Jams,

Jellys,

& Marmalades,

OH MY!

At what point does a parkway become a highway? Clementines and tangerines differ how (other than the latter also being a totally inaccessible financial institution)? Are we drawing chalk on concrete or are we drawing it on cement?

Synonyms are great when you’ve got a paper due tomorrow and bullsh*t is all that’s left in your arsenal of content, but when it comes time identify differences in words you’re so accustomed to throwing around interchangeably, alligators can’t also be crocodiles and visiting Great Britain doesn’t mean you’ve done time throughout the UK. 

Other than everyone’s favourite furniture classification Mid Century Modern (sorry sweetie, not everything can be Teak), one of the most common brow raisers in furniture distinction is the variance between credenzas, buffets and sideboards. From a trend perspective, we know credenzas are hot, buffets are less so and a sideboard can go either way. But wherein lies the real differences?

If you’re now with a full mouth of saliva as a result of your mind darting you into the direction of heat lamps keeping a schmorgesboard of assorted hot breakfast items warm, you’re not totally mislead. Buffets originated in Sweden, their use bled into France and they very quickly became a staple furniture piece throughout Europe where they almost always serve as a dining room piece. Height is what seperates a buffet from otherwise; buffets are found to be on taller legs in order to…you guessed it…host a buffet. 

Things get a little harry here in a football-meets-soccer kind of way. A credenza is an American term used to define a cupboard specific to a dining room. Credenzas are found to be on either short legs or no legs at all and are used for storage (think your moms turkey serving platter, the extra special placemats, etc.) though not without the intention to also host food service. The credenza got its start in 15th century Italy as a ‘check it for poison’ stop over between the kitchen and the royal mouth it was served to. 

We’re now in a kind of jam vs. jelly vs. marmalade situation with regards to introducing the sideboard. Once again, a sideboard is fit to host food with its long and low profile. It brings with it storage byway of of cabinetry below its surface, but have also been known to sometimes include a hutch piece above. The sideboard came from England and though at its start was a dining room piece, is now found throughout a home whether it be supporting a 65” TV in the living room, or housing seasonal gear nearby a front door. 

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So there you have it; the not-so-different differences between the holy trinity of large-scale, storage-boasting furniture. In our shop, we’re sometimes guilty of using the names interchangeably. Sunday Stroll centres around repurposed vintage furniture so technically, we’re not breaking any laws. And if we are; show us to jail (or is it prison?)