Changes

More activities within the home and at work led to new types of tables being designed. Console tables, pier tables, side tables and hall tables were all variations of tables that were put along the walls of homes or larger buildings for activities ranging from eating, socializing, and drinking. Darker tables became more fashionable from the 19th century, including the use of heavy woods such as rosewood and mahogany. Coffee tables, with shorter legs, became features of the home by the 19th century. It was also during the renaissance and later centuries that tables were used for different types of games, including chess billiards. <ref>For more on activities and table design, see: Cohen, M. F. (2005). <i>Professional domesticity in the Victorian novel: women, work, and home.</i> Cambridge, U.K. ; New York: Cambridge University Press.</ref>

In the mid to late 19th century, tables began to be simpler in design and less elaborate in general, as mass production increased, leading to new concepts of faster construction of tables where parts were pre-made and put together after being shipped to shops or furniture sellers. By 1890, Art Nouveau style tables began to replace the more classical appearance of tables, which helped to diminish their central importance in homes. Table design was now seen to be inspired by influence outside of the Classics or the past. In the early 20th century, there was more of a desire to remove the cluttered look of Victorian style homes in the UK and elsewhere, leading to simpler designs for tables and smaller tables. <ref>For more on design and decor that became popular in the late 19th and 20th centuries, see: Binstead, H. E. (2007). <i>The furniture styles: Design from Elizabeth I to Art Nouveau.</i> JM Classic Editions.</ref>

In the 20th century, table designs began to apply sometimes more color or variation in design from traditional shapes. This reflected society's increase access to leisure time where the home became a place to entertain and enjoy ones time in.<ref>For more on modern furniture design, see: Quinn, B. (2004). <i>Mid-century modern: interiors, furniture, design details.</i> London: Conran Octopus.</ref>