Newport Tea Table

The table you see here pays homage to the work of a fellow named John Goddard. In the 18th century he had a thriving furniture making business in Newport, Rhode Island. Tea tables prior to this point were more delicate and refined objects. John decided it was time to add some weight and substance to this classic piece of furniture. He fleshed out the legs and kept the cabriole profile, but replaced the “slipper” feet with the more substantial claw foot you see here. That adjustment won over wealthy patrons that were wanting an earthy elegance to distinguish themselves from the folks on the east side of the pond. History lessons aside, let’s look at our iteration of the tea table. As you see in the main photo, the aprons are the elegant equator of the table. The ribboned ends of the aprons are joined to the leg posts with mortise and tenon joinery. The corners of the top mimic the profi le created by the legs and apron. Out of the leg posts flows the shapely cabriole legs which pools into the divine beasts that are the claw feet. Clearly there’s a lot to do, so sharpen those carving tools and get after it.

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