William Brown Cameo

It was unexpected that, at the age of 64, William IV was crowned king of England. He had two older brothers, yet the death of Prince Frederick put him in line for the British throne when George IV died in 1830. His reign was brief, as he died on June 20, 1837, but it was a pivotal time of change, with parliamentary reform leading to the present-day constitutional monarchy. Antique William IV–style furniture reflects this period of transition, with forms that bridged the neoclassicism of the preceding Regency style and the more extravagant Victorian style that would follow.

Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, William IV designs were often more imposing than Regency furniture and featured decorative attributes. There were sofas balanced on lion’s feet and tables with brass fittings. But furnishings of this period were largely marked by straight lines and subdued ornamentation compared to those of the George IV era. William IV had an unassuming way about him and was much more formal, whereas the ruler who preceded him was a king of extravagance. George IV had an affinity for French decor and was heavily invested in overhauling the private residences at Windsor Castle.

Carvings on William IV four-poster beds and cabinets included scrolling shapes, lotus leaves and acanthus, while popular pieces like tilt-top tables and upholstered seating on caster legs provided flexible interiors. Richly toned woods like mahogany and rosewood were used for sideboards, bedposts boasting reeded details and dining chairs with intricate chair backs and turned front legs.

William IV left no legitimate heirs, so his young niece, Victoria, became queen. She would lead an era of taste in which the innovations of the Industrial Revolution allowed for manufacturing showier furniture to fill elaborate interiors. With its comparatively refined forms and restrained designs, William IV style was a pause before a time of radical aesthetic change.

Find a collection of authentic William IV tables, armchairs, decorative objects and other 19th-century furniture and antiques on 1stDibs.

Beyond just providing additional tabletop space for your living room, an attractive vintage end table can help you organize as well as display books and decorative objects.

The term “end table” is frequently used interchangeably with “coffee table,” and while these two furnishings have much in common, each offers their own distinctive benefits in your space.

Your end table is likely going to stand as tall as the arms of your sofa, and its depth will match the seating. These attributes allow for tucking the table neatly at the end of your sofa in order to provide an elevated surface between your seating and the wall. End tables are accent pieces — they’re a close cousin to side tables, but side tables, not unlike the show-stealing low-profile coffee table, are intended to be positioned prominently and have more to do with the flow and design of a room than an end table, which does a great job but does it out of the way of everything else.

End tables with a drawer or a shelf can easily stow away books or television remotes. Living-room end tables frequently assist with lighting, specifically as they’re often positioned adjacent to a wall. Their height and compact tabletop render them ideal for table lamps and plants, particularly if parked near a window.

And given their practicality, there is no shortage of simple, streamlined end tables from mid-century modern favorites such as Baker Furniture Company, Dunbar and Knoll that will serve your clutter-clearing minimalist efforts or wide-open loft space well. But over the years, furniture designers have taken to venturesome experimentation, crafting tables from fallen trees, introducing organic shapes and playing with sculptural forms, so much so that your understated end table might eventually become the centerpiece of a room, no matter where you choose to place it. One-of-a-kind contemporary designs prove that there are endless options for what an end table can be, while furniture makers working in the Art Deco style have proven that end tables can be stacked, staggered and nested at will, creating all kinds of variations on this popular home accent.

Find an extraordinary variety of antique, new and vintage end tables on 1stDibs today.