Features and advantages of the ombre table, history of its occurrence
Recently, it has become fashionable to add furniture items that were popular in the past to the interior of your home. Such eclecticism makes the room unlike hundreds of others. The original ombre table serves not only as a decor, but also carries useful functionality. And the presence of such an unusual thing can say a lot about the owner of the home.
What is a
The first ombre table was designed back in the 16th century, and Spain became its homeland. Then the card game Lomber was popular, from where the name of this piece of furniture came from. While this fun was not widely known, players sat down at ordinary tables, but a little later, when Lomber attracted the attention of not only the Spaniards, but also the inhabitants of England, France, as well as Russia, furniture began to be reconstructed for a more convenient game.
In order for the cards not to slide on the countertop, its surface was covered with woolen cloth, preference was given to a green color that was pleasant to the eyes. It was also convenient to write with chalk on such a fabric.
Later ombre tables found their final form. Their distinctive feature is the presence of a fabric coating and the symmetry of the countertops, which makes it possible for each player to occupy an equal-sized field. For the convenience of the position of the legs, any lower crossbars and shelves were minimized.
Antique ombre tables could be a real work of art, they were made of expensive wood, had carved edging, were painted or decorated with precious stones and metals. Such furniture could serve as an indicator of the wealth of its owner.
Over time, after the ombre table appeared in almost all houses, they began to modernize it so that it could combine several functions, for example, during the day you could get together for tea, and in the evening it would be arranged for the game. Also, the tables were arranged to be able to play checkers, chess or backgammon on them, which made them universal.
Popular varieties
For ease of use, gaming tables could have a transformation mechanism, which made it possible to change their functionality in a few seconds. Popular varieties considered:
- Folding - the playing field increased due to additional elements located on the sides, which were folded on weekdays, which made the tables compact.
- Sliding - the countertop consisted of two halves that needed to be moved apart, and a special additional segment should be inserted into the hole formed.
- Transformers - one side of the countertop was smooth, allowing you to use it as a dining room, and the second was made under the field for the ombre. To start the game, just flip the countertop.
Convenient stools were made as a set for ombre tables, taking into account the height of the furniture, suitable in style and making up a single ensemble. In addition, such additional options were invented as small drawers or a bureau where you could store all the accessories for the game and other little things.
SlidingFoldingTransformerDesign and materials
If you build on the traditional style, then the ombre tables were made manually from elite wood, and on top they were decorated with expensive materials, among which were ivory, enamel and metals. Many of them were a real work of art, the originals of which today cost a lot of money.
This does not mean that buying such furniture is an expensive pleasure. You can order an exact copy of an existing table or create your own design by choosing materials as you wish. Practical and most budgetary options are plastic, metal, chipboard or cheaper wood. Modern tables usually do not have a bright decor, differ in simple concise forms. Sometimes the tabletop is made in bright colors (light green, emerald, burgundy), decorated with unobtrusive patterns or imitation of natural stone coating.
It should be noted that vintage things do not always fit into the overall interior of the apartment, in this case, budget materials are the salvation from which you can make furniture that does not stand out from the modern style.
Combination with the interior
Gaming tables can organically fit into any style due to its versatility, acquired through their modernization. This is especially true for custom-made furniture, since you can initially indicate your wishes by its appearance.
The main thing when choosing to take into account the design of the room in which the table will be:
- antique models made of wood, perfectly fit into the classical style, as well as Empire or Baroque;
- metal tables with a plastic addition will decorate a more modern apartment designed for modern or hi-tech;
- fans of unusual things can order for themselves a minimalistic game piece of furniture with a checkerboard pattern printed on its entire surface.
The variety of materials on the market enables everyone to purchase such a piece of furniture in their home. It is advisable not to depart from the history of occurrence and be sure to equip it with a field for card games. Also, a good option would be the restoration of old furniture, this will allow you to breathe new life into the table and make it exclusive. Even in a modern house, such antiques always look interesting.
Acquaintance with the history of the ombre table helps to plunge into the atmosphere of the past and acquire a truly interesting device. Its special qualities, such as versatility and compactness, will forever remain the same pluses. And modern versions of the models fit perfectly into the existing interior.