Furniture Table Styles

Furniture styles are generally chosen to match the personality of the owner and express creativity in choosing specific designs. This may not always be true, because sometimes furniture styles are based more along practical lines that have much to do with space and budget constraints. There are numerous furniture styles dating back to prehistoric times and the Stone Age farmers. Some of the furniture styles include Regency, Renaissance, Gothic Revival, Baroque, Louis Phillipe and modern contemporary. Does this Spark an idea?

Modern Contemporary Style

The dawn of the 20th century brought with it a whole new concept of furniture design based on innovative and futuristic thinking. New materials like PVC, plastic, chrome and the exploration of new ways of using existing materials led to a new range of tables, chairs, beds, couches and dining sets. Modern contemporary furniture serves two main purposes: it is functional and it is artistic enough for public display. This type of furniture is designed to reduce clutter and make a room look more spacious. Modern furniture styles offer a wide range of coffee tables, end tables, bar tables, bedside tables, dining tables, occasional tables and gaming tables.

Queen Anne Furniture Style

The Queen Anne furniture style was the last furniture to be named after a monarch from Europe. This style is now considered antique furniture, and period pieces from that era come at a high price. Queen Anne furniture is light and elegant, and is characterized by cabriole legs; delicate, padded pedestal feet; elegant woods; and backs shaped like fiddle necks. Queen Anne tables include drop-leafs of either oval, round or rectangular shape that made great space savers. Card and gaming tables were a Queen Anne innovation. Other table styles included coffee tables, end tables and occasional tables.

Rustic Furniture Style

Rustic furniture is made from branches, roots, logs, burls and bark. The furniture is simple in design, with an accent on contrasting textures, whimsical shapes and sculptural beauty. In the second half of the 19th century, the rustic tradition began in North America. Rustic style tables include dining tables, coffee tables, end tables, gaming tables, bedside tables and living room center tables. In modern times, rustic furniture is stained with a protective coating to give it a more professional finish.

Chippendale Furniture Style

Chippendale is considered the royalty of antique furniture and is one of the most well-known furniture styles. It dominated the American furniture scene until the 1770s and was known for its exquisite carving. The furniture reflects a variety of English tastes that were popular during the period, including Gothic and Chinese motifs. Chippendale tables and chairs made use of the Queen Anne cabriole leg style extensively. The tables feature Chippendale styles that include the lion's paw, late Chippendale, ball and claw, the club and the spade. The tea tables, for example, had Chinese-influenced fretted galleries (raised wood carving enclosing the top of the table) and cluster-column legs (carved legs resembling an animal's foot) inspired by Gothic styles.