What is an undertier table?

An undertier table is a small table featuring a second shelf positioned beneath the primary surface. This extra platform provides additional display space. Edwardian cabinet makers utilised this design on occasional and side tables to maximise utility in domestic interiors.

How are these tables used?

These pieces function as occasional or side tables in sitting rooms and hallways. The upper surface holds lamps or cups, while the lower shelf holds books. They serve as flexible furniture that moves easily to different corners of a room.

What materials are used?

Makers constructed these tables from hardwoods including mahogany, walnut, and rosewood. These timbers formed the main top and the lower undertier. Workshops frequently added boxwood details and wood inlay to decorate the surfaces.

The pieces available date from the Edwardian era, spanning the early nineteen hundreds up to nineteen ten. This period follows the Victorian age. Designs from this time favour lighter frames and refined decorative inlays.