As fashion and fads come and go, one incredible type of antique furniture has evolved into a timeless storage option. With boundless versatility in both style and function, antique buffets have prevailed over the centuries, remaining a cherished staple in our homes.
Centuries ago deriving from simple shelving and trunks, antique buffets progressed into beautiful storage pieces with enclosed doors to serve as objects of practicality, craftsmanship, and artistic expression. As one of the oldest case pieces, antique buffets dating back to the 17th and 18th century started out as just two door cabinets, later evolving into three and four door models. Buffets of that era are legends in styles of Country French, Italian Renaissance, Louis XV, Louis XVI and Baroque. Antique buffets can be found in many styles, making them the perfect asset for setting the tone of any room. Certain styles are perfect for the casual surroundings while others are ideal for more formal settings.
Moreover, these amazing works of art are as striking in appearance as they are useful. The buffet was a profound addition to dining room décor, skyrocketing to popularity through each generations’ continued reverence for sharing meals with family and loved ones.
Using carefully curated local european wood and select exotic imports, master craftsmen created buffets in all shapes, sizes, and styles. With numerous variety in both appearance and practicality, antique buffets are no longer just for the dining room. Today they can be seen in cottage kitchens, townhouse dining rooms and even in bedrooms; as entertainment centers, elegant clothing storage, and proudly upholding holiday feasts. No matter which period or style you choose, the antique buffet or sideboard will be an integral part of any room in your home.
If you haven’t started adding antique furniture to your decor, an antique buffet is the perfect way to start. Below you will find a small sampling of dozens we have in stock in every style, with over a hundred in total to choose from at all times. We hope our selection inspires you to branch out with your use of buffets in your own home decor, continuing the rich history each piece holds with the lives of you and your loved ones.
This grand marble top solid oak Country French Buffet is perfect for creating a rustic Provençal decor that can serve as a grand setting for family gatherings and take center stage in the kitchen or keeping room. Hand-crafted from solid old-growth oak, this handsome Antique Country French Marble Top Buffet boasts a gable front contour, which is followed by the beveled marble above, with shell and foliate carvings dominating the cabinet and drawer fronts below. Boldly carved and molded, it has been stripped to a weathered oak for a more casual effect, and yet is perfect for elegant and carefree entertaining!
Truly a wonder to behold, this stunning Italian Neoclassical Marquetry Buffet made by “De Capitani Roma” was produced by master artisans from exotic burl woods and a variety of contrasting species inlaid into the door panels to create the appearance of two sets of mirror-image of cornucopia urns bursting with flowers. Even the bordering is inlaid with several woods to create an interesting trim. Imagine the skill required to shape the base wood behind the marquetry then overlay the marquetry in place with such a fine seam between the two all while producing a work of art in the process! The bronze ormolu adorners this buffet like fine jewelry, adding to overall opulent yet elegant effect. Four cabinets, four drawers and a generous serving surface make this a particularly useful work of art! Circa 1930s.
Hand-crafted on a grand scale from solid old-growth oak, this magnificent mid-19th Century French Renaissance Hunt Buffet will be an excellent choice as a bookcase or display case as well! Soaring over nine feet tall, it features scenes depicting the bounty of the earth appear on the rounded cabinet doors below with hen pheasants on the two center doors~all in glorious full relief sculpture. The serving surface is created by two carved pediments that support the upper glazed tier with candle shelves flanking each side of this amazing piece of antique furniture, leading the eye up to the exquisite pierce-carved drown on top.
Such pieces were commissioned by affluent Europeans during the middle of the 19th century to display their books, which were considered prized possessions in and of themselves, and to illustrate the fact that the proud owner was also afforded a higher education which was reserved only for the top 1% of the population, if not less! An impressive status symbol of its day, such magnificent works of the cabinetmaker’s art can be prized and adored for many more generations to come.
