Buffet vs Sideboard vs Credenza: Differences and Sizes

Quick answer: In buffet vs sideboard, there is almost no difference today. Both are long, low storage cabinets for the dining room, and stores use the names interchangeably. A traditional buffet is often taller and may sit on a base, while a sideboard usually stands on legs. A credenza is the low, often leg-less version with sliding or hinged doors, used as a TV stand or office cabinet.

What matters more than the name is fit: the cabinet's width against your table, its depth against your walkway, and its height against what you'll put on it. This guide covers all three, with a worked room example and real open-box prices from our Montréal showroom.

Buffet vs sideboard: what's the difference?

Historically, a sideboard stood at the side of the dining room to hold and serve food. Castlery's furniture guide notes that the term buffet "is often used interchangeably with sideboard" and has no strict difference in modern use (Castlery). In practice, retailers lean on three cues:

• Legs vs base: a sideboard usually has visible legs; a buffet more often sits on a plinth or short feet.
• Room: "buffet" points to the dining room; "sideboard" is also used for living rooms and hallways.
• Storage mix: both combine doors and drawers. Drawers hold flatware and linens; doors hold platters and serving bowls.

If you are shopping by name, search both terms. Our buffet and sideboard collection groups them together for that reason.

What is a credenza, and how is it different?

A credenza is a long cabinet that sits low, often with no legs or only a short base, and usually has sliding or hinged doors that hide clutter. The name comes from Italian; Castlery traces it to cabinets that held food tested for poison before it was served to nobility. Today the credenza has moved out of the dining room:

• Living room: as a TV stand or media console, with cable holes behind the doors.
• Office: behind a desk for files and printer paper.
• Bedroom: as a low dresser alternative under a wall-mounted TV.

Example from our floor: the Montel credenza TV stand is 70 in (178 cm) wide, 24.8 in (63 cm) high and 15.35 in (39 cm) deep, rated for TVs from 55 to 80 in. That height is lower than a dining buffet because you want the screen near eye level when seated. For screen-to-stand sizing, see our TV stand size guide.

Buffet, sideboard, credenza and hutch compared

Piece	Typical base	Doors	Best room	Main use
Sideboard	Legs	Hinged doors + drawers	Dining, living, hallway	Serving surface, dishes, linens
Buffet	Plinth or short feet	Hinged doors + drawers	Dining room	Serving at meals, china, platters
Credenza	No legs or short base	Sliding or hinged	Living room, office	TV and media, files, closed storage
Hutch	Buffet base	Glass upper + solid lower	Dining room	Displaying china, glassware
Console table	Legs, slim frame	Few or none	Entry, behind sofa	Drop zone for keys and mail

A console table is not a sideboard: it is shallower and has little or no closed storage. If you only need a landing spot by the door, browse our console tables instead.

What size sideboard for your dining table?

Width: shorter than the table

Pick a sideboard narrower than your table so the table stays the focal point. A simple rule: about 6 in (15 cm) shorter at each end, so 12 in (30 cm) shorter in total. A 72 in table pairs with a sideboard up to 60 in. Our Braydon sideboard at 56 in fits that table with room to spare. If your table seats eight or more, see our dining table size guide first, then size the sideboard to it.

Height: at or above the tabletop

Measure your table height. For serving, a top at or a little above table height lets you lift dishes without bending. For a TV, a lower credenza (like the 24.8 in Montel) keeps the screen closer to seated eye level. For a hutch, measure your ceiling and check the combined height of base and top before you buy.

Depth: the number that decides your walkway

Every inch of cabinet depth comes out of the aisle behind the chairs. The National Kitchen & Bath Association's Guideline 8 recommends, from the table edge to any wall or obstruction behind a seated diner (NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines):

• 32 in (813 mm) when no one passes behind;
• 36 in (914 mm) for someone to edge past;
• 44 in (1118 mm) for someone to walk past.

The sideboard counts as the obstruction, so measure from its front face, not the wall.

Will a sideboard fit in my dining room? A worked example

Room: 144 in (366 cm) wall to wall. Table: 40 in (102 cm) wide. Sideboard: 18 in (46 cm) deep on one wall.

Layout	Calculation	Total	Fits a 144 in room?
Edge past on sideboard side, no traffic on other side	18 + 36 + 40 + 32	126 in (320 cm)	Yes, 18 in spare
Walk past on sideboard side, no traffic on other side	18 + 44 + 40 + 32	134 in (340 cm)	Yes, 10 in spare
Walk past on both sides	18 + 44 + 40 + 44	146 in (371 cm)	No, 2 in short

If you are 2 in short, the fix is cheap: choose a shallower cabinet. A 15.35 in deep credenza instead of an 18 in sideboard gives back 2.65 in, enough to make the third layout work.

Which one should you buy?

• You host dinners and need a serving surface: buffet or sideboard at or above table height, with drawers for flatware.
• You have a narrow dining room: the shallowest piece that holds your platters; check the depth against the 36 in edge-past rule above.
• It goes under a TV: credenza or media console; low height, cable openings, doors that hide boxes.
• You want to show off china: hutch; check ceiling height and anchor the top to the wall.
• It goes in an entry: console table, unless you need closed storage for hats and gloves.

What does a sideboard cost at WanAyra?

We sell open-box and overstock pieces, so prices sit below the original retail. At the time of writing, the Braydon 56 in two-drawer sideboard is $415 against a compare-at $749.99, which is 45% off ($415 ÷ $749.99 = 0.553). The Montel 70 in credenza TV stand is $237.99 against $339.99, or 30% off. Stock turns over quickly; the live list below shows only what is available today. Read our open-box furniture guide to see what "open box" covers.

Checklist before you buy

Check	How
Width vs table	Table length minus 12 in (30 cm) = maximum sideboard width
Depth vs aisle	Room width − table width − cabinet depth ≥ 36 in + 32 in for the two sides
Doors open fully	With chairs pushed in, open each door and drawer fully; nothing should hit the table or a chair
Delivery path	Measure doorways, stair turns and elevator depth against the box, not the cabinet
Weight on top	Read the rated top load (the Montel is rated for 88.18 lb / 40 kg)
Tip-over	Use the wall anchor kit, especially for a hutch or tall cabinet
Open-box condition	Open every drawer and door, check hinges and levelling feet in the showroom

Building the whole room? Browse our dining room furniture to match the table and the sideboard in one visit.

FAQ

Is a buffet the same as a sideboard?

Almost. Both are long, low storage cabinets with a serving top, and stores use the names interchangeably. A buffet more often sits on a base in the dining room; a sideboard usually has legs and appears in any room.

What is the difference between a credenza and a sideboard?

A credenza sits lower, often with no legs, and usually has sliding or hinged doors. It is used as a TV stand or office cabinet, while a sideboard is mainly dining room storage with drawers and a serving surface.

How much space do you need between a sideboard and a dining table?

The NKBA recommends 36 in (914 mm) from the table edge to an obstruction so someone can edge past a seated diner, and 44 in (1118 mm) to walk past. Measure from the sideboard's front face.

Should a sideboard be longer than the dining table?

No. A sideboard about 12 in (30 cm) shorter than the table keeps the table as the focal point. For a 72 in table, look for a sideboard up to 60 in wide.

Can you use a sideboard as a TV stand?

Yes, if the top is wide enough for the TV base and rated for its weight. A lower credenza often puts the screen closer to seated eye level than a dining-height sideboard.

What is a hutch?

A hutch is a buffet with an upper cabinet, usually glass-fronted, for displaying china and glassware. Check your ceiling height and anchor it to the wall.

By Awais Zahid, WanAyra Meubles, Montréal

See the sideboards in person at our showroom, 433 Rue Chabanel O, Montréal, or browse buffets and sideboards online.