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TerminologyShort verified entry

sideboard

Illustration — A Waterfall-style sideboard A sideboard, also called a buffet, is an item of furniture traditionally used in the dining room for serving food, displaying serving dishes, and for storage. It usually consists of a set of cabinets, or cupboards, and one or more drawers, all topped by a wooden surface for conveniently holding food, serving dishes, or lighting devices. The words sideboard and buffet are somewhat interchangeable, but if the item has short legs, or a base that sits directly on the floor with no legs, it is more likely to be called a sideboard; if it has longer legs, it is more likely to be called a buffet. • Illustration — The Chevy Chase Sideboard by Gerrard Robinson, often considered to be one of the finest furniture pieces of the 19th century and an icon of Victorian furniture The earliest versions of the sideboard familiar today made their appearance in the 18th century, but they gained most of their popularity during the 19th century, as households became prosperous enough to dedicate a room solely to dining.

Also recorded as dresser · buffet

sideboard

A buffet table in the Art Deco Waterfall style.

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Field
cabinet

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Illustration — A Waterfall-style sideboard A sideboard, also called a buffet, is an item of furniture traditionally used in the dining room for serving food, displaying serving dishes, and for storage. It usually consists of a set of cabinets, or cupboards, and one or more drawers, all topped by a wooden surface for conveniently holding food, serving dishes, or lighting devices. The words sideboard and buffet are somewhat interchangeable, but if the item has short legs, or a base that sits directly on the floor with no legs, it is more likely to be called a sideboard; if it has longer legs, it is more likely to be called a buffet. • Illustration — The Chevy Chase Sideboard by Gerrard Robinson, often considered to be one of the finest furniture pieces of the 19th century and an icon of Victorian furniture The earliest versions of the sideboard familiar today made their appearance in the 18th century, but they gained most of their popularity during the 19th century, as households became prosperous enough to dedicate a room solely to dining.

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wikidata · Q1762308

In this article

  1. 01Origins and development
  2. 02Notes, references and evidence

The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.

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