A drop leaf table is one that has hinged leaves on either side of the table. These leaves can be set up to expand the table space – perfect for a cramped dining room or kitchen, or for having an unusually large number of people over to your home for dinner. The tables themselves have a history spanning several hundred years, and continue to be a convenient addition to homes after all this time.

We have tables dating as far back as the 1500s, where upper class British citizens would use them as sofa tables. These would be set up by the sofa or chair and used to keep refreshments close at hand. Depending on the amount of people over, or the amount of food required, the leaves could be set up as necessary. At this point in history the tables were not seen in lower class homes, nor were they used as dining tables.

Both of these changes came slowly over the next 200 years. By the 1700s they could be found in many common dining rooms, used as extensions for parties or large meals, often during holidays. While this is similar to the way most people use them today, we have a variation they did not have. Today you can also buy models with detachable leaves that go into the middle of the table rather than on the edges, but this was not available at that time.

Nowadays they are used more than ever, often for banquet tables or for smaller living spaces like studios, where they can be collapsed when not in use, saving extra space in the apartment. You can get them for as little as $150, or as much as several thousand dollars, depending on how detailed you want the table.

Buying a small drop leaf table has never been easier or more convenient. The tables are available both online and in furniture stores, and are excellent additions to the home, in any capacity.