Styles of Table Legs

Table leg styles have been handed down through the centuries. The first table legs were simple planks. During the Victorian period furniture makers developed carvings and turnings. In contemporary times, people created tapered and pedestal legs for more modern applications.

Pedestal

One of the most popular of table leg styles is the single pedestal. This single leg is usually 4 to 6 inches square and hollow. This type of leg is used primarily for dining room tables or anywhere there is limited space. Usually the table top is circular. The single pedestal style can also be round like a very large dowel. To stabilize the leg, makers attach carved wood brackets or stylish feet to the bottom.

Queen Anne

Queen Anne legs appear on more expensive tables; in particular, the "winged corner" style has become the standard. The winged corner style is recognizable by a carved ball shape at the top. As the leg descends toward the floor, it delicately curves inward and gets thinner. At the bottom the leg slopes outward again with a carved foot, often looking like a cat's foot with claws.

Turned

Turned legs are very strong. They appear on very sturdy, heavy furniture and tables. Turned legs are usually cut from 4-by-4 lumber or even larger hardwood studs. The woodworker places the studs on a large lathe and turns them. Using special chisels, he cuts the legs into round patterns of any design. They can have consecutive circles stacked on top of each other or smooth round spaces intermittent with round balls. They can even have corkscrew patterns.

Tapered

The tapered leg is very common. It comes from the period of the late 1950s. The tapered leg looks fragile, but is not. The tapered leg starts out at the top where it's about 3 inches square. One side is cut away at an angle descending toward the floor where the leg is about 1 to 2 inches square. The tapered leg appears on small dining room tables.

Slab

The slab leg is one of the oldest in design. The slab leg was first used on religious altars and communion tables, and has since typified the example. The slab leg is a solid piece of lumber or plywood. It is almost as wide as the table itself. Usually about 3 inches thick, only two slab legs are on any table. The slab leg is very sturdy and gives any table a clean unified look. Slab legs are still common on chancel and sanctuary tables used in churches.