American Sideboards

Despite etymological confusion, there are few things that distinguish buffets and sideboards. For many, the real difference is simple: a sideboard used in the dining room is considered a buffet, while when situated in the living room it's known as a sideboard.

Historically speaking, buffets were probably first used in Sweden to spread out food and drink in meals called smorgasbords. The use of buffet tables caught on in France and then spread throughout the rest of the European continent before making their way to the United States. Another take on history suggests they were likely born in England as a simple plank set atop trestles or as a wall shelf.

Though sideboards were originally created as supplementary serving spots in dining rooms, American culture has expanded their use. These days, sideboards can be pressed into service for everything from linen storage to home-office work surfaces.

Quick Facts

• A 19th-century Federal inlaid mahogany sideboard by Meier & Hagen of New York sold at a February 2008 Neal auction for $18,212
• In 2006 at Bonhams, an early 19th-century Federal Mid-Atlantic mahogany inlaid four-dour, tapered-leg sideboard sold for $2,987
• In 2002 at Skinner, an American mid-century modern sideboard crafted in mahogany sold for just $29, well below its $200 to $300 estimate