Coffee Tables

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Apron - Rail around the table found under the tabletop.

Art Deco - Decorative style from the early 20th century characterized by geometric designs, bold colors, and the use of plastic and glass.

Beech - Lasting hardwood with light grain patterns. This wood is perfect for stained and painted finishes.

Beveled glass - Glass are characterized by 1/4 inch-thick 'bevel' around the edges of the glass sheet, creating a beautiful soft edge that catches the light.

Birch - Durable close-grained hardwood.

Bleaching - A technique to lighten the overall color of a wood.

Bombé - Shape style often used in Louis XV pieces. Bombé table have bulging body on top that bends inward towards the bottom.

Buffet - A console table comprising drawers or shelves

Burl - Decorative wood veneer made out of overgrown knots or outgrowth.

Cabriole - A leg shape of Queen Anne and Chippendale tables that bends outward on top, and tapers as it goes downward into an ornamental foot.

Cane - Straight wooden stick that is often used in occasional table designs with spilt rattan.

Casting - A process in which metal is melted to be molded in a specific shape.

Casual Style - These tables are usually displayed in a comfortable, warm, relaxing, homey part of the house. Overall, they have simple design, textured elements, soft details, and restful horizontal lines.

Chenille - Extremely soft and bunchy fabric.

Chippendale - Wooden furniture featuring fretwork created by Thomas Chippendale in the 18th century; this is characterized by flowing lines and often rococo ornamentation.

Coffee table - A coffee table is a low table that sits in front of a sofa. Usually wide in shape, this table is used to serve drinks. Magazines or books are often displayed on top.

Cocktail Table - Cocktail and coffee tables are often considered interchangeable. Cocktail tables are often curvier and smaller in size than coffee tables.

Colonial - Style generated by the colonial interaction between Europe and their colonies.

Console table - Also called a 'sofa table', this is a long, thin and tall table often located on the side of a sofa or against a wall. This table is used for storage and display of decorative items.

Contemporary style - This is not quite "traditional," not quite "casual." This style tends to have straight, clean lines and edges, open curvature, and very little carvings or decorative touches.

Country - These tables are casual and unpretentious. They will combine simplicity and traditional designs. Almost exclusively light and warm colored woods, this can be thought of having "rustic class".

Demilune - Half-moon tables that are perfect to put against the wall. They usually come with matching mirrors that are perfect for your living room or hallway.

Dinette - French word for casual dining pieces.

Distressing - An aged wood finish created by scratches, dents and wear.

Dovetail - A decorative, durable joint formed by tight interlocking wedges.

Dowel - A type of joint where round wooden pegs are inserted into into wood parts for added strength.

Drop Leaf - A table top that has leaves that can raised or lowered down as needed.

Embossing - Decorative designs molded or carved on the occasional table

End tables - Usually bought in pairs, they accent the style of the coffee table or other furniture. Usually placed at the end of the sofa, it is a very important piece of a living room set.

Finger Joint - also called "box combing", this is a technique to join two specifically cut pieces. Each piece has f'ingers' matching the other one to perfectly fit into each other.

Fretwork - Ornamental and decorative three-dimensional wood accent.

Glaze - A finish process of a thin smooth shiny coating to highlight grain characteristics of wood.

Global/Exotic style - This style is inspired by the materials and design of tropical or far-away places. These pieces are typically non-western and non-traditional in design.

Grain - The pattern of the fibers in wood that create the oval or curvy patterns found in wood furniture.

Hardwood - Durable wood of trees that replace their leaves every year.

Hutch - A compnenet with doors or shelves that is placed on top of a base piece of furniture, such as a desk or buffet.

Inlay - Decorative technique that consists of implanting wood, metal, stones, leather, or other materials into a piece of furniture or veneer.

Kiln-dried Hardwood - Specially treated hardwood to reduce the moisture found in the lumber, thereby ensuring that the frame will not crack, split or warp.

Knot - Knot shapes are carved on wood to bring extra ornament and style, or can be a natural darker area in the grain of the wood.

Laminate - Thin layers of material formed together to create a solid piece to craft into furniture or tabletops.

Lamp table - Similar to an end table, lamp tables are small and short, and are often round. These are perfect for holding lamp.

Louis XV and XVI - Extremely refined designs inspired from French period of the 18th century, typically utilizing rich fabrics and an abundance of carving and gilding.

Mahogany - Durable tropical wood with handsome grain in a reddish color.

Maple - A hard, heavy, and light-colored natural grain wood.

Marquet - Beautiful pattern displayed by inlays of a material (contrast wood, metal, or ivory) into the veneer of wood.

Matte - In contrast to shiny or glossy looks, matte finish displays rough and warm surfaces.

MDF - Medium density fiber board - a man-made material used as a durable alternative to wood.

Mission/Shaker style - Design philosphy developed in early American furniture-making. A very simple design featuring stripes of wood, mission and shaker furniture and is built on concepts of order, utility and durability.

Modern Style - Clean lines, art, industrial elements and bold color characterize these tables. This style is known for its underlying simplicity of line, shape, form, and attention to practical functions.

Molding - Decorative shape protruding inward or outward from the surface of tables. It results from the use of mold to shape intricate design.

Mortise and Tenon - Simple joinery where the mortise is a cavity into a piece of wood receiving a tenon to create a solid stable angle of a table.

Natural finish - This finish utilizes the original, light color of the wood as a finish.

Nesting tables - Usually a set of 3 tables that can be stored together under one another.

Novelty style - This style table concerns original pieces that make a statement or adhere to an overall theme.

Oak wood - Durable wood of any of numerous deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs of the genus Quercus, bearing acorns as fruit.

Occasional table - Category gathering any small tables, but generally concerning coffee tables, end tables and sofa tables.

Ottoman - A armless low upholstered seat that can also serve as a table.

Overlay - Decorative layer on surface of a table.

Paint finish - This implies the use of a decorative color to finish a table. Paints can range from simple monochrome to very complex multi color paintings.

Parquet - Geometric wood patterns put together in a decorative veneer to accent a accent a furniture.

Patina -A fine coating on any metal surface, the result of age and use.

Pine - A soft, durable wood that is light in color with a straight, medium coarse grain; ideal for distressed and rustic, decorative finishes.

Plywood - Layers of wood attached to each other using a cross grain method. This type of material provides flexibility combined with strength.

Polyurethane - A clear plastic overlay.

Queen Anne - Very famous 18th century style characteristically known for simple designs and soft shapes.

Sheraton - Straight line style.

Sideboard - A long Buffet table used to hold serving dishes or platters during a meal.

Sofa table - A sofa table is very similar to a console table. It is designed to stand against a sofa. They are perfect to display flowers, decorative items and lamps.

Softwoods - Lower density wood than hardwoods. Usually used for more decorative purposes or economic alternatives.

Stain - Finish applied with a chemical that provide color and highlight wood grains.

Staining - The step in the finishing process that applies color to a piece of furniture, while allowing the grain to show through.

Tapered Leg - A leg that narrows down towards the bottom.

Tapestry - Decorative fabric that features pictures or intricate designs, often similar to large wall hangings made for castles.

Teak - Durable tropical hardwood

Tempered glass - Made to last because it is stronger than regular glass. tempered glass, when broken, is shattered into many small manageable fragments as opposed to large shards.

Traditional Style - Based on historic design models, this style is characteristically ornate, ordered and bold. Straight lines are often contrasted with curved details, brass, iron, and hand painted wood.

Varnish - A finish that is meant to protect the wood and provide some darker finish

Velvet - Soft fabric made of silk, rayon or nylon having a smooth, dense pile and plain underside.

Veneer - Thin leaf of wood applied onto panel or frame of solid wood. It displays richly grained effects inexpensively. Common veneers are rosewood, maple and mahogany.

Victorian - Traditional style of furniture that is also referred to as: Gothic, Victorian Rococo, or Victorian Renaissance.

Walnut - European hardwood with dark brown color.

Wax - Finish to add protection and finish to enhance the natural appearance of wood

Welding - The type of joinery for metal by using heat and flux.

Wengea - Walnut like color dark colored wood

Wool - One of the finest fabrics for making woven clothe.

A Friendly Customer Service Representative
If you'd like a little more advice from our coffee table experts, or have a specific question that we haven't answered here, feel free to give us a call at (800) 968-5857. Our friendly staff at All Coffee Tables is always happy to help!