Table Design T
ables must above all function on
a practical level. So far as function
goes, ergonomic decisions, the choice
of material, construction method, joinery
details, and finish are of greatest impor-
tance. But — and this is a very big ‘but’
— for a table to be completely successful,
A well-proportioned table balances aesthetic considerations are also extremely
important.
ergonomics with style For dining tables, the design begins with
seating capacity. Unless you are plan-
ning to use extension leaves, you have to
decide how many people you want the
B Y G R A H A M B L A C K B U R N
table to accommodate and live with that.
Although it may be tempting to build
a large table to account for any even-
tuality, you should consider how the
table functions on a daily basis for the
immediate family. If you need flex-
29 in. 18 in.
DINING DIMENSIONS
While it’s important to make sure a table
is sized to fit its intended surroundings,
these dimensions will get you within
striking distance.
C OM FO R T A
CRIT I CA L FAC TO R
Overall table height,
legroom below the
apron, overhang on
the table ends and 29 in.
the space allotted for 25 in.
each diner should all
be considered when
designing a dining table.
1 6 1
1 1 2
5 2
TABL E S I Z E A N D 4 36 in. 2 48 in. 5 60 in. 2 30 in. x 48 in.
SEAT I N G CA PAC I T Y
3 4 3
While 29 in. elbow room 4 3 4 3
per person is ideal, it’s
not an unbreakable 1 2 3 1 2 3
1 1 2
rule. Less space can be 12 4
allotted at the corners, 8 3
and more space is rarely 4 36 in. 2 48 in. 11 60 in. 5 8 36 in. x 72 in. 4
a problem. 7 4
10 6
3
6 5 7 6 5
9 8 7
62 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Graham Blackburn
ibility, extension tables are the best tion, and following some form of aesthetic designer’s first responsibility. Familiarize
option but will require more effort to en- rationale throughout the piece. yourself with tables designed for similar
gineer the leaf supports. functions, and note features designed for
With work tables, height might be the Function: Tables need specific purposes, such as sturdy legs for
most important consideration. For exam- to work as intended heavy loads, drop or draw-leaves for tables
ple, a writing table will be too high for use The original and quintessential function that must expand, lipped tables designed
as a computer table unless accommodation of a table is to provide a flat surface for to prevent objects from falling off, and
is made for a keyboard tray. Occasional writing, playing games, eating or working. added drawers or shelves for storage. A
tables have their own requirements, but The form of any given table may be as reference such as Architectural Graphic
height and width decisions are less criti- varied as these uses. So it is of the utmost Standards (by Ramsey and Sleeper) is a
cal. Still, consider how they will relate to importance to be clear at the outset about useful place to explore table types by func-
existing furniture in the home. Sofas and the requirements of the table you intend tion, and a basic reference for so-called
arm chairs, for example, do not come with to design. These include not only struc- “standard” or average dimensions.
standard arm heights. tural requirements—so that the table can Beware of “standard” dimensions. Few
Regardless of your woodworking experi- do its intended job—but also ergonomic people are exactly “standard.” Unless you
ence, the design of your particular table requirements. The most exquisite dining are building many examples of a particu-
will benefit if you spend time identifying table will be a complete failure if it proves lar table, your client will be better served
its precise function, giving careful consid- too small to sit at. if the dimensions are uniquely suited to
eration to the material and the construc- Attention to function is absolutely the him. Nevertheless, certain aspects of many
OCCA S I O N A L TA B L E S
A coffee table should afford views across a room, while an end
TA B L E H E I G H T G U I D E L I N E S
table should be convenient to someone seated in an armchair Although there are endless possibilities regarding style, shape,
or sofa. ornamentation and proportion when designing furniture,
start with proven dimensions suited to the
function the piece will serve.
25 in.
to
27 in. 21 in.
to 16 in.
24 in. to
18 in.
SOFA TABLE END TABLE COFFEE TABLE
WOR K TA B L E S Keyboard,
The height of a table is critical to someone 3 in. to 4 in.
who spends hours working at it. below table
top
29 in. 26 in.
to to
30 in. 27 in.
WRITING TABLE COMPUTER TABLE
M AY / J U N E 2 0 0 5 63
T H R E E PAT H S T O
P L E A S I N G P RO P O R T I O N S
Top is made of
multiple squares A design rationale is crucial to building tables with
pleasing proportions. The three described below are
proven approaches, but others are possible.
End profile
is a square
R EP EAT I N G G EOM ETRIC SH APES
P ROV I DE OR DER
Basic geometric shapes, such as squares,
cubes, circles, ovals or ellipses, can be
used to define both the overall shape and
the details of a table, thereby providing it
Circles Cylinder with a repeated pattern that unifies the
whole structure.
20 in.
60 in.
A N U M B ER P RO G R E S S I O N I S A S U B T LE D E S IG N DEV I CE
Starting with a 1-in. thick
tabletop, for example, you might 1 in. 30 in.
construct legs that measure
2 in. square and an apron
that is 3 in. deep. Relating all 3 in.
dimensions to a common unit,
either in multiples or regular Overall dimensions
increments, provides the table Component based on multiples
with an implied pattern that may dimensions of 10.
not be immediately apparent but 2 in. based on 1 in.
which lends it a fundamental progression
unity.
30 in. x 1.618 = 48.5 in.
CL ASSI CA L P ROP OR T I ON SYS TE M PL EAS ES THE EY E
30 in.
The Golden Mean is
B C the ratio of 1 to 1.618,
represented by the Greek
A
letter phi (φ). A table top
D might be designed so that
D its long side was 1.618
times longer than its
short side. The ratio
might also be used to
determine the dimensions
of the various parts of a
C table. The apron might
be φ times the width of
A = tabletop thickness
30 in. a leg, the leg φ times the
B = A x�φ
thickness of the table top.
C = B x�φ
D=Cxφ
64 FINE WOODWORKING
tables really shouldn’t be changed, such as
the amount of leg room required beneath a
TA B L E B A S E O P T I O N S
skirt or the area a diner needs for greatest Not only must legs be appropriately sized
convenience. to support the table top, they’re usually the element
that makes the strongest design statement.
More to a table than function and style
A table may also be defined by vari-
ous structural features. The construction
should, of course, be consistent with the
intended use: a knock-down trestle table
for portability; a draw-leaf table for occa-
sional enlargement. Apron-to-leg
Frequently, there are trade-offs to be con- joinery
sidered. A gate-leg table, for example, has SIMPLE
leaves that enlarge it when needed. The LEG AND APRON LIGHT-DUTY TABLE
leaves are supported by hinged legs that C ONS TRUCTION
swing out. When folded, the leaves can For lighter duty
interfere with seating, and when opened, tables, this basic
there sometimes seems an inordinate num- joinery (above) is stiff
ber of legs that get in the way of diners’ enough, and provides
legs. A group of four nesting tables stores a light, graceful look.
Stretchers can add
in the space of one, great for occasional
both physical and
use. However, they are sequential in height
visual sturdiness
and either the tallest or the shortest is apt to tables that bear
to be at a less-than-optimal level. heavier loads (right).
While your own experience and avail-
able tools will dictate to a large extent Center
how any given table is constructed, resist stretcher
Side stretcher
the impulse to build only what you are LIBRARY TABLE
comfortable with. It is worth the effort to
research a new technique or a new joint
for the sake of better function or more
pleasing shape.
Breadboard
At the same time, do not get carried ends help keep
away by the urge for novelty. Successful the tabletop flat
construction entails the use of appropriate
species, relevant construction methods, the
TRESTLE TABLE
right joint for the job — dovetail, mortise-
and-tenon, dowels, biscuits, etc.—and a
finish consistent with the intended use. Center Trestle at
stretcher each end
Legs set the style
To a great extent, all table tops are the
same. They’re flat, and intended to support T WO OTHER TIME-
something. While the wood species, edge HON ORED SYS TEMS
treatment and apron certainly can make Dining tables must
stylistic statements, it is the legs that most provide room for people
clearly establish a table’s style and visual to sit. Both the trestle
effect. As important as well-designed legs and pedestal designs
are, they will only be successful if they are accomplish this by
considered as part of the overall design. minimizing the number
of table legs. The legs of Curved
When viewing a table in a room that Center apron
has enough light to make out forms but trestle tables typically column
are set in from the end,
not details or wood species, it is still pos- PEDESTAL TABLE
making room all around
sible to discern the function of the table by Base
for chairs.
looking at the legs. Four heavy legs joined
by a horizontal stretcher tell us that this is
a library table intended to support a load
65
E X PA N D I N G TA B L E S of books. Light and gracefully tapered legs
that focus attention on the table top, as if
The ability to expand can greatly enhance a it were floating, suggest that this may be a
table’s utility, but this versatility comes with
hall table for the display of some precious
challenges. Sturdiness and leaf storage are two
ornament.
prime considerations.
Legs are frequently the key determinant
of the table’s style. For example, a Queen
Anne table’s top and apron are typified by
restrained ornamentation. It is the cabriole
legs that allow us to recognize the style.
The same is true of the Shaker style, whose
simple and efficient legs carry their load
with no ornamentation or excess weight.
And the Art Deco tables designed in the
1920s by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann cast
away traditionalism in favor of legs whose
sensuous curves resembled nothing that
had gone before. (See the back cover for a
modern interpretation of Ruhlmann.)
Develop a plan that ties together
Leaves are supported
all the elements
by spinners housed The final ingredient for successful table
in aprons design requires that every detail be con-
Chairs should fit
beneath leaves in
closed postion
H I N GED LEAVES EXPAND
TA B LE SIDEWAYS
A pair of arms on each side hinge out to
support the leaves. The disadvantage is
that when folded, the leaves can intrude
into the seating space below.
Dowels on underside
of leaves register with
holes in supports
PULL - O U T A R M S
SUPP O R T L E AV E S
Arms that slide out from the ends
of the table provide the support
Notched inner
for end leaves. There’s no internal
apron houses
space for them, so the leaves must supports
be stored elsewhere.
Supports slide out
from notched aprons
66 FINE WOODWORKING
sidered from the point of view of how the right feeling. Slapping some mis-propor- exact width of a leg or the depth of a skirt
table will look. tioned cabriole legs onto a table does not or apron based on structural requirements
Given that the functional requirements guarantee that it will look “Chippendale.” alone may guarantee solid joinery, but un-
have been satisfied, and that the construc- Incorrect details can produce ludicrous less you are the rare designer possessed
tion is sufficiently workmanlike, the most and unhappy results, similar to applying of an inherently perfect “eye” it is unlikely
striking feature of any table is how well a distinctive Rolls-Royce hood to a Volk- that your table will look as balanced and
it fits in with its surroundings. This can swagen Beetle. graceful as it could if designed according
mean designing in an established style Arts and Crafts furniture is not as uncom- to some plan.
such as Queen Anne or Arts and Crafts, or promisingly rectilinear as it may initially There are, in fact, numerous design para-
designing so that the general proportions, appear. And Shaker furniture, for all its digms commonly used by designers, some
shapes, and colors are compatible with apparent simplicity and lack of ornament, exceedingly simple, others more sophisti-
neighboring pieces. Compatibility can re- is often surprisingly sophisticated in its cated. You may, indeed, invent your own
sult from similarity or contrast. A severely proportions. Before attempting to design paradigm or plan — the point is that using
modern design might fit very well with a table in a period style, make sure that virtually any plan is better than making
the relatively simple lines of a room full of you understand the typical construction decisions about exact dimensions based
Shaker furniture, but might look uncom- techniques, the common materials, and the on nothing more than what material is
fortably out of place in a room furnished forms that governed the proportions. conveniently to hand, or what size router
in a ponderous Gothic or an ornate 18th- This last point— forms that govern pro- bits are available.
century style. portions — is more important than almost
Designing in a particular period style anything else. The term simply means that, Graham Blackburn is a furniture maker who
can be difficult without understanding functional and structural requirements teaches a design course at the Marc Adams
the underlying design sensibility of the aside, some method has been employed School of Woodworking, and is the publisher of
period. It is not enough to employ super- to decide on all the dimensional details Blackburn Books ([Link]) in
ficial features of a period to achieve the of your table. Making decisions about the Bearsville, NY.
Top unfolds
to create a
circular table
Leaf registers
to table halves
with dowels
Supports
connect the
table halves
and expand
to accept
center leaf Rear legs
pivot out
to support
tabletop
D OV E TA I L E D SLIDES
S U P P O R T A CENTER LEAF FOLDIN G TOP RES T S ON G ATE LEG
Tables built this way often have multiple With the top folded, this Federal
leaves to accommodate varying numbers of demi-lune table tucks neatly against wall.
diners. Again, the unused leaves must find a When needed, gate legs swing out from the
home in some closet. back, and the top folds open.
M AY / J U N E 2 0 0 5 67
