A dining room is one of the most elegant rooms in the home. It’s the place where you can gather for a family meal, host friends and family for holiday dinners, or display your prized collection of antique dishware. But have you ever felt like something was missing from your dining room? If you’re looking for ways to enhance the look of the room, consider adding a sideboard to your dining room. The advantages of a sideboard in your dining room are many and will make the investment a worthwhile one for your home.
What Is a Sideboard?
First off, what is a sideboard? A sideboard, also commonly known as a buffet table or credenza, is a table that is used as an elegant storage solution and place for decorations. Typically, a sideboard has drawers designed for cutlery, dishes, napkins, candlesticks, and other dinging supplies. The surface of the sideboard can be used to display decorations or as an additional surface for serving food when hosting a meal. A sideboard is usually placed against a wall of the dining room. While a sideboard can also be used in other rooms, the dining room is by far the most common location for one.
Sideboards, Buffets, and Credenzas
While sideboards, buffets, and credenzas all have the same basic appearance and function, there are a few key distinctions between the pieces of furniture in the sideboard family. These differences are explained below.
Sideboard
A sideboard table has short legs or none at all, and cabinets that extend to the floor. Because of the style of their cabinets, sideboards look a bit like the built-in cabinets that you probably have in your kitchen and are a great solution if you need a lot of extra storage in the dining room.
Buffet
In contrast to sideboards, buffets usually have long, high legs supporting a few smaller cabinets or drawers. Buffets are more likely to appear in other rooms in the house than sideboards.
Credenza
Like sideboards, credenzas usually have either no legs or very short, skinny ones. Credenzas have cabinets that reach the floor and usually feature sliding doors. They are commonly used in other rooms of the house as entertainment consoles or for storage and display purposes.
Advantages of a Sideboard
Now on to the advantages of a sideboard. There are many! Below we describe just a few.
Adds To the Décor
The very presence of a sideboard in your dining room adds a touch of fanciness and style to the room. Sideboards are elegant, aesthetically pleasing pieces of furniture that come in a variety of sizes, colors, styles, and materials. If you are going for a classic, rustic look, consider a farmhouse sideboard. You can even add a hutch to your sideboard for extra storage space and a vintage style.
More Storage Space
Speaking of storage space, sideboards are a great solution if you find yourself constantly needing extra storage space. If you need a lot of extra space for dishes, kitchenware, holiday decorations, and more, consider purchasing a sideboard with both drawers and cabinets that reach to the floor. These cabinets will give you the extra storage space you need in a convenient location. Plus, since a sideboard looks so natural and appealing in a dining room, you won’t have to sacrifice style for function.
Improves Organization
Are you constantly struggling to find a good way to organize the dish sets, cutlery, and other dining ware that you only ever use on special occasions but can’t part with? A sideboard in the dining room will provide you with an excellent way to organize these items. The upper drawers of these tables are often specifically designed for the purpose of storing small, sometimes delicate cutlery and decorations, while the larger cabinets provide a safe, out-of-the-way location to store dishes and more.
Creates Display Area
Not only is a sideboard itself a nice visual addition to your dining room, but it also creates a place for you to display dishes and other decorations. The surface of a sideboard is a great place to display collectible plates, family photos, trinkets that you’ve collected on trips, art, and anything else that you can think of. Some sideboards come with a hutch where you can store and display your best dishes, so that they can be utilized as decorations even when they are not being used. By creating this extra display space, a sideboard can help you put the finishing touches on the decorations in your dining room.
Durability and Versatility
Quality sideboards are prized by many for both their durability and versatility. A sideboard made out of a sturdy material like wood will last for years. And the beauty of these pieces of furniture is that if you ever get tired of having the sideboard in your dining room or decide to rearrange your furniture, a sideboard is versatile enough that it can seamlessly transition to nearly any other room in your home.
Choosing a Sideboard
So now that you know the advantages of a sideboard in your dining room, how do you choose the right sideboard for your home? Take the following steps when purchasing a sideboard for your dining room.
Evaluate the Room
Before purchasing a sideboard, evaluate your dining room to decide what type of sideboard would work best in the space. How much space do you have for your new piece of furniture? What colors and styles would work with the furniture that is already in the room? What do you want the main function of the sideboard to be? These questions will give you a start on determining what kind of sideboard you want.
Consider Style
Next, consider the style of the sideboard. Do you want one that is more traditional, a contemporary style piece, or one with rustic, farmhouse vibes? Choose a style that helps to tie the room together and doesn’t clash with the other furniture in the room.
Consider Size
Sideboards come in a variety of sizes, so pick a length and height that fits in and suits the room. Before purchasing a sideboard, measure the walls, doorways, and other furniture in your dining room, and use that information to determine what size sideboard would fit best in the room.
Consider Material
Sideboards are usually made out of wood, but often include accents or details of different materials like metal and glass. Choose a sideboard made of a material that is both sturdy and visually appealing.
Considering all the advantages that a sideboard has to offer, a sideboard could be the perfect addition to complete your dining room. To find a classic, vintage-style sideboard, browse our selection at Vintage Mill Werks. Our sideboards, hutches, and cabinets will give your dining room the vintage touch and extra storage space that every dining room needs.
