Whether you serendipitously ran across a vintage card table in an antique shop while on holiday, or you inherited a specimen antique one, it can be difficult to know where to put it. Unless you have a devoted game room — and even then, should it hold court in the center of the room? Should it be tucked beneath a window? — questions abound. To make it all feel like less of a match game, here are four winning places to consider showing off your antique card table.
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Game Room
We’ll start with the game room, being that it is the most obvious choice for docking a card table. Generally, if your game room is spacious, you’ll want to avoid planting your card table in the middle of the room. Chances are your room will dwarf it. Rather, make a seating lounge the center of your room and position yout game table in a corner. Try using a round card table or turning a square table on an angle to add interest, if needed. If you have a card table that rivals the size of a standard dining table and it has a pedestal base, you might consider fashioning a built-in banquette to surround it.
Corner of a Living Room
A vintage card table can absolutely factor into a living room if you annex it off into a corner. In fact, designers often drop a vintage card table into the corner adjacent to a fireplace. To pull off the look, consider a card table that complements your existing furniture. Parsons silhouettes are fairly versatile in modern interiors, while simple, pedestal-based Regency card tables are good for partnering with a wide range of traditionalist furnishings. To ensure that your card table doesn’t merely look like a dining table dropping in unexpectedly, you might consider having some fun with your card table seating. Poufs can lend a more casual air, as can chairs with playful silhouettes, like Cherner chairs.
Breakfast Nook
A card table needn’t always be used for bridge. If you have a kitchen nook designed for a breakfast table, you might consider parking your vintage card table there. A vintage card table in a breakfast nook can do double-duty. In the early morning hours it’s perfect for hosting coffee and a pit-stop-style breakfast, while in the PM, its personality can skew decidedly more competitive. If you are going to station a card table in the kitchen, make sure it doesn’t have an exposed felt top. Look for card tables with drop leaves that cover the felted portion, or forgo one with the feature altogether.
Lead image design by Roughan Interiors / Photo by Jane Beiles
