42 
House & 
Garden 
USING THE COUCH END TABLE 
frith a Settee or a Large Upholstered Chair These Little Stands and 
Tables Comprise a Convenient Grouping 
MARY H. NORTHEND 
*ss|r i 
§ 
Two Adaptable Styles 
The two periods that are 
most adaptable for our use 
are the William and Mary 
and the Queen Anne. Both 
of these are easily determined, 
the former by the bell-shaped 
turning in the legs, the latter 
showing graceful carving, 
and the cabriole leg, which 
was a favorite in all Queen 
Anne pieces. Of these the 
clever little William and Mary corner table 
affords a maximum amount of comfort and 
usefulness, demanding as it does, a limited 
amount of space and solving often the problem 
of decorating an awkward corner. To the 
lover of the Colonial, however, the small gate 
leg table especially appeals, as it adapts itself 
to so many different purposes. 
Much attention is being devoted today to 
the styles of furniture which originated during 
the reigns of the four Louis of France. The 
(Continued on page 76) 
An Italian tabic 
a s s i s t s in a 
corner group. 
Lee Porter, 
decorator 
Periods and Woods 
The earliest known in England was of oak, 
which was in favor throughout the Elizabethan 
and Jacobean period. This wood lent itself 
readily to carving, for the furniture of that 
time was especially rich in ornamentation. 
Toward the end of the reign of the Stuarts, 
walnut was imported from the Continent, and 
during Queen Elizabeth's reign this wood was 
generally used for furniture construction. 
William and Mary, as well as Queen Anne 
tables are largely made of walnut. It was not 
until the Georgian Period 
that mahogany was exten¬ 
sively employed, Chippendale 
being the first to make it 
popular. He was followed 
by Hepplewhite, who chose it 
for his most characteristic 
wood, and Sheraton and the 
Adams Brothers used it large¬ 
ly for marquetry. In Eng¬ 
land, particularly during the 
Georgian Period, it was ac¬ 
cepted universally as the most 
popular material for furni¬ 
ture. The American Colon¬ 
ists followed this example, 
and produced wonderful bits 
of mahogany furniture. 
I N the assembling of furni¬ 
ture, three essential things 
should be thought of—com¬ 
fort, decorative value, and 
space saving. All three of 
these ideas are combined in 
table ends, or elbow tables, 
as they are sometimes called. 
They are small, picturesque 
pieces that tuck away most 
conveniently at the end of the 
davenport or chair, yet are 
large enough to hold a few 
books, an ash tray or a lamp. 
Willow is occasionally used 
for this purpose, but is pre¬ 
ferable for the sun room or 
porch. Its lightness of con¬ 
struction is an advantage in 
moving about the room and it 
often adds an effective note to 
the color scheme. 
In the history of English 
furniture, table ends are defi¬ 
nitely connected with certain 
periods. Consequently for 
reproductions to be authentic 
they should be made of the 
same wood that was used in 
that period. 
A pleasant hall¬ 
way grouping 
consists of a 
sofa and a 
turned table 
While beautiful settees of this type require no end tables, the proximity 
of a small stand assists the ensemble. H. F. Huber & Co., decorators 
This interesting three-legged table with Dutch feet, gives a note of 
contrasting color as a sofa end. Earle Campbell, decorator 
