Arts Crafts Taboret
Late 20th Century Arts and Crafts End Tables
Ash
People Also Browsed
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Pedestals
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Antique Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Armchairs
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Side Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Side Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Mission Side Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1920s English Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Antique Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Antique Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1920s English Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Antique Early 1900s British Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Vintage 1920s English Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Antique Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Antique Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Recent Sales
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts End Tables
Oak
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Side Tables
Oak
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Side Tables
Oak, Leather
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Stools
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Side Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century American Side Tables
Oak
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Side Tables
Oak
Antique 19th Century English Stools
A Close Look at arts-and-crafts Furniture
Emerging in reaction to industrialization and mass production, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated handcrafted design as a part of daily life. The history of Arts and Crafts furniture has roots in 1860s England with an emphasis on natural motifs and simple flourishes like mosaics and carvings. This work is characterized by plain construction that showcases the hand of the artisan.
The earliest American Arts and Crafts furniture dates back to the start of the 20th century. Designers working in this style in the United States initially looked to ideas put forth by The Craftsman, a magazine published by Wisconsin native Gustav Stickley, a furniture maker and founder of the Craftsman style. Stickley’s furniture was practical and largely free of ornament. His Craftsman style drew on French Art Nouveau as well as the work he encountered on his travels in England. There, the leading designers of the Arts and Crafts movement included William Morris, who revived historical techniques such as embroidery and printed fabrics in his furnishings, and Charles Voysey, whose minimal approach was in contrast to the ornamentation favored in the Victorian era.
American Arts and Crafts work would come to involve a range of influences unified by an elevation of traditional craftsmanship. The furniture was often built from sturdy woods like oak and mahogany while featuring details such as inlaid metal, tooled leather and ceramic tiles. The style in the United States was led by Stickley, whose clean-lined chairs and benches showcased the grain of the wood, and furniture maker Charles Rohlfs, who was informed by international influences like East Asian and French Art Nouveau design.
Hubs in America included several utopian communities such as Rose Valley in Pennsylvania and the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony in New York, where craftspeople made furniture that prioritized function over any decoration. Their work would influence designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, who built some of the most elegant and iconic structures in the United States and likewise embraced a thoughtful use of materials in his furniture.
Find antique Arts and Crafts chairs, tables, cabinets and other authentic period furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right side-tables for You
While the range of styles and variety of materials have broadened over time, the priceless functionality of side tables has held true.
Vintage, new and antique side tables are an integral accent to our seating and provide additional, necessary storage in our homes. They can be a great foundation for that perfect focal piece of art that you want all your guests to see as you congregate for cocktails in the living room. Side tables are indeed ideal as a stage for your decorative objects or plants in your library or your study, and they are a practical space for the novel or stack of design magazines you keep close to your sofa.
Sure, owning a pair of side tables isn’t as imperative as having a coffee table in the common area, though most of us would struggle without them. Those made of metal, stone or wood are frequently featured in stylish interiors, and if you’re shopping for side tables, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
With respect to the height of your side tables, a table that is as high as your lounge chair or the arm of your couch is best. Some folks are understandably fussy about coherence in a living room area, but coherence doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t mix and match. Feel free to introduce minimalist mid-century modern wooden side tables designed by Paul McCobb alongside your contemporary metal coffee table. If you think it isn’t possible to pair a Hollywood Regency–style side table with a contemporary sofa, we’re here to tell you that it is. Even a leggy side table can balance a chunky sofa well. Try to keep a limited color palette in mind if you’re planning on mixing furniture styles and materials, and don’t be afraid to add a piece of abstract art to shake things up.
As far as the objects you’re planning to place on your side tables, if you have heavy items such as stone or sculptures to display, a fragile glass-top table would not be an ideal choice. Think about what material would best support your collectibles and go with that. If it’s a particularly small side table, along with a tall, sleek floor lamp, it can make for a great way to fill a corner of the room you wouldn’t otherwise easily be able to populate.
Whether you are looking for an antique 19th-century carved oak side table or a vintage rattan side table (because rattan never went away!), the collection on 1stDibs has you covered.
- 1stDibs ExpertAugust 15, 2019
The Arts and Crafts Movement was an era of design that originated in England during the last quarter of the 19th century. The movement celebrated traditional craftsmanship by way of simple forms and the use of romantic, medieval or folk styles of decoration.