Credenzas, Buffets + Sideboards

A broad category of dining room storage is known as sideboard cabinets that can serve as holders of a variety of items and even be used as dinner serving areas. Often also referred to as credenza cabinets, these storage pieces can be used not only in dining rooms but also in living rooms and home offices as well with changes in features to meet the specific needs of those places. Design Within Reach offers a wide variety of storage credenzas with a range of features that include height and width variations and sometimes the inclusion of drawers. The Nelson Thin Edge Buffet is one piece that could be categorized as a mid century modern sideboard, its features and name directed at use mainly in the dining room. A credenza table, also known as a console table, provides a function similar to a credenza when used as a dining room serving platform, although with little or no storage.

Types of credenzas and sideboards

A credenza, or dining room sideboard, can come in a range of materials and with a range of features. DWR offers many options for wood credenzas with variations in wood species, height, width, and more. A credenza that works well as a dining room credenza will often have a mix of open storage for plates and serviceware and drawers for linens and flatware storage. A sideboard table, or console table, provides a good choice for food service needs where storage is less of a consideration. A kitchen sideboard can serve a similar function as a dining room sideboard, but its materials may be more carefully considered for cleanability. A steel credenza, for instance, may be a good choice for use in a kitchen. Whatever the room, sometimes people may want what could be called a designer credenza. One to consider is the Florence Knoll Credenza, designed by the woman who built the eponymous design company.

How to choose credenzas and sideboards

A credenza, or sideboard, is a very versatile piece of furniture, useful in bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and home and business offices. With various alterations, including size and internal features, the credenza can serve nearly anywhere and is a perfect piece of modern media storage. An office credenza provides a place to store an array of office materials and perhaps provide a platform for a printer or copier. A home office credenza could also be used to store items typically used in other rooms. The credenza can change forms to become a media unit, tailored to accommodate electronics of various sorts. Likewise in the home bar area, the credenza becomes a home bar sideboard, with special racks for wine glasses and cubbies for wine or liquor bottles. Some home bar sideboards come equipped with drawers to hold the accessories of serving, like a corkscrew or bar napkins. Even in the kitchen, the credenza can become a vital element, a place for pots and pans or even cooking ingredients, and a cooking work surface or even a place to serve an informal buffet supper.