Console, Sideboard and Buffet: Which One Goes Where?

Short answer: a console is a narrow, long table that stands against a wall (usually 35-45 cm deep); it is used in an entrance hall, a corridor or behind a sofa. A sideboard is a type of console that usually comes with its mirror and has a display surface on top; it is part of dining room and living room sets. A buffet (display cabinet) is deeper and storage-led (45-55 cm deep), with closed compartments for keeping crockery and cutlery. In short: a console gives you a surface, a sideboard gives you a surface plus visual effect, and a buffet gives you storage.

Console, sideboard and buffet in a table

↔ Scroll the table sideways to see all of it.

In practice these boundaries are not sharp: a console set with a mirror is also called a sideboard, and some people call a deep sideboard with drawers a buffet. When choosing a product, look at the depth and the door/drawer arrangement rather than the name — that is what decides it.

Where is a console used?

• Entrance hall: where keys, bags and post collect. A mirror above, a woven basket or shoe rack below.
• Corridor: in a narrow corridor a console 35 cm deep does not block the way and makes the wall useful.
• Behind the sofa: in an open-plan living room, a console at the back of the seating group defines the space without dividing it.
• Opposite the television or on a side wall: as a display surface.
• Bedroom: it can also be used as a dressing table; in that case you need a pouffe in front of it and good lighting.

As an example, the Luna Sideboard is a two-piece set for an entrance hall or living room, with a dark wooden top and a travertine-textured stone block; the sideboard and mirror come together, the top surface makes room for keys and vases, and the space beneath takes a bag or basket.

Dimensions: how many cm should a console be?

• Depth: 30-35 cm in a narrow corridor, 40-45 cm in a living room. Over 45 cm narrows the walkway.
• Height: 75-90 cm is standard. Choosing close to dining table height (75-78 cm) gives an aligned look within the room.
• Width: about two thirds of the wall length. A console that fills the wall completely looks cramped.
• Relation to the mirror: the mirror should be narrower than the console, leaving 10-15 cm on each side. Leave 15-25 cm between the console top and the bottom edge of the mirror.
• Walkway allowance: at least 70 cm of clear space in front of the console.

When planning the overall layout, weigh these dimensions together with the walkway table in our article on how to furnish a small living room.

Sideboard or buffet for the dining room?

The decision depends on whether your need is storage or appearance.

• If storage is the priority, a buffet. Dinner services, serving pieces and table linen gather in closed compartments. In dining room sets the buffet and display cabinet are usually considered together.
• If the room is narrow and you want a striking surface, a sideboard. It takes less depth and, with its mirror, enlarges the room.
• If neither will fit: a console plus a wall-hung mirror is the solution that takes the least space.

We covered why each piece comes in a dining room set, and how to choose one, in our article on how to choose a dining room set. To see the models, look at the dining room category; in the Grande dining room set, for example, a mirrored console is part of the set alongside the table and chairs.

We listed whether a console counts as a standard part of the set, and what else a set contains, in our article on how many pieces are in a dining room set.

How do you arrange the top of a console?

A console is the surface in the home that gets untidy fastest. There is a simple method that keeps it in order: the rule of three zones.

• Left zone — height: a vase, a lamp or a tall object.
• Middle zone — empty: leave it clear for everyday use (keys, phone).
• Right zone — mass: a stack of books, a box or a small dish.

Think of objects in groups of three rather than one by one, and vary their heights. Following the 60-30-10 rule on colour and repeating your accent colour here ties the hallway to the living room.

What to look at when buying

• Body material and thickness: the main factor in the life of panel furniture; details are in our article on the difference between MDF, chipboard and solid timber.
• Drawer runners: full extension and soft close are noticed immediately in daily use.
• Top strength: if heavy objects will go on it, look at the thickness of the top and how the legs are joined.
• Mirror fixing: is the mirror fixed to the wall or resting on the top? In homes with children, fixing to the wall is essential.
• Edge banding: where the banding is not cleanly applied, moisture gets into the body over time.