The Complete Handbook of Buffets & Sideboards
A Practical Reference for Choosing, Installing, Maintaining, and Profiting from Buffets and Sideboards
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
The practical reference for choosing, installing, and profiting from buffets and sideboards—written for professionals, not marketing.
About this book
Buffets and sideboards are more than decorative furniture. In hospitality settings, they're functional workstations. In homes, they're specialized storage designed for specific uses. Whether you're specifying pieces for a restaurant, selecting one for an estate, managing a resale operation, or advising clients on dining furniture, you need concrete information about types, specifications, installation, and maintenance—not marketing copy.
This handbook cuts past the noise and provides what professionals actually need: how to read buffet and sideboard specifications, the types and grades that matter, installation and usage best practices, maintenance and troubleshooting guidance, and real business opportunities in this category. The Complete Handbook of Buffets & Sideboards is written for professionals, businesses, serious hobbyists, and enthusiasts who want practical knowledge—backed by real-world context and concrete examples.
Reader Reviews
Donna Young
★★★★★I'm an interior designer and have been recommending pieces to clients for years, but I always felt like I was missing something when comparing specs. This book filled in all the gaps—now I actually understand door types, weight ratings, and why finish matters in hospitality contexts. My one gripe is that I wish there were more photos of actual pieces being installed, but the text is clear enough that I got the concept. Highly recommend for design professionals.
Jessica Sanchez
★★★★★Finally—a furniture handbook that doesn't treat me like I'm buying a decorative object. I run a restaurant and needed solid information about what makes a commercial buffet actually work for a 200-person event, and this delivered exactly that. The chapter on specifications and the troubleshooting section alone have saved me money and headaches. This is the book I wish I'd had five years ago.
Gary Clark
★★★★★I've been flipping and refinishing antique furniture for a decade, and I learned more about buffet and sideboard construction, hardware, and finishing from Chapter 2 and 5 than I expected. The material on finish damage and repair is practical and specific—not vague. If you're serious about this category, you need this book.
Nicholas Scott
★★★★★Solid handbook overall and definitely more thorough than generic furniture buying guides. My only issue is that some of the business opportunity stuff in Chapter 6 felt a bit thin—I would have liked more detail about actual margins in resale or what rental operations typically charge. But the core chapters are strong and the troubleshooting section is genuinely useful. Worth buying if you're in the business.
Mark Scott
★★★★★I restored a 1950s sideboard and wanted to understand the original construction before I started work. This book explained joinery, hardware standards, and period-specific finishes in a way that actually helped me respect what I was working with. The glossary is clear, the maintenance chapter is practical, and the whole thing reads like it was written by someone who actually knows furniture, not a marketing team. Excellent.