the.com/end table
the loyal sidekick that holds your drink while the couch hogs the spotlight
means A small table placed at the side of a sofa or chair, handy for setting down lamps, drinks, books, and the everyday clutter of sitting still.
from A plain American compound from the early 20th century, naming the thing by exactly where it lives: at the 'end' of a sofa or couch. 'Table' itself comes through Old French 'table' from Latin 'tabula,' a board or plank — so the humble end table traces a long line back to a flat slab of wood with a job to do.
- height
- Built to match armrests, not floors or coffee tables
- name origin
- Named for sitting at the end of seating
- surface duty
- Lamp, remote, and abandoned coffee mug magnet
- victorian roots
- Evolved from candle stands of the 1700s
noguchi coffee table — iconic modernist design by isamu noguchi, first produced 1944, mass-produced by herman miller since 1947
eames side table — ctl designed by charles and ray eames in 1950, manufactured by herman miller, features molded plywood legs
chippendale side table — 18th century english furniture style popularized by thomas chippendale, characterized by ornate carved wooden legs