I think sideboards have pretty much replaced china cabinets. They add visual interest and practical storage. You put decor on them and art above them. You serve food on them. There are so many contemporary options out there. I feel like a sideboard completes a dining room. More on reddit.com

I live in the same area: spar urethane works great on all my outdoor stuff, just keep it out of direct sunlight (if you can find any 😀).

All you need to do is thin it. For the brand I use it's mineral spirits, but check what thinner your label recommends. I thin mine 60:40-ish and paint on lots of coats. Thinning also helps cover all the textured bits.

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Humidity and temp posts incoming More on reddit.com

Buffet, sideboard, server, credenza: Do you find yourself using these terms interchangeably? I sure do! After all, there's so much overlap between these furniture types that a piece's classification is often determined solely by its location in your home. Here's four storage pieces: Sideboard: The distinguishing feature of sideboards, according to Houzz, are the short legs. The cabinets may also reach all the way to the floor. Buffet: There is no defining difference between a buffet and sideboard, but if the piece has relatively high legs, it may be referred to as a buffet instead of a sideboard. Server: A server is smaller, shorter, and more formal than a buffet or sideboard. Credenza: Historically a credenza referred to a piece of furniture with no legs and cabinets that reached to the floor, but many modern credenzas have legs. They're likely to have sliding doors as well. There is no difference between a sideboard and a buffet in terms of definition. A sideboard used in the dining room may be called a buffet, and when placed in the living room, called a sideboard. Historically speaking, buffets were first used in Sweden to lay out big spreads of food and drink, known as smorgasbords. The concept of buffet tables caught on in France and then throughout the rest of Europe. In practice, I have noticed that shops and manufacturers seem to call long, low storage pieces on higher legs buffets, and those on shorter (or no) legs sideboards. The word “credenza” comes from the English word “credence” and the Italian word for “belief” – which makes sense, considering the first credenzas were used as a place for food that needed to be tasted to test for poison before being served to a VIP. Early credenzas had no legs, just cabinets reaching to the floor. During the mid-20th century, credenzas enjoyed a renewed popularity among the modern design crowd – but the “new” credenzas tended to be long, low cabinets on slender legs, often with sliding doors. More on reddit.com