Tables are an essential furniture item for any room and come in enough styles to compliment any decor. They are the products of skilled workmanship and artistic design. Tables satisfy both functional and aesthetic needs and are used for domestic, business and ecclesiastical purposes. Tables have great utility value since they can hold reading and writing tools, crockery items, televisions, computers or other such things. The origin of tables dates back to 2600 BC. No ancient Egyptian home was complete without a beautifully decorated table of wood or metal. Small tables made of precious materials were common in the middle ages. Ancient Greeks used small low tables, whereas ancient Italians were fond of rectangular tables with an arcade of columns through the center.
Tables usually come in striking, simple designs in glass, stainless steel, or wood. Tables with metal powder coated finishes are also available. Tables are categorized according to the area of the room for which they are intended, such as center table, corner or side table, or patio table.
Tables come in a variety of sizes, ranging from small candle stands to large banquet tables. Some tables can be folded, and are convenient to transport, while others are fixed. Tables may be rectangular, round, ellipsoid, curved, or angled. Tables often have drawers and compartments, which provides additional space for storing valuable things. Tabletops can be either foldable or have slides under a rest.
Game tables, dining tables, picnic tables, and writing tables are some among the numerous types of tables available. Even though a wide variety of good tables have come to replace the heavy ones of the bygone days, the elegantly handcrafted antique pieces are still in great demand. Depending upon period and style, tables are classified as Gothic, Queen Anne, and Empire. Nowadays, countless numbers of furniture showrooms and galleries have come forward with their prestigious collection of decorative antique tables.