Tulare Demi

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

Antique and vintage demi-lune tables are perfect for small spaces in your home. They’re compact and versatile and have been made in all manner of styles over the years.

Demi-lune tables, which are sometimes referred to as half-moon console tables, appropriately get their name from the French term for “half-moon,” which perfectly describes the crescent shape of these elegant structures. They were especially popular in France during the 1700s, and editions designed in the Louis XVI style — a style that emerged circa 1750 — are striking in their ornate appearance, with floral accents and legs that often reflect references to columns, like fluted or ribbon-twist carvings.

Demi-lune tables are ideal for use in small spaces because they occupy little real estate. They don’t have any front corners and were designed to be positioned up against a wall or tucked behind a sofa. Many versions are supported by slender or tapered legs, ensuring that the piece has a streamlined profile.

A demi-lune table in an entryway or foyer will provide a convenient surface to stack mail or keep necessities such as your house keys while affording guests plenty of room to navigate around it. A demi-lune table is also a great place for home accents and will ensure that a decorative bowl or antique ceramic vase gets the attention it deserves as you welcome friends and family into your space.

Whether you have plenty of room to introduce a sculptural but understated new piece in the living room or are working with a small space where it’s necessary to be efficient in how you arrange your furniture, demi-lune tables are a sophisticated option.

Find a range of antique and vintage demi-lune tables today on 1stDibs.