A sideboard is the quiet workhorse of a room. It runs low along a wall and swallows the things a living or dining room accumulates – plates and linens, cables and clutter, the record collection, the drinks tray – while giving you a clean surface on top for a lamp, a bowl or the television. A mid-century modern sideboard in birch plywood does it with the era’s calm, honest line: long, low, lifted on slim legs, with warm wood instead of bulk.
This guide covers how to choose one: what a sideboard, a credenza and a buffet actually are, what makes the look mid-century, the sizes and configurations on offer, and how to match it to your room – living room, dining room or record wall.
Sideboard, credenza or buffet – what’s the difference?
The names overlap, and we use two of them ourselves:
- A sideboard is a low storage cabinet that stands against a wall – the general term for the piece.
- A credenza is essentially the same thing in mid-century language: low, long, on legs, often with a mix of doors, drawers and open bays. We use “credenza” for our configurable 143 cm pieces.
- A buffet is the dining-room version of the idea – the same low cabinet, used for tableware and serving.
In practice they’re interchangeable: one long, low cabinet that stores a lot and sits calm in the room. Call it whichever you like.
What makes a sideboard mid-century modern?
The same restraint that runs through the era. A mid-century sideboard sits low and long on a slim leg, with openwork side frames rather than a heavy box, so it reads light despite its length. The birch carries the look – a clean top, flat doors, and the layered plywood edge left on show as the only decoration it needs. Ours stand at a standard 90 cm high and 40 cm deep, with Blum hardware on the drawers and doors and standard black powder-steel handles (other handles on request).
Getting the size right
Length is the first decision – how much wall it fills and how much it holds:
| Width | Best for |
|---|---|
| 97 cm | A compact sideboard for a smaller wall, hallway or bedroom. |
| 120 cm | The everyday size – storage that doesn’t dominate. |
| 143 cm | Our configurable credenza – the sweet spot for a living or dining room. |
| 166 / 189 cm | A long, low run for a big wall or a serious collection. |
Height is a standard 90 cm, and depth is 40 cm. If you want it to sit under a window or work as a media console, there’s a low 60 cm version (in 143, 166 or 189 cm). And because every piece is made to order, the width can be built to the exact wall you have.
Choosing the configuration
The 143 cm credenza is built around choice: you decide what goes behind each section, and it changes both the look and the use. Any mix of:
- Drawers – for flat storage and small things; the all-drawers layout for everything out of sight.
- Cabinets – doors for what you’d rather not display, as in the two drawers & cabinet or drawer & cabinet builds.
- Open bays – a shelf on show for books or objects, like the two open cabinets layout.
- Vinyl bays – sized to hold records upright, if the sideboard doubles as a record cabinet (more on that below).
Most people blend them – drawers on one side, a cabinet on the other, maybe an open bay in the middle. Tell us your mix in the Personalization field, or message us and we build it to order.
Living room, dining room or record wall
The same piece does very different jobs depending on where it lands:
- Living room – a media console and storage in one, the TV on top and the clutter behind doors. For a piece built specifically around a screen, see our guide to mid-century TV stands & media consoles.
- Dining room – a buffet for plates, glasses and linens, with a serving surface on top.
- Records – a credenza with vinyl bays keeps a collection upright with the turntable on top. Our guide to vinyl record storage & credenzas covers that setup in depth.
- Hallway or bedroom – the compact 97 cm width for shoes, keys and the things you want out of sight.
Why birch plywood makes a better sideboard
A sideboard is long, and length is where cheap material shows itself: a wide top in MDF or melamine-faced particleboard bows over time, and the printed edges chip at the corners you brush past every day. Birch plywood is built for the span – the cross-laminated layers stay flat and rigid across a long top, so it doesn’t sag under a television or a row of records. The drawers run on Blum hardware, the solid structure holds a screw for the long term, and the exposed layered edge is an honest detail rather than a foil that peels. Built to flat-pack, it also comes apart and moves house with you. (More on the material in our guide to what furniture is made of plywood.)
Our mid-century sideboard range
Each is made to order from certified Finnish birch plywood, hand-oiled in the finish of your choice, with Blum hardware:
- The 143 cm credenza – fully configurable: drawers & cabinet, all drawers, open bays and more.
- By width – the compact 97 cm and 120 cm, up to long 166 / 189 cm runs.
- Low version – the 60 cm-high sideboard for under a window or as a media console.
See them all together in the mid-century sideboard & credenza collection.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a sideboard and a credenza?
Very little – both are low, long storage cabinets on legs. “Credenza” is the mid-century term, often for a piece with a mix of doors, drawers and open bays; we use it for our configurable 143 cm pieces. “Buffet” is the same idea used in a dining room. In practice they’re interchangeable.
What size sideboard should I choose?
Match the width to your wall: 97 cm for a compact spot, 120 cm for everyday, 143 cm as the living/dining sweet spot, and 166 or 189 cm for a long run. Height is 90 cm as standard, with a low 60 cm version for under a window or as a media console. Depth is 40 cm, and since ours are made to order we build to your exact width.
Can I choose the mix of drawers and cabinets?
Yes – that’s the point of the credenza. Any section can be drawers, a closed cabinet, an open bay or a vinyl bay, in any combination. Note your layout in the Personalization field or message us and we build it to order.
Can a sideboard hold a record collection or a TV?
Yes. A credenza with vinyl bays keeps records upright with the turntable on top – see our vinyl storage guide. And the clean 40 cm-deep top takes a television; the low 60 cm version works especially well as a media console. For screen-first pieces see our TV stand guide.
Is birch plywood strong enough for a long sideboard?
Yes – more so than the MDF or particleboard in most flat-pack sideboards. Cross-laminated birch stays flat and rigid across a long top, so it doesn’t sag under a TV or a row of records, and it holds its hardware for years.
Can I order a custom size or finish?
Yes. Every sideboard is made to order, so the width and configuration can be tailored to your room, and each is hand-oiled in the finish of your choice. Note your choice when ordering, or message us first to confirm.
The short answer
Pick the width for your wall, the configuration for what you keep, and the height for the job – then let one long, low birch-plywood cabinet quietly organise the room. Sideboard, credenza or buffet, it’s the same honest piece, made to order and built to stay flat for years.
Browse the sideboard & credenza collection to start, or message Kasia if you’d like a custom size or layout.
