Statton Drop Leaf Dining Table

Whether burnished or lacquered, antique, new and vintage brass furniture can elevate a room.

From traditional spaces that use brass as an accent — by way of brass dining chairs or brass pendant lights — to contemporary rooms that embrace bold brass decor, there are many ways to incorporate the golden-hued metal.

“I find mixed metals to be a very updated approach, as opposed to the old days, when it was all shiny brass of dulled-out silver tones,” says interior designer Drew McGukin. “I especially love working with brass and blackened steel for added warmth and tonality. To me, aged brass is complementary across many design styles and can trend contemporary or traditional when pushed either way.”

He proves his point in a San Francisco entryway, where a Lindsey Adelman light fixture hangs above a limited-edition table and stools by Kelly Wearstler — also an enthusiast of juxtapositions — all providing bronze accents. The walls were hand-painted by artist Caroline Lizarraga and the ombré stair runner is by DMc.

West Coast designer Catherine Kwong chose a sleek brass and lacquered-parchment credenza by Scala Luxury to fit this San Francisco apartment. “The design of this sideboard is reminiscent of work by French modernist Jean Prouvé. The brass font imbues the space with warmth and the round ‘portholes’ provide an arresting geometric element.”

Find antique, new and vintage brass tables, case pieces and other furnishings now on 1stDibs.

Antique and vintage drop-leaf and Pembroke tables are the perfect solution for those of us in the “space-conscious” category. These furnishings have long been a smart choice for homes, particularly if you’re working with an especially modest house or apartment.

A drop-leaf table is a table with a fixed center section, but on either side of that, there are hinged leaves that can be raised or lowered according to your specific needs.

Should you need to accommodate more guests for a dinner party, a drop-leaf table’s side pieces can be raised and locked into place on their hinges, which will extend the overall surface area of the table. If you’re thinking of serving buffet-style or need a place for dinner plates and other tableware, fold one half of the table down and tuck it against the wall, console-table-style, to make more space for the guests congregating in your dining room. When your dinner companions are ready to retire to the living room for a digestif, both drop leaves can be collapsed if you need a makeshift bar cart or if you prefer to stow away the table after dinner.

The Pembroke version of these tables was a lightweight iteration that is believed to have been named for the ninth Earl of Pembroke or his wife, the countess. It is said that the countess had a drop-leaf table commissioned for their home, specifically for the purposes of serving and eating breakfast. This Georgian-era furniture had an oval or rectangular tabletop, was usually outfitted with a drawer and was frequently made of mahogany. It was a popular furnishing that was made through the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

With its convenient transformative qualities, a drop-leaf table can be put to use in every room of your home. A Pembroke nightstand would render having breakfast from the comfort of your bed easier than ever, while a casual living-room drop-leaf end table can quickly be extended in order to make room for movie-night snacks or a family game. The appeal of these tables doesn’t end at 18th-century nobility or chess enthusiasts, however.

Furniture designers of mid-century modern drop-leaf tables explored various forms and worked with a range of materials in crafting these furnishings and even integrated elements such as wheels for extra convenience. On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of vintage and antique drop-leaf and Pembroke tables that includes sleek and understated iterations crafted by Hans J. Wegner and alluring versions in teak or rosewood designed by Kurt Østervig.