Tillman Oval Table

Specializing in Regency-style furniture reproduction, cabinetmaker William Tillman was one of the finest woodworkers in England, both in the restoration and recreation of heritage pieces. By the late 1950s, he had a team of 25 employed in his antique furniture restoration business. He later expanded his work into reproducing some of these pieces alongside his sales of antique furniture. In the 1970s, he opened a gallery for this work in central London’s prestigious St. James’s neighborhood. 

Tillman became known for his expertly crafted reproductions of 18th- and early 19th-century English furniture styles such as Regency, Sheraton, Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Georgian, particularly pieces for the dining room and boardroom. Considered some of the highest quality reproductions, Tillman’s exceptional dining room sets and other mahogany furniture won three consecutive Showpiece of the Year awards, presented by the British Furniture Manufacturers. They remain collectors’ items prized among savvy furniture collectors.

After Tillman retired from the furniture business in the late 1990s, a major 1998 sale at Sotheby’s featured his collection and elegantly made reproductions. 

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage William Tillman dining room tables, seating and storage case pieces.

The right vintage, new or antique tables can help make any space in your home stand out.

Over the years, the variety of tables available to us, as well as our specific needs for said tables, has broadened. Today, with all manner of these must-have furnishings differing in shape, material and style, any dining room table can shine just as brightly as the guests who gather around it.

Remember, when shopping for a dining table, it must fit your dining area, and you need to account for space around the table too — think outside the box, as an oval dining table may work for tighter spaces. Alternatively, if you’ve got the room, a Regency-style dining table can elevate any formal occasion at mealtime.

Innovative furniture makers and designers have also redefined what a table can be. Whether it’s an unconventional Ping-Pong table, a brass side table to display your treasured collectibles or a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk to add an air of nostalgia to your loft, your table can say a lot about you.

The visionary work of French designer Xavier Lavergne, for example, includes tables that draw on the forms of celestial bodies as often as they do aquatic creatures or fossils. Elsewhere, Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who looked to Roman architecture in crafting her stately Jumbo coffee table, created clever glass-topped mobile coffee tables that move on bicycle tires or sculpted wood wheels for Fontana Arte. 

Coffee and cocktail tables can serve as a room’s centerpiece with attention-grabbing details and colors. Glass varieties will keep your hardwood flooring and dazzling area rugs on display, while a marble or stone coffee table in a modern interior can showcase your prized art books and decorative objects. A unique vintage desk or writing table can bring sophistication and even a bit of spice to your work life. 

No matter your desired form or function, a quality table for your living space is a sound investment. On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage, new and antique bedside tables, mid-century end tables and more .