14 Types of Tables
From dining tables that bring people together to coffee tables that ground a room, each type serves a unique purpose. Exploring the variety of table styles helps you choose the right fit for your needs and home.
Dining Table
Dining tables are large tables that are used for communal meals. Not everyone will require a dedicated dining table. Consider purchasing a dining table if you enjoy sharing meals with family and friends, prefer a more formal dining experience, or want to improve the aesthetics of your dining space.
Dining tables come in a variety of shapes, such as rectangular, round, oval, and square. When selecting a dining table, consider the size of the room, the number of people you need to seat, the style of the room, and the type of dining chairs you want.
Coffee Table
A coffee table serves both aesthetic and functional purposes in a living room or other spaces for relaxation. Its primary function is to provide a flat and stable surface for placing items like books or drinks within easy reach of the seating. Coffee tables also function as a focal point around which to anchor a seating area.
Coffee tables are available in a wide range of designs and styles to complement many room designs.
End Table
An end table, also known as a side table, is a small table that sits at the end or on the side of other furniture like sofas and chairs. The primary purpose of an end table is to provide an easily accessible surface for essential daily activities.
Console Table
Console tables are versatile pieces of furniture that are designed to be placed against a wall. Console tables feature a long and narrow table top with an open or closed bottom. Console tables are useful in hallways, foyers, dining rooms, living rooms, and even bedrooms.
Bedside Table
A bedside table, also known as a nightstand, is a small table that sits beside the bed. Bedside tables serve as a convenient resting place for nighttime necessities such as books, phones, clocks, and lamps. Many bedside tables include open or concealed storage for personal items such as medications, reading glasses, and other electronic devices.
Nesting Tables
Nesting tables are a collection of identically shaped tables in graduated sizes that fit inside one another. Depending on their size, this collection of tables can be utilized as side tables or coffee tables. Nesting tables combine multiple tables into a single footprint, thereby saving space. They are useful because you can pull out multiple tables to accommodate more guests as needed.
Outdoor Table
An outdoor table is one that is intended for use in outdoor areas such as patios, decks, gardens, and poolside areas. Outdoor tables are made from specialized materials that are resistant to outdoor environmental conditions, such as teak, aluminum, wrought iron, and plastic. Some have foldable elements or other portable features so that you can store them during the winter season. Others are meant to remain outdoors throughout the year.
High-Top Table
A high-top table, also known as a bar or pub table, is a tall table designed for use in a variety of settings, including restaurants, casual home dining rooms, and kitchens. The elevated height characterizes the design of high-top tables. They are available in a variety of shapes, including round, rectangular, and square.
Drink Table
A drink table is a small table that fits next to a chair or sofa. This table is intended to hold small items such as a drink, a phone, or a single book. Drink tables come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing you to easily customize and enhance your seating area. Their size makes them portable, so users can bring them out and move them to optimal areas as needed.
Pedestal Table
A pedestal table is distinguished by the use of a single, or sometimes double, central pedestal rather than multiple legs. Pedestal tables come in a range of sizes, so they can serve multiple purposes, including as coffee tables, dining tables, and side tables. Although pedestal tables have a long history, they are still used in many contemporary table designs, such as the well-known Tulip table.
You can find pedestal tables in many shapes, like round, oval, and square. Pedestal tables are ideal for dining rooms because they do not have multiple side legs that obstruct chair movement.
Expandable Table
An expandable table, also known as an extension table, is distinguished by a mechanism that increases the table’s surface area. This could include the manual installation of table sections into the opening or a hinged arrangement that folds the extra section on top of another when not in use.
This is a particularly useful design for dining tables. This means you can use it for large dining parties, even if your room is not normally large enough for a large table.
Cocktail Table
A cocktail table is a type of table that is useful for serving drinks and light snacks. In its most general use, the term cocktail table is used to describe high round or square tables that are popular at party venues. These tables’ height is ideal for people mingling at parties because they do not require chairs, which obstruct the free flow of traffic.
Dressing Table
Dressing tables, also known as vanities, are small tables that serve as a dedicated space for personal grooming and preparation. These tables, found in bedrooms or dressing rooms, often have attached mirrors to provide a clear view of the face and hair. They also might have storage compartments like drawers, cubbies, or shelves to store cosmetics, lotions, and jewelry.
Conference Table
A conference table is a large, typically rectangular table used in business settings for meetings, discussions, and collaborative projects. Conference tables serve a variety of functional purposes, but their design and material can also be used to project the users’ style and image.