Early 1900s Dining Table Styles

In the early part of the 20th century, a number of furniture styles determined the look of dining room tables. Arts and Crafts, Mission, Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles all influenced home and furniture design. Furniture production was rapidly changing, from the work of artisans to mass-production. As manufacturing accelerated, aesthetics like the Arts and Crafts style evoked simpler patterns that contrasted with the developing technology. Does this Spark an idea?

Arts and Crafts

The Arts and Crafts movement employed little ornamentation and strong lines for an understated and slightly rustic overall look. Dining tables made in the Arts and Srafts style would be made of dark wood or be stained a deep, rich brown. Simple parallel lines may alternate with sweeping curves. Exposed joinery would exemplify the artisan look of the movement. Because of the simple lines and basic joinery techniques, Arts and Crafts dining tables tend to be quite sturdy and durable, lasting generations. Some notable Arts and Crafts designers of furniture, including dining tables, were William Morris, Gustav Stickley and Charles and Henry Greene.

Art Deco

If the Arts and Crafts movement opposed mechanization, the Art Deco style celebrated it. It was largely influenced by the Paris exposition of 1925 and by the Bauhaus school of design. Art Deco designs used industrial-age materials, such as metals, and strove to make form follow function. Exotic materials also included unusual veneers: bronze, ivory, parchment or stingray skin. An Art Deco dining table was intended to be both practical and innovative. For example, Paul Frankl's 1929 nesting tables used exposed metal tubing for legs and made the tabletops shiny red and black. Notable Art Deco designers included Donald Deskey, Gilbert Rohde and Eugene Schoen.

Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau style began in the late 19th century and continued through the first decades of the 20th century. Art Nouveau emphasized fluid, sinewy lines and whimsical decoration. Designs were inspired by natural, floral forms. A dining table in the Art Nouveau style would emphasize idealized natural forms with slender legs and gentle curves to soften the edges of its perimeter. Dining tables and other wooden furniture was frequently made of hardwoods and embellished with intricate engravings.