Driscolls Antiques – Antique Furniture Blog

Antique tables for all forms of dining

Driscolls antiques stock all different forms of antique dining tables to suite all needs. We have rustic country tables to very fine dining room tables in lots of different sizes.

For a more formal dining room we would recommend our antique mahogany pedestal dining table from the late Edwardian era with 2 D shaped end tables that when not in use can be used as console tables. There is a central leaf that when in use is held firmly using brass clips. This style of antique table has 2 beautiful turned pedestals with splayed legs and brass castors. This is the ideal table for formal dining.

For more of a rustic farmhouse look we have a Victorian antique pine farmhouse table with a long rustic pine top above four painted legs. It is the ideal table for a country home and if you are looking for the shabby shic look.

If you want something in between we have walnut antique Victorian dining table with 4 chunky, turned legs and is a very sturdy table but has a very nice finish would suite both farmhouse or formal. it is a very nice antique table and we have lots more on our antique furniture website so check our tables under the antique dining table section.

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Georgian, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian small occasional tables

Driscolls antiques stock a large number of antique furniture for sale and our stock changes daily as we have a very quick turn over. We stock all periods of furniture and we also have a very nice selection of Georgian, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian small antique occasional tables.

From our antique Georgian mahogany occasional table with a circular solid mahogany top and turned pedestal. The geogian table has three splayed legs with pad feet.

For a beautiful regency example look at our Regency mahogany occasional table with two small mahogany lined drawers and turned handles. It stands on 4 turned reeded legs with brass cup castors.

A nice Victorian example would be our antique Victorian mahogany oval occasional table with an oval, moulded top with 4 tapering legs with brass cup castors.

A very nice Edwardian inlaid occasional table is our octagonal table with moulded top and inlay. It has 4 tapering legs with cross stretcher.

All these antique occasional tables are available on our website along with lots of other beautiful pieces of antique furniture.

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The usefulness of antique tripod tables

A very pretty and very useful type of small antique table is a small table called the antique tripod table. They can vary from early the Georgian period to the later Edwardian period and the earlier versions can last hundreds of years but are still in remarkable condition for the age. They were first seen in the early 18^th century were first mainly used to hold a candle on as they could be easily moved around the room where you needed light. There purposes soon changes as people realised how useful these little tables were and they were seen as occasional or wine tables and very often used as tea tables. These antique tables mainly have a hinged top that tilts up so it can stand against the wall when not in use so they do not take up too much room. Most also still have the original tilting mechanisms which have had years of use.

We often get good quality Oak and mahogany tripod tables and the best quality tables to look out for is the ones with a one piece solid top. Also a nice feature on some is called a dish top which means a raised moulded edge around the top and this protects items from being accidentally knocked off the table top.

These are extremely good and useful pieces of antique furniture and we stock all periods and sizes all available to see on our website, click the occasional table link on the left hand side to see the current available tripod tables.

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Whatever type of table you need for Christmas we have!

I cannot believe I am saying this but Christmas is approaching fast and it seems to have come around so quickly. At this time of year the mass of enquiries about charismas antique dining tables usually starts but this year we are prepared as we seem to have a good selection of antique tables in stock for every home.

From large formal dining tables like our huge antique Victorian mahogany dining table at 11 and a half feet long and would easily seat fourteen people. The antique table is constructed from mahogany with 4 cabriole legs.

Or what about our large Regency antique mahogany dining table with rounded corners above 4 turned legs.

If you need a more usable kitchen table then what about our Edwardian mahogany kitchen table with a solid mahogany top, drawers and 4 turned legs.

Or more of a rustic look for your kitchen would be our antique Victorian pine scrub top kitchen table with a solid pine scrub top and 4 tapering legs.

All are nice pieces of antique furniture and ideal for Christmas dinner but we always recommend to buy early as the closer to charismas we get the faster we sell out tables!

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Are antique coffee tables really antiques ?

Did the people in Georgian times and Victorian times really have coffee with coffee tables, well no this is a modern piece of furniture but many old antique tables do get converted to lower sizes and they make the ideal antique coffee table. The antique tables are cut down occasional tables, antique pedestal tables or sometimes large circular breakfast tables and they do look very effective. If you see any antique table on our website that you would like converting into a coffee table size, please email us and ask the question as many can be converted and we can offer this service if needed. With an antique coffee table it will have a beautiful patina and will be constructed from woods unlike the modern coffee tables and it will be over 100 years old so will fit with all antique and modern interiors.

A good alternative is also a vintage coffee table as they can sometimes still have a nice quality about them but will fit into a modern apartment.

For a modern interior we have a stunning vintage coffee table in stock at the moment and it is a burr ash Art Deco design coffee table with 4 simple squared legs.

For a more traditional interior look at our antique Victorian coffee table with 4 beautifully turned legs and constructed from walnut.

Both are beautiful pieces of antique furniture.

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Need a large antique table for your next dinner party?

How difficult it is to finding good quality very large antique dining tables, especially when you need one to seat 12 – 14 people. well we have just the table for you if you need a very large table for your next dinner party. It is a Victorian mahogany extending dining table that is 11.5 ft long and has 3 central removable leaves, winding handle and original winding mechanism. It can wind down to a six seater without the leaves and up to a fourteen seater when fully extended. The top of the antique table is solid mahogany with a moulded edge and rounded corners. The table stands on four chunky cabriole legs with large brass castors and unlike many larger tables is solid and flat when extended. You can definitely do some good dinner parties around this stunning piece of antique furniture and the good thing about this table is that it is deep enough to put serving plates in the middle of the table and still be able to dine comfortably.

pictures of the table when fully extended to closed.

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Where can I put my loose change?

I don’t know about you but I always come home with a pocket of loose change and I never know where to put it, so it ends up being spread all over my chest of drawers.

Well a customer of ours came up with a fantastic idea and it is to use either an antique teapoy or an antique work box in your hall and this can store all your loose change, keys or even used as a jewellery box.

As tea was in the height of fashion teapoys were made to store the tea but as tea became more available people turned to more work boxes for smaller pieces of antique furniture. Because not many people sew now then work boxes are not used for their main purpose so both the teapoy and workbox can have the new use of a box for all your loose change. we have a stunning work box that would be ideal for this purpose, it is a stunning antique mahogany workbox with a moulded lift up the interior is divided into three sections ideal for loose change, keys and jewellery so it can hold all three, one in each section. The antique workbox stands on a beautifully turned pedestal with scrolled feet and can fit anywhere in your house. Mainly this type of antique furniture is used as lamp tables but it is such a good idea for putting all the smaller items that you need every day and it hides them away and all you have to look at is a beautiful piece of antique furniture.

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Tables and Chairs to match

It is very rare to find exactly matching tables and chairs but we always get tables and chairs that go together extremely well. We have a very good example of an antique table and a set of antique chairs that go together perfectly. They came from the same house and they are the same period, the same style and are very similar in colour so fit like an exact matching set.

The antique table is an Edwardian antique walnut wind out dining table with a winding handle, winding mechanism and two central removable leaves. The top is solid walnut with moulded edges and rounded corners and the table stands on four cabriole legs with pad feet and porcelain castors.

The antique chairs are a set of 8 antique Edwardian mahogany dining chairs with tall shaped backs with a vase shaped back splat, stand on splayed back legs and elegant cabriole front legs with pad feet.

These pieces of antique furniture are stunning and would fit into most homes and have the added bonus of extending so it can be made larger at Christmas or when you next have the family around for Sunday lunch.

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Types of drop leaf antique tables we sell.

Driscolls antiques ltd always stock lots of different types of antique tables for sale and this is because there was lots of different designs built over the different periods. As England got wealthier in the 18th century new designs of antique furniture and antique tables arose as more middle class started to buy furniture. These designs usually came around from special orders that was built, like the antique Pembroke table, named either after the countess of Pembroke. These types of antique table are usually oval or rectangular in shape and antique Pembroke tables were often made of mahogany, with a single drawer in the centre and a drop leaf hinged to each side. They were usually kept against a wall and simply pulled forward when needed for meals, needlework, writing or drawing and was often used by the lady of the house.

The antique Sutherland table is similar but slimmer and smaller but it has the same uses. They are very small with a gate leg table and are very narrow in the middle with deep flaps. They were popular in Victorian times because it folded away so easily but gave a useful surface when needed. It was named after the Duchess of Sutherland. The antique sofa was another form of this type of antique table and this became most popular in the Regency times. It was a special design to be drawn up in front of a sofa, providing a surface on which to read, write or draw. It was a development of the Pembroke table, but was longer and usually has drawers on both sides.

All these antique tables are only one form of antique table that we sell as we stock many more different types and all cam be seen on our antique furniture website. We also have a very nice Victorian mahogany Sutherland for sale with two shaped drop leaves with moulded edges, stands on beautiful turned reeded legs with reeded supports, has a turned cross stretcher. See our website for details.

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Antique tripod tables in mahogany and oak

We often get very good quality antique tripod tables in mahogany and oak and this week we have two very good examples for sale.

We have an antique Regency oak tripod table with a circular moulded dish top above an elegant turned pedestal with tripod splayed legs and pad feet. We also have an antique Georgian mahogany bird cage tripod table with a circular mahogany tilt top with a catch and a bird cage mechanism. The table stands on a beautifully turned pedestal with tripod splayed carved legs and pad feet.

Antique tripod tables came around due to the very fashionable tea drinking in the late seventeenth century. A variety of antique tea or tripod tables were made for this purpose and the most popular form was the antique tripod table. This type of table was a three legged table and stands more steadily on an uneven floor rather than the four legged antique table.

The three legged antique tables originally were seen in the Roman times and were used for a lantern or candle stand. It was not until the 1730s that the antique tripod table with a single column and three curving, splayed legs was made. This design was mainly for wine glasses or tea cups, were as some would be used as a stand on which a silver kettle and its burner could be placed. Some of the antique tripod tables were designed to be low enough to fit beneath tea table when not in use and some often had dished tops to prevent cups or glasses being knocked off.

Antique tripod tables are simple in design with plain tops, rounded edges and they would sometimes have carved and decorated columns and bases. Most of this type of antique table would have tilt tops so they could be pushed out of the way against the wall after use. Rectangular antique tea tables with fold over tops were also popular in the regency period and they are similar to card tables but had a wooden interiors rather than baize that covered surface on the opened flap and were very versatile pieces of antique furniture.

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