Collection: Buffets & Sideboards

A buffet or sideboard is the workhorse of a dining or living room — it hides the clutter, stores the crockery and linen, and gives you a surface to serve from or style with lamps and decor. Melbourne Home & Living stocks over 500 buffets and sideboards, from $89, in oak, white and concrete-look finishes, held in our Melbourne warehouse and shipped Australia-wide with a 12-month warranty and 30-day change-of-mind returns.

What is a buffet or sideboard used for?

Traditionally it lived in the dining room, storing plates, glassware, table linen and serving dishes, with the top used to lay out food. Today it works just as hard in a living room (holding board games, media and barware), a hallway (keys, mail and a lamp) or a home office. The low, wide top doubles as display space for lamps, art, plants or a TV.

Buffet vs sideboard vs highboard

The names overlap, but there's a rough guide. A buffet is typically low and wide with a serving-height top, built for a dining room. A sideboard is the general term for the same low storage cabinet used anywhere in the home. A highboard stands taller and narrower, often with glass display doors up top — the pick when you want to show off glassware or save floor space. Choose by proportions and where it's going.

Doors, drawers or both?

Drawers are best for cutlery, napkins and smaller items you want sorted; cabinet doors suit larger dishes, appliances and things you'd rather hide. Many buffets combine the two. If floor space in front is tight, sliding doors are worth seeking out — they don't swing into the walkway the way hinged doors do.

Where will it go — dining, living or hallway?

Measure the wall width and leave room to open the doors or drawers fully. Check the top height suits its job: serving height for a dining buffet, or a comfortable display height in a hallway or living room. Match the finish to your dining table or entertainment unit for a pulled-together look.

Quick buyer's checklist

• Type: low buffet for dining, tall highboard to display and save floor space
• Storage: drawers for cutlery and linen, doors for larger items
• Doors: sliding doors save clearance in tight rooms
• Size: measure wall width and allow room to open doors and drawers
• Top: serving height for dining, display height for hallway or living
• Finish: coordinate with your dining table or TV unit

Frequently asked questions

How much does a buffet or sideboard cost?
Compact sideboards start from $89. Larger multi-door buffets and solid-finish highboards typically run $150–$350.

How long does delivery take?
Your order ships from our Melbourne warehouse and is delivered Australia-wide by our courier partners, with tracking emailed as soon as it's dispatched.

What about returns and warranty?
Every buffet or sideboard comes with a 12-month warranty. Change your mind within 30 days and you can return it for store credit, provided it's unused and in its original packaging.

Complete your dining and living space

A buffet pairs naturally with a dining table and dining chairs, and coordinates with a TV entertainment unit or coffee table in an open-plan living space.

Why shop with Melbourne Home & Living

We're an Australian family business based in Melbourne, online since 2016. We hold our range in our Melbourne warehouse and ship Australia-wide — no waiting weeks on an overseas container. Free shipping on most orders, plus Afterpay, Zip, Klarna and PayPal at checkout, a 12-month warranty and 30-day change-of-mind returns for store credit, and real help on 0412 607 153. Rated 4.8 out of 5 by Australian customers.