Antique Bed Table
When you search for an antique bed table, you uncover a practical piece designed for bedside use, ranging from Georgian nightstands to Edwardian cabinets.
Antique Bed Table
When you search for an antique bed table, you are looking at items designed for the bedroom, primarily bedside tables, cabinets, and nightstands.
The pieces on this page span from Georgian and Regency eras through the Victorian and Edwardian periods up to the 1930s.
Formats range from simple tray tops and drop-leaf side tables to enclosed cupboards, reading tables, and cylindrical bedside pieces.
Materials and construction
Cabinetmakers utilised timber such as mahogany, oak, walnut, and burr walnut, often selecting figured veneers to create patterned surfaces.
Many items incorporate marble tops, brass mounts, or glass, while specific pieces feature marquetry, parquetry, or gilt bronze details.
Construction techniques include tailored drawer boxes, tambour doors, and adjustable stands incorporating iron or brass hardware.
Antique Bed Table Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for bed table among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Forms range from Georgian nightstands and Victorian reading tables to Edwardian bedside cabinets and Art Deco maples pieces.
Distinctions in quality
Quality rests upon the selection of timber, where figured veneers and matching grains elevate the appearance of walnut and mahogany pieces.
The refinement of internal joinery, including dovetailed drawers and functioning tambour slides, separates standard items from finer workshop output.
Detailing such as inlaid marquetry, original brass hardware, and integrated marble slabs defines the upper tier of these pieces.
Waring & Gillows·Holland & Sons·Carters Of London·Heals·Maple & Co
The Antique Bed Table Glossary
- Nightstand
- A small low table designed to stand beside a bed for holding night-time essentials. These often feature enclosed cupboards or small drawers.
- Tambour
- A flexible shutter made of narrow vertical strips of wood glued to canvas, allowing a sliding door to curve around a corner.
- Pot cupboard
- A small cabinet historically built to enclose a chamber pot. They frequently double as bedside tables in Georgian and Victorian homes.
- Marquetry
- Decorative veneer work where small pieces of different coloured wood are arranged to form pictorial or geometric patterns.
- Etagere
- A set of open shelves for displaying small objects or books. These occasionally appear in bedside formats with multiple tiers.
Antique Bed Table: Frequently Asked Questions
What is an antique bed table used for?
These tables were originally built to hold bedside necessities such as candleholders, chamber pots, or books within easy reach of the bed.
Today, they serve equally well as compact lamp tables or occasional surfaces in living spaces and bedrooms.
How do I identify a Georgian bedside table?
Georgian examples often feature straight mahogany legs, panelled cabinet doors, or gallery tops designed to keep items from sliding off.
Look for traditional timber patination and period construction methods such as hand-cut dovetails inside the drawers.
Are marble top bedside tables practical?
Marble tops provide a durable, heat-resistant surface that protects the wooden structure underneath from spills and condensation.
They appear frequently on continental European designs, particularly French cabinets from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
How do I care for a waxed mahogany surface?
Waxed mahogany benefits from occasional applications of beeswax to nourish the wood and maintain a soft, protective sheen.
Avoid placing these tables in direct sunlight or near heat sources to prevent the timber from drying out.