A sideboard is a long, low cabinet with doors or drawers, usually for a dining or living room. A buffet is essentially the same piece, a name most often used in the dining room. A credenza is a low cabinet, often with sliding or flush doors, at home in a living room or office. A console table is narrow and open, with little or no closed storage.
Sideboard, buffet, credenza, console: furniture stores use these words almost interchangeably, and the same piece can be sold under all four names. That makes shopping confusing, especially when you are trying to work out what will fit your wall.
The useful way to think about them is not the name but the job: how much closed storage you need, how deep the piece can be and which room it lives in. This guide explains each term, compares them side by side and shows how to choose.
Sideboard vs buffet vs credenza vs console at a glance
| Sideboard | Buffet | Credenza | Console table | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storage | Closed: doors and/or drawers | Closed: doors and/or drawers | Closed, often sliding or flush doors | Open shelf, a drawer or none |
| Usual room | Dining or living room | Dining room | Living room, media wall, office | Entryway, hallway, behind a sofa |
| Depth | Medium | Medium | Medium | Shallow |
| Main job | Store dishes, linens or media; serve | Serve food; store tableware | Hide media, files or clutter | Display, drop keys, add a surface |
| Looks like | Long, low cabinet | Long cabinet, sometimes on taller legs | Low, streamlined cabinet | Narrow table on legs or a base |
Because the terms overlap, always check the actual width, height and depth of any piece rather than relying on its name.
What is a sideboard?
A sideboard is a long, low cabinet with closed storage, traditionally placed against a dining room wall to hold serving dishes and linens. Today it is just as common in a living room, where it holds media, games or barware, with a lamp and art above.
Once you have one, see how to style a sideboard so the wall looks balanced, not cluttered.
Long, low, closed storage
Our Cascara sideboard has four carved wave doors, in four widths from 55 to 85 inches, 22 to 29 inches high and 14 inches deep, from $2,940.
What is a buffet?
A buffet is a sideboard used for serving, and the name is most common in the dining room. Some buffets stand on taller legs so the top is easier to serve from. A buffet with a tall cabinet or open shelves on top is usually called a hutch.
What is a credenza?
A credenza is a low cabinet, often with sliding or flush doors and a clean, streamlined look. It started as an office piece and is now popular on media walls and in living rooms. In practice, many pieces sold as "credenzas" are simply low sideboards.
Planning to put a TV on one? Read can you use a sideboard as a TV stand for the height and cable checks.
Two doors, one rippling front
Our Rippla sideboard is a 2-door credenza with waves carved across its front, in four widths from 55 to 85 inches, 27 to 42 inches high and 14 inches deep, from $3,140.
What is a console table?
A console table is a narrow table, usually placed in an entryway, along a hallway or behind a sofa. It offers a surface for lamps, keys and decor, with an open shelf or a drawer at most. Its shallow depth is its advantage: it fits where a cabinet would block the path. See our console table size guide for heights and depths.
A slim surface, no cabinet
Our Ribbona console table rests a slim top on a looping ribbon base, in four widths from 50 to 80 inches, 30 to 34 inches high and 12 to 14 inches deep, from $2,700.
Which one do you need?
Choose a sideboard or buffet if…
- You need to hide dishes, linens or media.
- You want a serving surface for dinners.
- The wall can take a cabinet about 14 inches deep or more.
Choose a credenza if…
- It sits under a TV or in an office.
- You prefer a low, streamlined look.
- You want closed storage for cables and devices.
Choose a console table if…
- The space is a hallway or entry.
- You need a surface, not storage.
- The piece sits behind a sofa.
Measure before you choose
- Width: leave some wall on each side so the piece does not look squeezed.
- Depth: keep a clear walkway in front; in a dining room, allow for chairs pulled out from the table. See space around a dining table.
- Height: under a TV, a lower piece keeps the screen near eye level; see our TV stand size guide.
- Doors: check that doors and drawers can open fully.
For exact length, depth and height rules, see our sideboard size guide.
Sideboards and buffets are long cabinets with closed storage for dining and living rooms; a credenza is a low, streamlined version often used under a TV or in an office; a console table is a narrow surface with little or no storage. Ignore the label and choose by storage, depth and room.
Hang art or a mirror about two thirds the width of the sideboard, then add one tall object on one side and a low one on the other. The wall looks finished without clutter.
Browse handmade sideboards, console tables and TV stands, or get ideas in ways to style a console table. Every piece is made to order in 7 to 10 business days, plus 5 to 7 days for free US delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a sideboard and a buffet?
Very little. Both are long cabinets with closed storage; "buffet" is used more for the dining room, and some buffets stand on taller legs.
What is the difference between a sideboard and a credenza?
A credenza is usually lower and more streamlined, often with sliding or flush doors, and is common in living rooms and offices.
Is a console table the same as a sideboard?
No. A console table is narrower and mostly open, while a sideboard is a deeper cabinet with doors or drawers.
Can a sideboard go in a living room?
Yes. Many people use a sideboard for media, games or barware, with a lamp and art above it.
What is a hutch?
A buffet or sideboard with a tall cabinet or open shelves on top.
Can I use a credenza as a TV stand?
Often, yes, if it is wide enough for the TV and low enough to keep the screen near eye level.
Editor's note: Definitions describe common US usage; stores often use these terms interchangeably. Product prices and sizes were checked on woodfurnist.com on October 30, 2026. Room images are styled product images for inspiration. See our shipping policy for production and delivery times.
