What is the purpose of a tilt top table?

A tilt top table is a type of table where the top is attached to the central pedestal on a hinge that can be turned horizontally to reduce space when not in use.

A tabletop is the flat, horizontal part of a table that is supported by the table’s legs. It is the part of the table where your meals are served. Tabletops come in various shapes, sizes and designs, and a variety of tables can be found on 1stDibs.

What is a Formica table top?

Formica table tops are tabletops that are made of a composite material invented for industrial products in the early 1900s. Formica, today, is one of the brands that produces HPL, a high-pressure laminate that is heat-resistant and durable and ideal for use in tabletop construction. Find a collection of antique and vintage tables on 1stDibs.

What is the most durable table top?

Solid wood has largely been hailed as one of the most durable table tops, specifically oak and birch. Oak has an open grain and shows the least wear and tear. You can shop a selection of wood tables from some of the world’s sellers on 1stDibs.

What is a plank top table?

The plank top table is a modern interpretation of the traditional harvest table. Some plank top tables from modern brands feature cosmetic grooves in a solid tabletop that allow them to appear planked. The grooves are superficial, but this feature allows the boards to work together without the threat of gaps materializing. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage plank top tables.

What is a flip top table?

As the name suggests, a flip top table is that piece of furniture with a hinged leaf that lies flat on the top of the table and folds outward to double the size. Flip top tables are both elegant and stylish and can add a modern element to any room at home, a workplace or at school. The tables are easy to set up and help create ample space for use. Find a collection of antique and vintage flip top tables on 1stDibs.

What is the top of a table called?

The top of a table is called a tabletop. Makers craft tabletops out of a variety of materials, including wood, metal, glass, concrete, marble, ceramic and quartz. In most cases, the tabletop rests on a component called the frieze, skirt or apron, which connects to the table legs. Find a diverse assortment of antique, vintage and contemporary tables on 1stDibs.

What is a tray top coffee table?

Tray top coffee tables are coffee tables with long, flat rectangular surfaces that are supported by an x-frame base. Low tables that were initially used as tea or coffee tables have been around since at least the mid- to late-1800s. After coffee drinking and “coffee breaks” became popular, it didn’t take long for coffee and cocktail tables to become a design staple and for consumers to recognize their role in entertaining no matter what beverages were being served. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary tray top coffee tables from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.

Is a lacquer table top durable?

Yes, lacquer table tops are extremely durable and add a glossy look to furniture. Lacquer is a clear coating that provides a durable seal and an attractive sheen on wood furniture. Shop a selection of lacquered wood furniture, including tables, on 1stDibs.

How do you attach a marble top to a table?

Before attaching a marble top to a table, make sure the table can handle the weight. Then, clean the surface and apply a silicone adhesive and attach the marble. Save the hassle and shop a selection of furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

How high should a lift top coffee table be?

The height of a lift top coffee table should match the sofa or chairs that it is used with. The top of the coffee table should reach the height of the seat of the sofa, or within one to two inches lower than it. On 1stDibs, find a range of lift top coffee tables.

What is the best thickness for a glass table top?

The best thickness for a glass table top depends on usage. If the glass is used just as a cover, then ¼-inch thick glass is likely good enough. If the glass will be used is as a table surface, then you should choose the thickness of the glass according to the size of the table. If the glass used is supporting heavy items, or its size is more than 24 inches, then choose glass that is thicker than ¼ inch. Thicker glass will feel and look more substantial, but thicker glass becomes heavier with increasing size. On 1stDibs, find antique and vintage glass-top dining room tables, glass-top coffee tables, side tables and more.

Should I put a glass top on my dining table?

Yes, you should put glass on top of your dining table to minimize scratches and wear. Glass allows you to see the beauty of the wood while protecting it from everyday wear.

What can I substitute for a glass coffee table top?

You can substitute a number of things for a glass table top. Try painted wood, marble or sheet metal. To decide what to use, consider the overall style of your room and the other types of materials featured in the space. Shop a selection of tables from some of the world's top sellers on 1stDibs.

What do I put on top of a large coffee table?

What you put on top of a large coffee table really comes down to a matter of preference. Candles, books and decorative bowls are common design choices. You can shop a variety of coffee table goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

Is epoxy resin good for table tops?

Yes, epoxy resin is good for finishing table tops. It is a pourable, self-leveling resin perfect for preserving table tops, bar tops and counters. On 1stDibs, you can find vintage and contemporary resin-topped furniture from top sellers around the world.

Is glass or wood a better coffee table top for a mid-century modern living room?

Wood tops feel warmer and closer to the era's original materials, while glass tops show off a rug or floor beneath and read slightly more contemporary; both are common in period-correct pieces.

Tilt Top Tables

Chippendale Mahagony Dining Table

English Mahogany Pedestal Dining Table

George III Mahogany Dining Tables

English 19th Century Oak Dining Table

Mahogany Table Ball And Claw

Piecrust Table

Category

Early 20th Century American American Classical Dessert Tables and Tilt-t...

Materials

Wood

19th Century English Regency Mahogany Tilt-Top Table

$1,350

19th Century English Regency Mahogany Tilt-Top Table

Located in Doylestown, PA

This is a lovely English Regency mahogany tilt-top table on a tripod pedestal base, England, circa 1820.

Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Dessert Tables and Tilt-top T...

Materials

Mahogany

Onyx and Brass Bamboo Tilt-Top Table

$12,500

$1,950

$5,040

Antique Rare Italian Tilt-Top Table Dessert Table Carved and Turned Solid Walnut

By Bassano's Ebanisteria

Located in Vigonza, Padua

This is an antique Italian rare and elegant tilt-top table, side table, coffee table in carved and turned solid walnut find in Asolo -Treviso, restored and wax polished.

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Italian Baroque Dessert Tables and Tilt-top Ta...

Materials

Walnut

Fine 18th Century Antique Georgian English Mahogany Tilt-Top Table

$2,542

Fine 18th Century Antique Georgian English Mahogany Tilt-Top Table

Unavailable

French Tilt Top Table

Located in Fredericksburg, TX

Perfect patina on this fine tilt top table.

Category

Antique 19th Century French Dessert Tables and Tilt-top Tables

Materials

Wood

Georgian Tilt-Top Table

Unavailable

H 27.56 in W 30.71 in D 30.71 in

Georgian Tilt-Top Table

Located in Salisbury, GB

Georgian one piece mahogany tilt-top table on cabriole legs to club feet.

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Dessert Tables and Tilt-top Tables

Rare Antique Tilt Top Table

Unavailable

H 28.5 in W 23.5 in D 18 in

Rare Antique Tilt Top Table

Located in Chicago, IL

Rare antique tilt top table with adjustable height.

Category

Early 20th Century American Dessert Tables and Tilt-top Tables

Materials

Iron

Baroque Painted Tilt-Top Table

Unavailable

H 31 in W 42 in D 26 in

Baroque Painted Tilt-Top Table

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Danish Tilt-Top Table with Painted Landscape Top

Floral Japaned French Tilt-Top Table, circa 1860

Unavailable

H 26.78 in Dm 27.56 in

Floral Japaned French Tilt-Top Table, circa 1860

Located in Sydney, NSW

French Tilt-Top Table, circa 1860 The Shaped Top Black Japaned Decorated With Blooms And Line Work H680 L700 D700

19th Century English Regency Mahogany Breakfast Tilt-Top Table

Unavailable

H 29 in W 52 in D 37 in

19th Century English Regency Mahogany Breakfast Tilt-Top Table

Located in San Francisco, CA

A 19th century English Regency mahogany breakfast tilt-top table with crossbanding, the whole above a pedestal base with four outflaring reeded legs and terminating in brass casters.

Regency Mahogany Tilt-Top Table on a Tripod Base

Unavailable

H 29.93 in Dm 27.17 in

Regency Mahogany Tilt-Top Table on a Tripod Base

Located in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

A Regency mahogany tilt-top table on a tripod base. The well figured circular top of good color, is raised on a fluted and ring turned central collum.

Category

Antique 1820s English Regency Dessert Tables and Tilt-top Tables

Materials

Mahogany

# 1108- A pair of 19th century Swedish tilt top tables

Unavailable

H 27.5 in

# 1108- A pair of 19th century Swedish tilt top tables

Located in Florida, FL

A very rare pair of 19th century Swedish grain painted tilt top tables. Width: 22 1/2" Height: 27 1/2" PLEASE VISIT US AT.....jeffreymarieantiques.com

English Victorian Lacquered Tilt Top Table

Unavailable

H 28 in Dm 25.5 in

English Victorian Lacquered Tilt Top Table

Located in Bedford, NY

ENGLISH MID-19TH CENTURY LACQUERED TILT TOP TRIPOD TABLE WITH MOTHER OF PEARL, GILT AND PAINT DECORATIONS, POPULAR IN VICTORIAN HOMES

Category

Antique 19th Century English Victorian Dessert Tables and Tilt-top Tables

19TH Century Italian Tilt Top Table

Unavailable

H 28 in Dm 27 in

19TH Century Italian Tilt Top Table

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

A beautiful and highly stylized tea table with a scalloped top. The table is walnut with a burl walnut top. Taken from a fine home in Milan. Superb quality and workmanship.

Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Dessert Tables and Tilt-top Tables

Materials

Wood

Parquetry Tilt Top Table

Unavailable

H 29 in Dm 27.5 in

Parquetry Tilt Top Table

Located in New York, NY

A Very Good Parquetry Tilt Top Table Consisting of Mahogany, Ebony, Walnut,and Mother of Pearl, in a Graduated Fish Scale Pattern.

People Also Browsed

Classic Empire Center Table, Oatmeal

$2,820 / item

H 30 in W 42 in D 42 in

Classic Empire Center Table, Oatmeal

Located in Westwood, NJ

A Classic Empire style grey cerused oak oatmeal stained center table with a carved ogee edge, raised on an octagonal pedestal base. Dimensions: 42" W x 42" D x 30" H. Clearance: 27"

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Center Tables

Materials

Wood

$188,500

H 42.25 in W 36.5 in D 25.5 in

Gorham Sterling Silver Flatware Service, 764 Pieces

By Gorham

Located in New Orleans, LA

This monumental American sterling silver flatware service by Gorham epitomizes the stately glamour of turn-of-the-century dining. A total of 705 pieces in the beloved Versailles patt...

Category

Antique 19th Century American Rococo Tableware

Materials

Sterling Silver

WM A. Berkey George III Style Yew Wood Drum Rolling Center Table

$2,995

$8,975

H 29.13 in W 36.13 in D 26.5 in

English Regency Brass-Inlaid Mahogany Tilt-Top Table, circa 1820

Located in Kinderhook, NY

An exceptional, circa 1820 English Regency period mahogany tilt-top table of unusual form having solid single-timber rectangular top with line-inlaid brass border and reeded edge upo...

Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Center Tables

Materials

Brass

Get Updated with New Arrivals

Save "Tilt Top Tables", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

Tilt Top Tables For Sale on 1stDibs

Find a variety of tilt top tables available on 1stDibs. The range of distinct tilt top tables — often made from wood, mahogany and metal — can elevate any home. We have 1778 antique and vintage tilt top tables in-stock, while there are 8 modern editions to choose from as well. Tilt top tables have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Tilt top tables bearing Georgian or Victorian hallmarks are very popular at 1stDibs. Many tilt top tables are appealing in their simplicity, but Baker Furniture Company, Poul Hundevad and Jacques Adnet produced popular tilt top tables that are worth a look.

How Much are Tilt Top Tables?

Tilt top tables can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $2,950, while the lowest priced sells for $225 and the highest can go for as much as $141,564.

Finding the Right Tables for You

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 .

Questions About Tilt Top Tables

What is the purpose of a tilt top table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertAugust 17, 2021
A tilt top table is a type of table where the top is attached to the central pedestal on a hinge that can be turned horizontally to reduce space when not in use.
What is a table top?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
A tabletop is the flat, horizontal part of a table that is supported by the table’s legs. It is the part of the table where your meals are served. Tabletops come in various shapes, sizes and designs, and a variety of tables can be found on 1stDibs.
What is a Formica table top?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
Formica table tops are tabletops that are made of a composite material invented for industrial products in the early 1900s. Formica, today, is one of the brands that produces HPL, a high-pressure laminate that is heat-resistant and durable and ideal for use in tabletop construction. Find a collection of antique and vintage tables on 1stDibs.
What is the most durable table top?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Solid wood has largely been hailed as one of the most durable table tops, specifically oak and birch. Oak has an open grain and shows the least wear and tear. You can shop a selection of wood tables from some of the world’s sellers on 1stDibs.
What is a plank top table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
The plank top table is a modern interpretation of the traditional harvest table. Some plank top tables from modern brands feature cosmetic grooves in a solid tabletop that allow them to appear planked. The grooves are superficial, but this feature allows the boards to work together without the threat of gaps materializing. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage plank top tables.
What is a flip top table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
As the name suggests, a flip top table is that piece of furniture with a hinged leaf that lies flat on the top of the table and folds outward to double the size. Flip top tables are both elegant and stylish and can add a modern element to any room at home, a workplace or at school. The tables are easy to set up and help create ample space for use. Find a collection of antique and vintage flip top tables on 1stDibs.
What is the top of a table called?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertNovember 13, 2024
The top of a table is called a tabletop. Makers craft tabletops out of a variety of materials, including wood, metal, glass, concrete, marble, ceramic and quartz. In most cases, the tabletop rests on a component called the frieze, skirt or apron, which connects to the table legs. Find a diverse assortment of antique, vintage and contemporary tables on 1stDibs.
What is a tray top coffee table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 26, 2021
Tray top coffee tables are coffee tables with long, flat rectangular surfaces that are supported by an x-frame base. Low tables that were initially used as tea or coffee tables have been around since at least the mid- to late-1800s. After coffee drinking and “coffee breaks” became popular, it didn’t take long for coffee and cocktail tables to become a design staple and for consumers to recognize their role in entertaining no matter what beverages were being served. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary tray top coffee tables from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
Is a lacquer table top durable?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Yes, lacquer table tops are extremely durable and add a glossy look to furniture. Lacquer is a clear coating that provides a durable seal and an attractive sheen on wood furniture. Shop a selection of lacquered wood furniture, including tables, on 1stDibs.
How do you attach a marble top to a table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Before attaching a marble top to a table, make sure the table can handle the weight. Then, clean the surface and apply a silicone adhesive and attach the marble. Save the hassle and shop a selection of furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
How high should a lift top coffee table be?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
The height of a lift top coffee table should match the sofa or chairs that it is used with. The top of the coffee table should reach the height of the seat of the sofa, or within one to two inches lower than it. On 1stDibs, find a range of lift top coffee tables.
What is the best thickness for a glass table top?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021
The best thickness for a glass table top depends on usage. If the glass is used just as a cover, then ¼-inch thick glass is likely good enough. If the glass will be used is as a table surface, then you should choose the thickness of the glass according to the size of the table. If the glass used is supporting heavy items, or its size is more than 24 inches, then choose glass that is thicker than ¼ inch. Thicker glass will feel and look more substantial, but thicker glass becomes heavier with increasing size. On 1stDibs, find antique and vintage glass-top dining room tables, glass-top coffee tables, side tables and more.
Should I put a glass top on my dining table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021
Yes, you should put glass on top of your dining table to minimize scratches and wear. Glass allows you to see the beauty of the wood while protecting it from everyday wear.
What can I substitute for a glass coffee table top?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
You can substitute a number of things for a glass table top. Try painted wood, marble or sheet metal. To decide what to use, consider the overall style of your room and the other types of materials featured in the space. Shop a selection of tables from some of the world's top sellers on 1stDibs.
What do I put on top of a large coffee table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
What you put on top of a large coffee table really comes down to a matter of preference. Candles, books and decorative bowls are common design choices. You can shop a variety of coffee table goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
Is epoxy resin good for table tops?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Yes, epoxy resin is good for finishing table tops. It is a pourable, self-leveling resin perfect for preserving table tops, bar tops and counters. On 1stDibs, you can find vintage and contemporary resin-topped furniture from top sellers around the world.
Is glass or wood a better coffee table top for a mid-century modern living room?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 16, 2026
Wood tops feel warmer and closer to the era's original materials, while glass tops show off a rug or floor beneath and read slightly more contemporary; both are common in period-correct pieces.

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