French Country Credenzas and Sideboards

Transform Your Home with French Countryside Sideboards and Credenzas

Ever wished you could live in a quaint cottage in the French countryside? While logistics may bar you from doing so, nothing is stopping you from creating a rustic French oasis in your very own home. Provincial and eminently elegant, the French country style is a refined look marked by lots of wood, airy, white-washed textiles, and the occasional use of stone. Often the centerpiece of provincial spaces, vintage and antique French country sideboards and credenzas possess a provenance and class that will last a lifetime. These pieces are usually low and long and intricately carved in walnut, oak, maple wood, and more. While the terms “credenza,” “sideboard” and “buffet” are used interchangeably nowadays, there are subtle differences that set these pieces apart. Credenzas have a long and low shape and are traditionally used in dining rooms as storage for dishes. Also placed in the dining room, buffets are differentiated by their taller shape and longer legs. Sideboards, on the other hand, usually have floor-length cabinets and specific spaces to display outward items. No matter the terminology, French country cabinets are all distinguished by their pedigree, molding and carvings, and metal touches like brass hinges and knobs. Many French Country sideboards and credenzas come from the Louis XIII period, which is characterized by simple shapes, dark tones, and twisted columns, and the Louis XV era, distinguished by curved forms and marquetry, the use of veneer on wood to create decorative patterns. If you’re looking for something a little less antique, look to American brand Ethan Allen, who occasionally made sideboards in the French country style.