Extending Antique Dining Tables

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Extending Antique Dining Tables
From round table to oblong extended dining table perfect for a dinner party

At Canonbury Antiques we have a range of extending antique dining tables. These tables are great as they can be made bigger or smaller to suit your needs - larger for a bigger dinner party or smaller for every day family use when less size is required. The classic extending antique table would be the Victorian tables in our range which mainly work off a wind up mechanism operated by a handle at one end of the table. By turning the handle the table will wind the internal mechanism to make the table bigger (or smaller) into which the additional leaves can be added (or taken out). Voila.

Please read our guide to how the leaf system works here >>

Extending Antique Dining Tables
Regency table with slats underneath

In terms of extending antique dining tables the Victorian version has to be the classic with its chunky look and solid and sturdy feel. Perfect for large scale dinner parties we have these tables in both mahogany and walnut. One of my favourite has to be our marquetry inlay dining tables with intricate hand cut floral motifs, a total delight to look at and of course dine off. The classic Victorian table would be in mahogany with the hand carved bulbous legs. We have these dining tables in versions that are 10, 14 or 16 foot long - and we can custom make them bigger if you require up to any size, so perfect for executive boardrooms or stately homes. There are some versions of the Victorian table that do not have a wind up mechanism but rather work by manually pulling out the table with two people at either end and some elbow grease.

Extending table via the handle at the end of this Victorian table
The wind up handle on this extending table

Another classic extending antique dining table would be the Regency pedestal table. These also work with a leaf system and are set up manually via a slat system. The pedestal bases stand on feet and will support a table top and then the extra leaves are added (or taken away) manually. Typically each leaf will measure 24 inches so depending on how many leaves you opt to use there are multiple size combinations. These Regency tables have a more refined classical look and are hence a favourite with interior designers as they work well in contemporary interiors. Again these Regency tables come in various sizes and woods with mahogany and walnut being the favourite. One of our most popular models features a George Bullock style carved base which really makes it stand out.

This large Regency dining table would have up to 4 leaves

Another popular version of the extending antique dining table is the Jupes table - which is actually a round table which extends outwards via a concentric leaf system. These tables are pretty unique as you can make the diameter larger or smaller to accommodate different dining functions with the extra leaves. The extra leaves can be stored in a special storage box that comes with the table so you can safetly store them when not in use.

This Jupes table extends outwards via the pull out slats and extra concentric leaves

Please read here for a guide to Jupes tables and how the leaf system actually works.

We also have a number of refectory tables that can be extended if you are looking for a more farmhouse look for your interior or a table for your kitchen. These extending refectory tables work via an extra leaf that is stored at either end of the table and can be pulled out when required. They would typically add an extra 18-24 inches on to each end - again great for that extra space when trying to accommodate extra guests at a dinner party or function. Hopefully you can see that our range of extending antique dining tables is large and we have various models to suit different tastes and interiors. Of course we have a large range of dining chairs to match so please get in touch if you are looking for a complete dining suite with table and chairs.

An extending refectory table - perfect for that farmhouse look

Many of these extending antique dining tables are on display in our Canonbury Antiques Hertfordshire showroom so please get in touch for an appointment, we are just 25 minutes north of London. We also specialise in art deco, continental antiques, porcelain, architectural antiques, bronzes and the world of interiors.

The inners of an extending antique dining table with metal winding mechanism