Period Drawer Table
A period drawer table serves as a sturdy domestic surface with integrated storage, offering practical utility and historic craftsmanship for the home.
Period Drawer Table
A period drawer table encompasses various forms such as side tables, lowboys, writing tables, and dressing tables that incorporate one or more drawers into their design. These items bridge the gap between display surface and concealed storage.
The pieces on this page span several centuries, with particular emphasis on 17th-century, 18th-century, Georgian, Regency, and Victorian eras. Oak and mahogany serve as the predominant timbers across these eras.
Buyers frequently encounter side tables and lowboys fitted with single or multiple drawers, reflecting the domestic requirements of their respective periods. Simpler country house examples appear alongside more formally styled urban pieces.
Materials and Construction Techniques
Cabinet makers utilised solid timbers such as oak, mahogany, walnut, and elm, often pairing structural carcases with figured veneers or crossbanding to enhance visual depth.
Drawer construction relied on traditional joinery methods, including hand-cut dovetails, while brass handles, escutcheons, and occasional leather writing inserts completed the functional elements of the tables.
Period Drawer Table Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for period drawer 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.
Listings feature 17th-century oak serving dressers alongside Regency mahogany work tables, demonstrating a broad spectrum of historical domestic furniture.
Evaluating Quality and Execution
Quality reveals itself in the crispness of carved details, the choice of timber figurations like burr walnut or figured mahogany, and the integrity of the original construction rather than subsequent alterations.
Proportion and balance dictate the standing of a piece, where restrained mouldings and well-judged leg dimensions distinguish superior examples from standard utility items.
Gillows of Lancaster
The Period Drawer Table Glossary
- Lowboy
- A small oak or walnut table with one or more drawers, typically used as a dressing table or side table during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These pieces often feature cabriole or straight legs.
- Crossbanding
- A decorative border technique where thin strips of veneer are laid perpendicular to the grain of the main surface. This method frames table tops and drawer fronts with a contrasting timber grain.
- Dovetail
- A joint formed by interlocking wedge-shaped fingers, crucial for securing drawer corners together. Hand-cut variations indicate the period of manufacture before machine production standardisation.
- Escutcheon
- A protective plate surrounding a keyhole on a drawer front, frequently fashioned from brass. It guards the surrounding wood from wear caused by the insertion of keys.
Period Drawer Table: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a period drawer table used for?
These tables provide a surface for lamps, books, or writing while offering concealed storage within their fitted drawers. Historically placed in hallways, living rooms, or bedrooms, they adapted to numerous domestic tasks.
Today, they serve similar functions in modern interiors, fitting into compact spaces where traditional furniture adds character and utility.
How do I identify an 18th-century table?
Examine the timber species, construction joints, and overall proportions of the piece. Eighteenth-century examples frequently utilise native oak or imported mahogany with hand-cut dovetails in the drawer construction.
Surface patination accumulated over centuries also helps distinguish genuine period items from later reproductions. Tool marks left by hand planes provide further clues to age.
Are these tables suitable for daily use?
Period tables were built to withstand generations of domestic life using solid timbers and robust joinery. Routine care keeps them functional for everyday environments.
Placing them away from direct heat sources and using coasters protects the historic timber surfaces from accidental damage while maintaining their appearance.
What is the difference between a lowboy and a side table?
A lowboy specifically designates a low table with drawers, traditionally used as a dressing table or small desk during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They often feature distinct leg designs such as pad feet or cabriole shapes.
Side tables encompass a broader category of tables intended to stand against a wall, which may or may not include drawers and span a wider array of architectural styles.