Parsons Dining Table

Back in the 30's, the Parsons dining table came to life because of Jean-Michael Frank. Who is he? Jean-Michael was a Frenchman who is a furniture decorator. He then gave a lecture that challenged students to design a new table design with one rule; the width of the legs must match the tabletop's. The table did not have any restrictions too. It can have any finish. 

Afterwards, the T-table was born. The results was a highly minimalistic and simple dining table design that did not quite belong in its era. The T-table was then mass produced in the 60's and thus became famous as Parsons dining tables.

Back in the days, it is hard to get hold of a parsons dining table. They were only available to the rich and wealthy. But now, everyone can have the luxury of buying one.

Wood is the number one material used to make these Parsons furniture. But due to their extreme popularity, plastic materials have also been used regularly.

In terms of shapes, they can come in rectangle or square. However, the former (rectangle) shape is much more common as it was the original design back in the 30's.

Features

• can easily match with any furniture designs and style in the dining room
• plain and simple
• clean look
• minimalism at its best
• symmetrical
• looks very uniform
• available with darker brown colors (but in this modern era, they are in either light colors or white)
• they appear as one color only most of the time

You will find the price to be lower for these tables. This is not surprising as they are widely available. Even so, the table construction is as durable as its reputation.

Benefits

You can match it with any types of chairs and it still looks good. For example, you can use the leather dining chair with a lighter color tone to match up with your Parsons dining table and they will complement one another. In fact, you will observe that the chairs have different colors from the table. This is the norm.

Pleasing to your eyes. When you see a Parsons table in the kitchen, you know the sense of completeness comes from the table itself due to its simple but luxurious and ultra modern design.

Suitable for the apartment. Why is this? Most newer homes (especially apartments) now sport the modern architecture design. Besides, the balcony view and Parsons furniture look good together.

Plenty of extra space for you feet. You can afford to place you legs freely because there are no table bases to obstruct your feet. All of the table legs are situated at the 4 corners, not the middle. Thank its minimalism design for this. But some modern manufacturers have made the table legs to concentrate in the middle, making the tabletop appearing wider. This particular "wide tabletop" design is great for a coffee drink.

Tips

You might think a Parsons table is not tough. But it is not accurate to pass judgment based on its appearance alone. Manufacturers have proven that the table is sturdy and strong with various furniture assembly techniques. Otherwise, the Parsons dining table wouldn't be such in high demand, would it?

When you spot a very modern-looking table that is simple yet eye-catching, you know it is a Parsons dining table. Usually, when you come across a Parsons dining table set, you will notice the chairs to be more outstanding due to its lighter color in contrast.

You have to use Parson chairs if you have a Parsons kitchen table at home. They simply complement the minimal-looking table very well. A Parsons dining chair always has a sponge or padded seat and backrest. For good ones, they are made from leather material. Normally, these dining room chairs don't have handles. Actually, many people also use the Parson chairs to match with other dining tables, including round and wooden tables.

The only concern is your children might not be able to sit on it! In this case, use other shorter chairs for this purpose. A bench is great for this purpose.

You can adjust the height of the table. How do you do this? You either use a shorter or taller set of table legs. The woodworker can easily assemble and fix the legs onto the table.

Consider refinishing the wood surface if you don't like the single color of the table. When you finish the table, it can have different tones and shades. If having a varying color for your Parsons dining table, do it.

Anyone can be a student of Jean-Michael Frank and redesign the T-square table. You can too when you purchase this timeless product for your kitchen area.

Back to Table Styles and Designs 

Back to Dining Table Guide

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