Also called a sideboard, a buffet is a classic piece of wood furniture used in dining rooms to hold food dishes in a buffet setting — instead of a formal sit-down, served dinner.

Armoire The term armoire is of French origin derived from the Latin word "armarium," which signifies cupboard. It is a freestanding tall cabinet with two doors which open outward. Many armoires possess a two or drawer underneath the doors for additional storage. Unlike ordinary shelving, the contents in an armoire (which can vary from clothes to linens to a flat-screen tv) are hidden from view when the doors are closed. They are made of wood (with alloy hardware) and utilized in bedrooms and living rooms. Their styles can vary from the easiest Shaker style to a more ornate carved appearance.

Bachelors Chest Fantastic for a bachelor pad, or a lady's bedroom, this small, very low chest of drawers offers a wonderful place to store possessions. Bachelors chests include three drawers and are typically seen flanking the mattress like nightstands. They were awarded a manly name as they're often dark in color and made of solid wood. Design by Erinn Valencich

Bombe Chest The bombe chest receives its title from its curved edges and contour. The role of the chest is somewhat like a bureau or armoire glass shower door toronto . but its arrangement differs with the sides and front bulging outward and curving inward at the bottom. This swollen-looking torso is popular within the French Quarter style, with originated during Louis XV's reign in the 18th century. The torso frequently includes two to three drawers and features decorative hardware. Layout by Alia Meyer

Bookshelf Fairly self-explanatory, a bookshelf is a wooden piece of furniture with flat shelves to house publications and other ornamental items such as vases or pictures. The term can be used interchangeably with bookcase — though many in the latter term have glass instances to shield books from dust. The shelves can be fixed or movable depending on the design.

Breakfront Chest A breakfront torso is a cabinet that's divided into three vertical segments with the center segment projecting out beyond the rest. This protrusion appears to "break front" of their chest, thus the name breakfront chest. In modern day design, it's ordinarily used as a china cupboard or bookcase. Picture courtesy of Lexington Home Brands

Buffet Also called a sideboard, a buffet is a classic piece of wood furniture used in dining rooms to hold food dishes in a buffet setting — instead of a formal sit-down, served dinner. The item is used to exhibit china or silver and as storage. It consists of a horizontal top, with cabinets and drawers beneath, supported by legs. The elevation of a buffet is waist-high to adapt a diner.

Bureau Between Europe and the U.S., agencies are utilized for two entirely different purposes. In Europe, a agency is a writing desk. It has a fall-front writing valve which rests at a 45-degree incline when closed. When the hinged flap is open, it displays pigeonholes, small drawers and a little cabinet. If you are in the U.S., a bureau is called a chest of drawers, used for storing clothing. These bureaus frequently have a lot of drawers and come in various heights. Picture courtesy of Hooker Furniture

Cabinet A box-shaped slice of wood furniture, cabinets can stand alone in a space, be built to a space or stand alone like a medicine cupboard. Nowadays a cabinet may be made from synthetic material and hold any number of items in the home. The pieces usually have one or two doors which open outward and might contain a lock on the door(s). Picture courtesy of Wellborn

Chest of Drawers Also called a dresser or agency, this piece of furniture includes multiple flat drawers piled on top of one another that carry clothing items. The wooden pieces are rectangular in shape and usually have short legs which might be curved or straight. A torso comes in three-, five- or seven-drawer varieties. The height of drawers is waist top or shoulder high based on the amount of drawers. Image courtesy of Sarah's House

China Cabinet Like its name suggests, this kind of cabinet held fine china — according to its foundation, blue-and-white china especially. Throughout the reign of King William and Queen Mary (1689-1702), Mary (hailing originally from Holland) was fond of this china imported in Europe. She commissioned a cupboard to be forced to show off her very own collection. Today the cabinets are typically tall, rectangular closets with a glass door to exhibit its contents. Image courtesy of Sarah's House

Credenza A credenza is interchangeable with a buffet or sideboard. It's a horizontal cabinet with closed shelves utilized for storage. It has a long, flat surface which can be used to get a work surface or as a screen surface. Credenzas are often seen in foyers, dining rooms or home offices. Picture courtesy of Lexington Home Brands

Cupboard A cabinet is a type of cabinet and frequently made of wood. It's used to house numerous household items like food, linens or dishes. As its name suggests, it had been at one time a very simple table or board which held cups or cups. This piece dates back to the Middle Ages. In the previous few hundred decades, it has come to denote a storage room with doors. Picture courtesy of Universal Furniture

Dresser While it shares the exact same basic lines and fundamentals of a dining room sideboard, dressers hold accessories and clothing and are topped with dressing things like combs, brushes and cologne. Made from timber, dressers typically include a series of drawers and support a mirror at the top for dressing table. Picture courtesy of Stanley Furniture

Étagère An étagère is the best piece of furniture for keeping knickknacks and maintaining a room clutter free. This is a device with spacious shelving and includes several tiers, thus there is lots of space to display books and decorative accessories. Picture courtesy of Broyhill

Hutch A hutch is a enclosed pair of shelves or cupboards placed in addition to a table or buffet. You will generally see hutches in dining rooms, home kitchens and offices. Image courtesy of Camlen Inc

Jewelry Armoire Every woman wants a nice spot to house her jewelry, and a jewelry armoire is just the solution. This is a small and narrow vertical chest which has room for all of your necklaces, rings and other fashion accessories. The multiple drawers and compartments make organization easy. Picture courtesy of Hooker Furniture

Lingerie Chest/Semanier A lingerie chest or semanier is a tall and narrow chest of drawers usually found in the bedroom. It typically contains seven drawers and is used to store clothing, undergarments and lingerie. Picture courtesy of Hooker Furniture

Master Chest This piece of bedroom furniture can also be known as a chest on chest because it looks like a single chest stacked on top of another one. It's quite like a shoulder-high bureau with many drawers used for storing clothes. This sort of chest is typically located in traditional-style bedrooms. Design by Sue Adams

Nightstand Also called a night table or bedside table, this bit is almost always located next to a mattress. Its purpose is to store things which could be needed by a person before, during or after the night is over. Before modern plumbing, the nightstand has been the normal spot to find a chamber pot. Because of its first purpose, the design was originally small cabinets (sometimes outfitted with a drawer) to maintain the pot. Now they are used to carry books, an alarm clock or a glass of water. Picture courtesy of Erinn Valencich

Secretary Desk This piece of office furniture is constructed of a wide base of drawers topped with a hinged writing surface. The desk is topped by a bookcase — typically enclosed by a pair of glass or solid wood doors. The 3 components of the furniture piece seem as one tall arrangement but are detachable to make it easy to clean or move. Image courtesy of Thomasville

Sideboard Sometimes known as a buffet, a sideboard is a part that's used in the dining area for serving food, displaying silver or dishes, and storing different items such as napkins, tablecloths and candles. Made of wood, it is made up of level surface, a set of cabinets or cabinets and one or numerous drawers. The elevation is waist-high to accommodate a guest serving him or herself in a buffet dinner. This type of furniture piece can also be known as a server. Image courtesy of Erinn Valencich

Wardrobe A wardrobe is a large, upright cabinet with doors to conceal hanging clothes and drawers to hold folded clothes. Nowadays many wardrobes are refitted to be used as computer workstations or entertainment centers. Layout by Lori Dennis

Writing Desk A writing desk is a piece of furniture that is usually found in a house office; it can aptly be called a compact office. Originally its intent is for writing handwritten letters (today it could be for a laptop). It often offers a shirt which may be closed to hide present work and protect the surface. This purpose can be achieved through a rolling apparatus or could be folded. The most important surface could be folded down to provide more space in the room. Many styles have small drawers to store pencils, envelopes and other essentials. Picture courtesy of Revco