Small Round Table
A small round table offers a compact surface that fits beside a chair or in a tight corner while anchoring a room with timber character.
Small Round Table
A small round table serves various domestic purposes, appearing as a wine table, lamp table, occasional table, or cricket table across centuries of British and continental design. Buyers seeking this phrase encounter practical timber surfaces designed to stand beside seating or occupy modest spaces.
The pieces on this page span the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, and later periods, with mahogany and oak dominating the materials alongside walnut, pine, and satinwood. Forms range from simple tripod bases with tilt tops to heavier pedestal designs and rustic plank-top tables.
Tripod wine tables and occasional tables emerge most frequently in the available stock, often displaying stylistic revivals such as Chippendale or Jacobean details alongside clean Arts and Crafts interpretations.
How they were made
Cabinet makers utilised solid hardwoods like mahogany, oak, and walnut, frequently turning timber on a lathe to create slender pedestals and sturdy legs. Table tops were sometimes constructed with tilt mechanisms, allowing the surface to fold vertically when not in use.
Joinery methods involved mortise and tenon joints for frames, while tripod bases relied on pegged or dovetailed joints to secure the legs to the central pillar. Decorative treatments included wood veneers, ebonising, parquetry inlay, and carved pie-crust edges on the perimeters.
Small Round Table Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for small round 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.
What varies in quality
Quality rests in the selection of the timber, where finely figured mahogany, burr birch, or quarter-sawn oak distinguish finer examples from plain utility pieces. The weight and stability of the tripod base or pedestal column also indicate the standard of construction.
Refined turning on the central stem, crispness of carved details such as claw-and-ball feet or pie-crust rims, and the integrity of tilt-top mechanisms separate standard production items from superior workshop creations.
EW Godwin·Liberty and Co
The Small Round Table Glossary
- Cricket table
- A small, three-legged wooden table originating in the domestic spaces of the past, typically featuring a round top supported by splayed legs.
- Tilt top
- A tabletop mounted on a catch mechanism that allows the surface to tilt flat against the pedestal for storage.
- Tripod base
- A support structure utilising three radiating legs joined to a central pillar, common on light occasional and wine tables.
- Pie-crust edge
- A decorative raised border carved into the perimeter of a circular tabletop in a series of small, undulating curves.
- Pedestal
- A central column supporting a tabletop, often resting on shaped feet or a platform base.
Small Round Table: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wine table used for?
A wine table provides a small surface intended for holding glasses or bottles during evening gatherings. These compact stands sat easily beside armchairs or sofas.
Over time their role expanded to accommodate lamps, books, or decorative objects in smaller drawing rooms and parlours.
Where does a cricket table get its name?
A cricket table takes its traditional name from its sturdy three-legged construction, which provided stability on uneven flagstone floors. The three splayed legs ensured the table remained balanced without rocking.
These utilitarian pieces were constructed from local woods like oak and pine for everyday household tasks.
How do I fit a round table into a small room?
A round table eliminates sharp corners, allowing people to move freely around it in narrow hallways or compact seating areas. Placing one beside an armchair creates a convenient spot for a reading lamp or cup.
Pedestal and tripod versions offer extra floor clearance beneath the surface compared to four-legged designs.