Buffet vs. Sideboard vs. Hutch: What’s the Difference?
No, you’re not a rule breaker. You might have a sideboard in your dining room or a buffet in your living room, since they’re very similar and the terms are often used interchangeably, especially depending on where and how they’re used.
When it comes down to it, sideboards, buffets, and hutches share the common goals of providing storage and offering a serving area or a display space. Here are the subtle differences that set them apart.
Buffet vs. Sideboard vs. Hutch
| Furniture Piece | Typical Use | Common Features |
|---|---|---|
| Buffet | Dining storage | Long, with drawers and cabinets |
| Sideboard | Versatile storage | Similar to buffet, often lower height |
| Hutch | Display + storage | Similar to a buffet, often lower height |
Table of Contents
What is a Buffet?
A buffet is a long, low piece of furniture designed for serving food and storing dining essentials. Traditionally used to lay out a variety of dishes for self-service, buffets offer spacious storage with drawers and cabinets below. Their horizontal design makes them ideal for hosting meals and organizing kitchen or dining room items.
- Originating in Sweden, they started as tables used to serve pre-dinner drinks and then developed into “smorgasbord” tables for serving food.
- Popular choice for laying out a wide variety of food for self-serving
- Offer more space horizontally than vertically, which is more conducive to hosting buffet-style meals
- Typically located in dining rooms, but have become popular in the kitchen for storing and serving
- Often have medium to long legs that support cabinets or drawers
- Offer plenty of drawer and cupboard space
What is a Sideboard?
A sideboard is a versatile, low-profile storage cabinet traditionally used in dining rooms to serve food and store dishes. With its narrow depth and short legs, it fits easily in various spaces from hallways to living rooms. When placed in the dining area, it can also be called a buffet.
- Originally used to serve food, over time, drawers and cupboards were added to store dishes and other household items.
- A long, low cabinet often with short legs; some sideboards have cabinets that extend all the way down to the floor
- Narrow depth allows them to fit in smaller spaces.
- Called a buffet when used in the dining room for serving food, displaying dishes, and storage
- Versatile, can be used in living rooms, dining areas, kitchens, hallways, and foyers
What is a Hutch?
A hutch is an upper shelving or cabinet unit placed on top of a lower storage piece like a buffet or sideboard. It adds vertical storage and display space, perfect for showcasing dishes or storing kitchen items. While common in dining rooms, hutches can also bring extra storage to bedrooms, foyers, and home offices.
- A hutch is a set of shelves or cabinets added on top of a lower storage unit
- Provides added storage and display space
- Popular in the dining room or kitchen, but a hutch is very versatile and can be used as extra storage anywhere from the foyer to bedroom.
Buffet vs. Sideboard vs. Hutch: How to Choose?
Consider Your Storage Needs
Are you going to need closed storage for dishes, linens, and other kitchen/dining items? If you prefer to store such items without everything being on display, all three options come with closed storage.
If you’d like a mixture of closed storage and some display shelves, opt for a hutch that features both. You might want to hide the dishes but display a unique statue of a chicken. Find the perfect Amish-made hutch or corner hutch from DutchCrafters.
Think About Your Available Space
If you are considering a limited space, then a sideboard is a great option. It features slim, closed storage. The buffet offers wide drawers and cabinets for large dining room storage.
If you need storage and/or display in a large dining area, you might opt for the buffet or hutch to make a statement with more accommodation. Make sure you measure the wall space and carefully compare your available space to the piece’s dimensions, particularly when purchasing a large hutch.
Decide How You’ll Use It
- Hosting large gatherings? A buffet is ideal for laying out food for self-service.
- Want to display china or décor? A hutch with glass doors offers vertical display space.
- Need versatile storage? A sideboard works well beyond the dining room — in living rooms, foyers, or offices.
Match Your Style & Décor
As always with solid wood, Amish-made furniture from DutchCrafters, you will have a wide variety of options to customize your furniture to match your style. Our furniture is heirloom quality and American-made. In other words, you are going to have it for a long time, for generations.
Consult with one of our trained furniture specialists to ensure you select the perfect wood type and stain for your Amish furniture.
Shop Amish-Made Dining Storage Furniture
More Amish Dining Furniture Resources
- Dining Table and Chair Sizing Guide
- Trestle Table vs. Leg Table
- How to Match Dining Chairs and Dining Tables
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Seth Carter has been with DutchCrafters since 2020. Seth has won multiple awards for his work in Amish furniture while with DutchCrafters. He has advised and partnered with more than 150 Amish wood shops on furniture presentation, design, industry trends, product options, and the development of exclusive products. He is originally from Indiana and even lived in Amish country (LaGrange, Indiana) for an extended period of time while working with DutchCrafters. Seth was previously in charge of DutchCrafters' Amish bedroom furniture category. He was eventually promoted to lead the team that managed every product in DutchCrafters' world's largest online collection of Amish furniture.
