What's The Difference Between a Server and a Sideboard?

/ Belfort Furniture/

Dining rooms host family meals, holiday gatherings, and milestone parties so choosing the right furniture is important. Dining room storage comes in many shapes and sizes with options like sideboards, buffets, hunt boards, servers, and china cabinets and more! But, what's the difference between all of these types of furniture? Here are some of our favorite functional and stylish sideboards, buffet’s, servers. credenzas and china cabinets at Belfort Furniture.  Keep reading for a quick lesson to learn the difference between these stunning storage furniture pieces that are perfect for serving in your home.

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Bring Style and Storage to Your Dining Room With In-Stock and Ready To Ship Dining Sideboards, Buffets and China Cabinets at Belfort Furniture- Washington’s Largest Selection of Dining Room Furniture.

Sideboards

1 - The Sideboard is a long low storage piece and will most often have a short leg and a cabinet. It is about waist height with a surface to place food upon while serving. The antique version of the side board is the hunt board which is taller. It was designed for people to stand around after a hunt. Sideboards are a great accent to your dining room. This District Sideboard by Belfort Select is a stunning rustic contemporary sideboard with two side doors with shelving behind and three middle drawers for plenty of storage and serving essentials.

Buffet’s

2 - A Buffet is really just a sideboard but with high legs and  storage. When a cabinet is added to the top it is called a hutch and used to display items.  The first buffet tables were used in Sweden for  large spreads of food known as Smorgasbords.  Depending on the room placement, a buffet placed in an entry or living room could be referred to as a sideboard or a cabinet. Buffet’s are great for hosting at home. Like this Rustic Patina Buffet by Bernhardt Furniture. This stunning buffet is the perfect accent piece for purpose, function and style in your dining space. This dining side buffet features plenty of storage and timeless style.

Servers

3 - Servers are smaller in scale and more formal, they may have drawers, doors or an open bottom. In a formal  restaurant, the server is traditionally a place where those serving the food can place the serving dishes. For our homes, the server is perfect for small dining areas. Add a server into your home for an easy, functional and purposeful way to host and serve your guests. This Nook Solid Wood Server by Kincaid Furniture is the perfect piece for serving in style easily. This server is small enough to fit into any space with plenty of storage including shelving, drawers and doors to hold your favorite china for serving and wine storage.

Credenzas

4 - Credenzas were historically used as a place to test food for poison before serving to royalty. They are usually designed low and long with slender legs and with a storage cabinet to the floor. Mid Century Modern styles are a strong design trend seen in today’s market. Like this Melange Classic Credenza by Hooker Furniture. This dining credenza features a matte gold-color metal frame with matching hardware, a wood exterior, and decorative glass-front doors perfect for storage and style.

China Cabinet’s

5 - The China Cabinet  was designed and built for Queen Mary in the late 17th century for displaying and storing fine china. It can be used for collectibles like books, small framed pictures or a combination of items. You can be creative here; do not feel locked into only displaying grandma’s china. The Brookhaven China Cabinet by Legacy Classic offers a new age trendy style to the traditional china cabinet. This china cabinet features a trendy modern farmhouse look with a stunning two-tone finish.

Shop Dining Room Furniture Including Table Sets, Servers, Sideboards and More at Our Clearance Outlet!

Visit our Clearance Outlet for great prices and special finds! You can find dining room clearance items all throughout our Main Showroom, Galleries and Design Showroom and Clearance Center. Shopping for dining room furniture in Northern Virginia and the Washington DC area? Visit Belfort Furniture at 22250 Shaw Road, Sterling VA 20166 . We guarantee you will find the perfect piece to compliment your dining room! Our Clearance Outlet is re-stocked daily – items are first come, first save!  Visit us often because you’ll never know what you’ll find.