What Is a Credenza, and Do You Need One?
The Buffet
Buffet-style furniture pieces are typically used as dining room storage to keep serving dishes, linens, and other hosting essentials at the ready. “Buffets are traditionally narrow and tall in height, similar to the height of a dining table and above,” says Will Jackson.
“Buffets are traditionally narrow and tall in height, similar to the height of a dining table and above.”
They often have large cabinet doors, drawers, and/or shelves, and might comprise wood, metal, or glass. Many of them also feature long airy legs that give them a mid-century modern feel.
And while “Buffets are designed and marketed to be used in the dining room,” says Jackson, their typically low-profile design and ample storage space can offer a solution for a wide variety of spaces in the home, such as the living room, home office, or bedroom.
The Credenza
Like buffets, credenzas are also pieces of furniture designed for the dining room to store serving dishes and table linens. However, according to Will Jackson, “Credenzas are typically more decorative and are often lower and wider than buffets, with more emphasis on displaying items, such as valuable fine china.”
“Credenzas are typically more decorative and are often lower and wider than buffets, with more emphasis on displaying items.”
Credenzas typically feature a long, narrow shape, offering plenty of space to display decorative items on top. They might also have big cabinets or drawers, often with glass doors to showcase their contents.
In addition to being used as dining furniture, credenzas, “Are often used in home offices or other workspaces, serving as office furniture or storage units,” says Keely Smith. Their versatile design can even function as a dresser in a bedroom or a stylish drop-off point for keys and mail in an entryway.
The Sideboard
Similar to buffets and credenzas, “Sideboards are storage pieces intended to be used in the dining room,” says Will Jackson, "But they’re also used as general storage cabinets for the home in spaces like entryways, hallways, and living rooms.”
And while sideboards serve similar purposes as credenzas and buffets, “Sideboards are often taller and narrower with longer legs than credenzas,” but they’re not usually as tall as buffets.
“Sideboards are often taller and narrower with longer legs than credenzas."
Sideboards come in a wide variety of styles, ranging from minimalist and mid-century to traditional and contemporary. They might also have storage cabinets, drawers, or open shelving to provide an attractive way to store linens and serving dishes, as well as showcase your favorite home decor pieces.
Another Option: The Media Console
Another storage solution that can fit in a similar category as credenzas, buffets, and sideboards is a media console. But unlike the other three, media consoles aren’t designed for the dining room. As their name implies, media consoles are traditionally used in living rooms or home offices to display a television, stereo system, and other media.
According to Will Jackson, “Media consoles, or tv stands, are typically lower in height than other cabinets—sometimes as low as 10 inches—and will often include cord management features like cutouts in the back panel.”
The Differences Between Buffets, Sideboards, and Credenzas
The differences between buffets, sideboards, and credenzas are so subtle that many people, retailers, and even interior designers use the words interchangeably. However, there are definitely a few minor differences between each type of furniture.
According to Will Jackson, “The word ‘sideboard’ has English origins, ‘credenza’ is Italian, and ‘buffet’ comes from the French. All three are storage cabinets intended for the dining room for easy serving and hosting purposes.”
However, sideboards are often taller and narrower than credenzas but not as tall as buffets. Buffets are also more often used for serving food than sideboards and credenzas. In fact, when you think of going to a restaurant and picking out food from a buffet table, that word is derived from this piece of furniture, which was designed to serve a spread of food on top of it.
All three pieces of furniture are quite versatile, though, which is why you might find them in spaces that extend beyond the dining room, such as entryways and living rooms. Their ample drawer and cabinet space makes them a great fit for just about any room that could benefit from another storage solution.
