French Country Buffets, Sideboards and Enfilades

The Buffet Bas

French country sideboards and buffets start with the buffet bas, the low buffet: two doors below, two drawers above, a molded top and short feet. It usually stands 36–40 in / 92–102 cm high, 47–59 in / 120–150 cm wide and 20–24 in / 50–60 cm deep. In walnut, oak, cherry or chestnut, with iron or brass escutcheons and long fiches hinges, it is the most common storage piece in the French farmhouse.

The Enfilade

The enfilade extends the buffet to three or four doors in a row, with a drawer above each, and reaches 71–98 in / 180–250 cm in length. It suits a long dining room wall and gives a serving surface for a full meal. Its length makes it heavy and difficult on stairs; check the route before anything else.

The Buffet Deux-Corps

The two-part buffet places a narrower upper cabinet, often with glazed or panelled doors, on a lower buffet. It reaches 79–94 in / 200–240 cm in height and separates into two pieces for moving. Check that the two parts belong together: matching wood, moldings, hardware and wear suggest a marriage was not made later, though some sound pieces are honestly described as married.

The Vaisselier

The vaisselier adds open plate racks above a buffet, with rails to hold plates on edge. It is the centerpiece of a French country kitchen and is covered in our guide to the French country kitchen.

Dining Room

Place the buffet on the long wall, opposite or beside the table, at least 36 in / 90 cm from the chairs. The top serves dishes during a meal and displays a pair of lamps or candlesticks the rest of the time. Hang a mirror or a painting above it, centered, with its lower edge 6–10 in / 15–25 cm above the top. See the dining room scenes.

Kitchen

A buffet replaces a run of fitted cabinets and gives a freestanding piece that can follow you to the next house. Use the lower shelves for heavy dishes and pots and the drawers for linen and cutlery. See the kitchen scenes.

Living Room and Hall

Under a television, behind a sofa or in a wide entrance, a low buffet holds games, records and anything that should be out of sight. In an entryway, a narrower model with a mirror above acts as a console with storage.

Look at the Back and the Top

Turn the buffet around before admiring the doors. Original backboards are usually planks set in grooves, with tool marks and darkened wood; replaced backs are plywood or fresh boards. Tops are often replaced or reversed because they suffer the most; a replaced top is acceptable when disclosed, and the Getty's catalogue entry for a pair of commodes shows that even museum furniture can carry later tops that must be described.

Doors, Drawers and Locks

Open each door and drawer. Doors should close without forcing and should not drag at the bottom; sagging usually means loose hinges or a frame out of square. Drawers should run on their runners without catching; worn runners can be rebuilt. Locks may lack keys; a working key is a bonus, a forced lock a repair to note. Check that hinges and escutcheons match from door to door.

Usable Interior Depth

Ask for the interior depth and the height between shelves. Backboards and door frames can reduce usable depth by 2–4 in / 5–10 cm compared with the exterior. Measure your largest serving plates and platters; a buffet that does not hold them becomes a display piece.

Antique, Vintage or Reproduction

An antique buffet is more than 100 years old and should come with written age documentation. Many 20th-century country buffets are well made and cheaper; they are vintage and should be described as such. Our guide to French country furniture explains how construction and wear separate the three.

A Pair and a Center

Two lamps or two candlesticks at the ends and one object in the middle, a tureen, a bowl or a stack of plates, is the simplest arrangement and the one that works best. Leave at least a third of the top empty. See candlesticks and candelabras.

Mirror or Painting

A mirror should be roughly two thirds of the buffet's width. A painting can be narrower but should not be wider than the piece. See antique mirrors.

Plates and Pottery

Display only what you use. Confit pots, faience and a few serving dishes work on top; the rest belongs inside. The broader rules are in our French country decor guide.

Moving a Buffet

Remove the drawers, lock or tape the doors and lift the piece by the frame, never by the top. A deux-corps separates into two parts; enfilades are heavy and need two to four people. Measure doorways, stair turns and landings with the piece at its smallest dimension.

Care

Keep the buffet away from radiators and sunny windows, which dry and fade the wood. Wax once or twice a year, dust with a soft cloth and avoid silicone polishes. The Canadian Conservation Institute recommends preserving old finishes when their condition allows rather than stripping them.

Where to Find One

The listings at Lo Cantou show buffets with dimensions and condition details. Designers working on a client project can send a brief to Antiques 360 and receive three documented buffets within 72 hours, with photographs of every flaw, age documentation and a landed-cost quote that includes the ISPM 15 crate, freight, insurance and brokerage.