...

Category

Early 20th Century French Art Deco Antique Sideboard Buffets

Materials

Wrought Iron

19th Century French Two Bodies In Mahogany Sideboard Staked

Unavailable

H 86.62 in Dm 0 in

19th Century French Two Bodies In Mahogany Sideboard Staked

Located in Paris, FR

19th French Two Bodies In Mahogany Sideboard Staked

Category

19th Century Antique Sideboard Buffets

“Boulle” Marquetry Sideboard, Napoleon III period – Mid-19th century

Unavailable

H 40.16 in W 33.08 in D 14.57 in

“Boulle” Marquetry Sideboard, Napoleon III period – Mid-19th century

Located in HÉRIC, FR

Elegant Napoleon III period entry-level piece of furniture featuring magnificent "Boulle" marquetry, named after Charles-André Boulle, master cabinetmaker to King Louis XIV, who made...

Category

Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Sideboard Buffets

Materials

Carrara Marble

School of Prof. Josef Hoffmann, extraordinary Sideboard, Vienna Secession

Unavailable

H 60.63 in W 79.93 in D 27.56 in

School of Prof. Josef Hoffmann, extraordinary Sideboard, Vienna Secession

Located in Vienna, AT

SCHOOL OF PROF. JOSEF HOFFMANN EXTRAORDINARY SIDEBOARD Designed by: school of Prof. Josef Hoffmann, Vienna, around 1912. Probably solid pear and pear veneer, dyed black and ...

Materials

Materials

Oak

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Antique Sideboard Buffets For Sale on 1stDibs

Find a variety of antique sideboard buffets available on 1stDibs. Each of these unique antique sideboard buffets was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, oak and walnut. Antique sideboard buffets have been produced for many years, with earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. There are many kinds of antique sideboard buffets to choose from, but at 1stDibs, Louis XV, Victorian and Louis XVI antique sideboard buffets are of considerable interest. Many antique sideboard buffets are appealing in their simplicity, but Baker Furniture Company, Portois & Fix and Andre Domin & Marcel Genevriere for Maison Dominique produced popular antique sideboard buffets that are worth a look.

How Much are Antique Sideboard Buffets?

The average selling price for at 1stDibs is $4,200, while they’re typically $504 on the low end and $108,004 highest priced.

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.

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Meet the Incredible Woman Transforming Fallen Trees into Sleek Furniture

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These New York Architects Love a Complicated Project

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