It is ten to nine on board day. The sandwich platters are on the end of the boardroom table, the conference speakerphone is in a box on the floor, and someone is hunting for the HDMI adaptor. The table and chairs are fine. What the room lacks is a long, low cabinet along the wall to hold all of it, and that is the job of boardroom credenzas.
This guide covers what a boardroom credenza should store, how high and wide it should be, and how it handles catering and AV. The examples come from our credenzas and buffets range.
What boardroom credenzas need to hold
First, list what lives in the room. It usually falls into four groups.
- AV and tech: the speakerphone, spare HDMI and USB-C leads, adaptors, a presentation clicker and batteries.
- Stationery: notepads, pens, whiteboard markers and name cards.
- Hospitality: glasses, cups, napkins and coffee supplies.
- Papers: board packs, minute books and anything confidential left between meetings.
Shelves suit the first three. Paper is better in filing drawers, where folders hang upright. The Virginia Walnut Potenza Credenza ($1,341) splits the difference, with two filing drawers in the middle and doors on the left and right for everything else. It is 1600mm wide, 425mm deep and 917mm high, in melamine on aluminium feet.
One gap: no lock is listed, so papers left overnight belong in one of the lockable pieces below.
Height: the credenza against the table
Height decides what a credenza is good at. Low units sit neatly under a screen, while taller ones make better standing serving counters because nobody stoops to pour a coffee.
Start with your table. The Virginia Walnut Potenza Boardroom Table (2400mm x 1200mm) (from $1,709) is 750mm high and seats 8 to 10 people on a one-piece top with shark-nose edging. The Virginia Walnut Premier Boardroom Table stands 720mm high. Against those, the credenzas in this guide fall into three heights:
- 720mm: level with or just under the table top, leaving the most room for a screen above.
- 800mm: a touch above the table, so platters are easy to reach standing up.
- 917mm: close to kitchen bench height and the most comfortable for standing service, but it takes more of the wall under a screen.
A serving top for catering
If the room hosts working lunches, the credenza top becomes the buffet. The Counter Credenza ($1,761) suits that role, with a stone top over a high gloss white 2 pack finish. It stands 800mm high and only 395mm deep, so it takes the least floor space of the pieces here. Hinged doors open to a single shelf inside.
Stone is the most forgiving surface in this group for platters, jugs and the odd spilt coffee. On laminate and melamine tops, put a tray or heat mat under the urn and wipe spills promptly. High gloss shows fingerprints, so keep a soft cloth in the cupboard with the napkins.
The trade-off is depth. A 395mm top holds a row of platters with glasses behind, but little else. For weekly catering, a 450mm-deep top gives more margin.
Doors, locks and cable access
Hinged doors need swing space, and a chair pushed back against the credenza can block them. Sliding doors avoid that. The Glossy White Counter Buffet ($1,226) has two sliding lockable doors with a chrome handle and an adjustable shelf on each side. It measures 1800mm wide, 450mm deep and 720mm high, in Glossy White or Metallic Grey/Gloss White.
Locks matter more in a boardroom than people expect. The room is shared: other teams book it, visitors wait in it and cleaners come through after hours. The Virginia Walnut Premier Credenza (from $438) is the lower-cost lockable option, with adjustable shelves and 25mm thick tops over 25mm end construction. It comes in 1500mm or 1800mm lengths, both 450mm deep and 720mm high.
None of the credenzas here lists cable cut-outs or built-in power. Treat them as storage for AV spares, and keep powered gear on top, near a wall outlet. At the table, the Potenza can be ordered with a cable tray to keep cords tidy.
Width, finish and placement under a wall screen
Measure the wall before you choose a length. A credenza looks deliberate when it is a little wider than the screen above it and clearly shorter than the table in front. A 65-inch screen is about 1.44 metres wide and a 75-inch screen about 1.66 metres. A 1500mm or 1600mm credenza suits the first, and an 1800mm unit frames the second.
Then check the floor. Allow about a metre between the table edge and the credenza front, so a seated person can push back and someone can still walk behind. If the room is tight, the 395mm-deep Counter Credenza or the 425mm-deep Potenza gives back a few centimetres.
Catering served under the screen means people walk in front of the presentation. If one unit does both jobs, a side wall usually works better.
| Credenza | W x D x H (mm) | Storage | Lockable | Price | Best boardroom job |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Walnut Premier Credenza | 1500 or 1800 x 450 x 720 | Adjustable shelves | Yes | from $438 | Locked AV and stationery under a screen |
| Glossy White Counter Buffet | 1800 x 450 x 720 | 2 sliding doors, adjustable shelf each side | Yes | $1,226 | Tight rooms with no swing space |
| Counter Credenza | 1608 x 395 x 800 | Hinged doors, single shelf | Not listed | $1,761 | Catering on a stone top |
| Virginia Walnut Potenza Credenza | 1600 x 425 x 917 | 2 filing drawers, 2 doors | Not listed | $1,341 | Board papers and standing service |
Finish is the last check. The simplest match is one range: the Potenza table and both Virginia Walnut credenzas mix and match with the Virginia Walnut Premier Collection. The Potenza credenza does pair walnut fronts with a white body. If you cannot match exactly, contrast on purpose: a white credenza against a walnut table reads as a choice, while two slightly different walnuts look like a mistake. Browse boardroom tables and meeting tables by finish to line them up.
If the manager's office next door needs a credenza too, our guide to furnishing a manager's office that works covers the one behind the desk.
Planning around the Australian financial year
With a 30 June year end, many Australian organisations run budget sign-offs and audit committee meetings in the months that follow. Under the Corporations Act, public companies must hold their annual general meeting within five months of year end, which for a June year end means by 30 November. Spring is often the boardroom's busiest stretch, with more catering and more paper in the room.
Plan for lead time. Most items dispatch within 3 to 12 business days, and made-to-order items take longer, as shown on the product page. Deliveries go to the ground-floor entrance and arrive flat-packed unless the product page says assembled, so book the goods lift and allow assembly time. The Delivery line on each product page here lists metro Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Boardroom credenzas — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a credenza and a buffet?
In office furniture the two words are used almost interchangeably for a long, low cabinet against a wall. "Buffet" hints at serving food, but size, doors and top matter more than the label.
How high should a credenza be in a boardroom?
Around table height, 720mm to 750mm, suits a credenza that sits under a wall screen. For a standing serving counter, 800mm or more is more comfortable.
How much space do you need between a boardroom table and a credenza?
Allow about a metre from the table edge to the credenza front, so a seated person can push back while someone walks behind. In tighter rooms, a slimmer unit with sliding doors helps.
Can you put a TV on a credenza in a meeting room?
You can, but a wall-mounted screen above it is usually tidier and frees the top for catering. If the screen stands on top, check its stand fits the depth and secure it so it cannot tip.
Shop the range
The full credenzas and buffets collection has more widths, heights and door styles. For a lockable piece at table height, start with the Virginia Walnut Premier Credenza. Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
