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→Modern Use
In the 18th century, the idea of men drinking around tables after dinner led to more "masculine" style tables in Europe. As tables began to be associated with drinking and male social commradery, the social setting was reflected in the design of the period where decorative elements and thick tables resembled more masculine forms. Coffee and tea culture also began to become important in much of Europe and Britain. As these drinks often were consumed by themselves or with a small portion of snack or sweet, tables required tended to be small. However, it was uncomfortable to be seated low, so this gave the rise of high standing but narrow tables used in cafes throughout Europe. In effect, it was a new form of table used for the increasing role of coffee and tea houses as social gathering places. However, for the home, coffee tables did evolve to have shorter legs, as more people in the family were expected to gather around it and making the higher design less suitable for larger numbers of people.
==Modern UseVariations of Designs== 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. 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. 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.
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