Buffetts And Sideboards
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Finding the Right sideboards for You
Once simply boards made of wood that were used to support ceremonial dining, sideboards have taken on much greater importance since their modest first appearance. In Italy, the sideboard was basically a credenza, a solid furnishing with cabinet doors. It was initially intended as an integral piece of any dining room where the wealthy gathered for meals in the southern European country.
Later, in England and France, sideboards retained their utilitarian purpose — a place to keep hot water for rinsing silverware and from which to serve cold drinking water — but would evolve into double-bodied structures that allowed for the display of serveware and utensils on open shelves. We would likely call these buffets, as they’re taller than a sideboard. (Trust us — there is an order to all of this!)
The sideboard is often deemed a buffet in the United States, from the French buffet à deux corps, which referred to a storage and display case. However, a buffet technically possesses a tiered or shelved superstructure for displaying attractive kitchenware and certainly makes more sense in the context of buffet dining — abundant meals served for crowds of people.
An antique or vintage sideboard today is a sophisticated and stylish component in sumptuous dining rooms of every shape, size and decor scheme, as well as a statement of its own, showcased in art galleries and museums. Furniture maker and artist Paul Evans, whose work has been the subject of various celebrated museum exhibitions, created ornamented, welded and patinated sideboards for Directional Furniture, collections such as the Cityscape series that speak to his place in revolutionary brutalist furniture design as much as they echo the origins of these sturdy, functional structures centuries ago.
If mid-century modern sideboards are more to your liking than an 18th-century mahogany sideboard with decorative inlays by Hepplewhite, the particularly elegant pieces crafted by designers Hans Wegner, Edward Wormley or Florence Knoll are often sought by today’s collectors.
Whether you have a specific era or style in mind or you’re open to browsing a vast collection to find the right fit, 1stDibs has a variety of antique, new and vintage sideboards to choose from.
- What are sideboards?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
Sideboards are cabinets with shelves and drawers used to store serving utensils, dinnerware and table linens.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 13, 2024The purpose of a sideboard is to provide a place to store and organize items for the home. Often used in dining rooms, sideboards work well for keeping serveware and dinnerware free of dust and hidden when not in use. Some people use sideboards to house entertainment centers, media, games and other odds and ends in living rooms, or place them in entryways to provide places to stash cold-weather accessories, bags and shoes. Explore a large collection of sideboards on 1stDibs.
- What is a kitchen sideboard?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertAugust 17, 2021A kitchen sideboard is a piece of furniture used for serving food and storing serving dishes and table linens. Kitchen sideboards long and often sit low to the ground. Shop vintage sideboards on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024What you can use instead of a sideboard depends on your specific needs. If you're looking for a place to set up buffet spreads when entertaining guests, a console table may be a good option. For storing or displaying items in the dining room, try a bar cabinet, hutch, bookshelf or floating wall shelves. On 1stDibs, shop a large selection of dining room furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
The terms buffet and sideboard are used interchangeably, although buffets generally have higher legs and stand 34 to 38 inches tall.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A sideboard table is generally used for storing cutlery, napkins and other dining supplies. Sideboards have much in common with credenzas and buffet tables but they are distinct from both of those other kinds of case pieces. Shop a range of antique and vintage sideboards and other storage furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021The 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021The difference between a sideboard and a hutch is that a sideboard is a side table with cabinet doors that was originally used for serving, most often in a dining room (now, you might find a sideboard in a foyer or living room). A hutch is essentially a storage piece made of two parts — there is a set of shelves or cabinets on top of a lower unit, which features a counter and either cabinets or a set of drawers. In form, a credenza has much in common with a sideboard. A hutch might be of help in serving tea or other beverages, but it is more of a case piece than it is a piece of furniture that is used for serving. Shop a collection of antique, vintage and contemporary sideboards and hutches from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023Yes, a sideboard should generally be taller than a dining table in the same space. Look for a sideboard that is about four to six inches taller than the dining tabletop. The shortest pieces you should consider are those of equal height to the table. If your sideboard is shorter than the dining table, your room may look out of proportion. On 1stDibs, find a variety of sideboards.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 17, 2023How tall a sideboard should be in a living room varies. Most sideboards are 34 to 36 inches tall. If you're using a sideboard as a television stand, the sideboard should be tall enough to allow the center of the television screen to be at eye level. Otherwise, you can typically choose any size sideboard. Shop a range of sideboards on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024Yes, you can generally use a sideboard as a TV stand. If you plan to rest the TV on the top of a sideboard, double-check that its weight capacity is great enough to support the weight of the television safely. You may also want to drill the back of the sideboard to add holes for the cords and cables that connect the components of your home theater system. On 1stDibs, find a diverse assortment of sideboards.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021Buffet 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 22, 2024How long a sideboard should be in a dining room depends on the size of the space and the dimensions of the accompanying dining table. Generally, a dining table should be larger than a sideboard to ensure a balanced look. You also want to ensure that there is at least 24 inches of space between the sideboard and other furnishings to provide enough clearance for walking. On 1stDibs, explore a variety of sideboards.
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