What is a drop-leaf table?

A drop-leaf table has a fixed section in the center and a hinged section, or leaf, on each side that can be folded down.

How does a drop leaf table work?

A drop-leaf table features a fixed section and one or more foldable sections. The well-made hinges hold the fixed and foldable sections and allow the leaves to pop up. These sections are anchored with the help of swing-out legs for secure placement. Find antique and vintage drop-leaf tables on 1stDibs.

What is a drop leaf dining table?

A drop-leaf table is a type of table that has a fixed portion in the center and foldable portions on either side joined by hinges. These foldable portions can be dropped and closed to save space when the table is not in use. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage drop leaf dining tables.

How do I date a drop-leaf table?

To date a drop-leaf table, first look for saw marks. If you see straight ones, your table likely dates back to before the early 19th century. Pieces made after should show curved saw marks. A licensed furniture appraiser can assist you with determining an exact date. Find a range of expertly vetted drop-leaf tables on 1stDibs.

What era are drop leaf tables from?

The first drop-leaf tables emerged during the era of the early 17th century. These first pieces usually feature a gate leg that swings out to support the leaf. Drop-leaf tables with side brackets debuted in the early 19th century. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of drop-leaf tables.

How can I tell how old my drop leaf table is?

To tell how old your drop leaf table is, first see if it bears a maker's mark. Looking up this marking using trusted online resources can enable you to identify the maker. From there, you can conduct further research to determine when it was in business and crafting tables like yours. For unmarked tables, it is generally necessary to become familiar with the various styles of drop leaf tables, such as the 17th-century Gateleg table, recognizable by the stretchers that connect its legs, and the 18th-century Pembroke table, which typically has two drawers. However, contemporary reproductions of these types of tables exist, making it difficult to date pieces without training and experience. As a result, you may wish to use the services of a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer. On 1stDibs, explore an assortment of drop leaf tables.

How do I identify an antique drop leaf table?

While you can look for markings and other details to try and determine the maker, the best way to identify an antique drop leaf table is to work with a certified appraiser. Trusted online venues and search engines can be helpful when conducting research on a specific collectible, piece of jewelry, art work or other item about which you may have questions, but qualified professionals, such as an antiques dealer or an appraiser at an auction house, have the knowledge and experience needed to make more accurate identifications. Shop a selection of antique, vintage and modern tables on 1stDibs.

What is the difference between a Gateleg table and a drop leaf table?

The difference between a gateleg table and a drop leaf table is the design of the section that you can raise to expand the piece. On a drop leaf table, the extension does not have any lower support. A gateleg table has a leg that swings out to rest beneath the extension. Find a selection of tables from some of the world's best sellers on 1stDibs.

Drop Leaf Bar

Tea Cart Drop

Italian Marquetry Bar Cart

Italian Marquetry Game Table

Drop Leaf Bar For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the drop leaf bar you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Frequently made of wood, metal and brass, every drop leaf bar was constructed with great care. Your living room may not be complete without a drop leaf bar — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. Each drop leaf bar bearing mid-century modern, Hollywood Regency or Scandinavian Modern hallmarks is very popular. A well-made drop leaf bar has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Aldo Tura, Dunbar and Edward Wormley are consistently popular. Not every interior allows for a large drop leaf bar, so a smaller version, measuring 1 across, is available at 1stDibs.

How Much is a Drop Leaf Bar?

A drop leaf bar can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $2,400, while the lowest priced sells for $100 and the highest can go for as much as $42,000.

Finding the Right Tables for You

The right vintage, new or antique tables can help make any space in your home stand out.

Over the years, the variety of tables available to us, as well as our specific needs for said tables, has broadened. Today, with all manner of these must-have furnishings differing in shape, material and style, any dining room table can shine just as brightly as the guests who gather around it.

Remember, when shopping for a dining table, it must fit your dining area, and you need to account for space around the table too — think outside the box, as an oval dining table may work for tighter spaces. Alternatively, if you’ve got the room, a Regency-style dining table can elevate any formal occasion at mealtime.

Innovative furniture makers and designers have also redefined what a table can be. Whether it’s an unconventional Ping-Pong table, a brass side table to display your treasured collectibles or a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk to add an air of nostalgia to your loft, your table can say a lot about you.

The visionary work of French designer Xavier Lavergne, for example, includes tables that draw on the forms of celestial bodies as often as they do aquatic creatures or fossils. Elsewhere, Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who looked to Roman architecture in crafting her stately Jumbo coffee table, created clever glass-topped mobile coffee tables that move on bicycle tires or sculpted wood wheels for Fontana Arte.

Coffee and cocktail tables can serve as a room’s centerpiece with attention-grabbing details and colors. Glass varieties will keep your hardwood flooring and dazzling area rugs on display, while a marble or stone coffee table in a modern interior can showcase your prized art books and decorative objects. A unique vintage desk or writing table can bring sophistication and even a bit of spice to your work life.

No matter your desired form or function, a quality table for your living space is a sound investment. On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage, new and antique bedside tables, mid-century end tables and more .

Questions About Drop Leaf Bar

What is a drop-leaf table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
A drop-leaf table has a fixed section in the center and a hinged section, or leaf, on each side that can be folded down.
How does a drop leaf table work?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertAugust 24, 2021
A drop-leaf table features a fixed section and one or more foldable sections. The well-made hinges hold the fixed and foldable sections and allow the leaves to pop up. These sections are anchored with the help of swing-out legs for secure placement. Find antique and vintage drop-leaf tables on 1stDibs.
What is a drop leaf dining table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021
A drop-leaf table is a type of table that has a fixed portion in the center and foldable portions on either side joined by hinges. These foldable portions can be dropped and closed to save space when the table is not in use. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage drop leaf dining tables.
How do I date a drop-leaf table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
To date a drop-leaf table, first look for saw marks. If you see straight ones, your table likely dates back to before the early 19th century. Pieces made after should show curved saw marks. A licensed furniture appraiser can assist you with determining an exact date. Find a range of expertly vetted drop-leaf tables on 1stDibs.
What era are drop leaf tables from?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMay 5, 2023
The first drop-leaf tables emerged during the era of the early 17th century. These first pieces usually feature a gate leg that swings out to support the leaf. Drop-leaf tables with side brackets debuted in the early 19th century. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of drop-leaf tables.
How can I tell how old my drop leaf table is?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertNovember 20, 2024
To tell how old your drop leaf table is, first see if it bears a maker's mark. Looking up this marking using trusted online resources can enable you to identify the maker. From there, you can conduct further research to determine when it was in business and crafting tables like yours. For unmarked tables, it is generally necessary to become familiar with the various styles of drop leaf tables, such as the 17th-century Gateleg table, recognizable by the stretchers that connect its legs, and the 18th-century Pembroke table, which typically has two drawers. However, contemporary reproductions of these types of tables exist, making it difficult to date pieces without training and experience. As a result, you may wish to use the services of a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer. On 1stDibs, explore an assortment of drop leaf tables.
How do I identify an antique drop leaf table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023
While you can look for markings and other details to try and determine the maker, the best way to identify an antique drop leaf table is to work with a certified appraiser. Trusted online venues and search engines can be helpful when conducting research on a specific collectible, piece of jewelry, art work or other item about which you may have questions, but qualified professionals, such as an antiques dealer or an appraiser at an auction house, have the knowledge and experience needed to make more accurate identifications. Shop a selection of antique, vintage and modern tables on 1stDibs.
What is the difference between a Gateleg table and a drop leaf table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 17, 2023
The difference between a gateleg table and a drop leaf table is the design of the section that you can raise to expand the piece. On a drop leaf table, the extension does not have any lower support. A gateleg table has a leg that swings out to rest beneath the extension. Find a selection of tables from some of the world's best sellers on 1stDibs.

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