Fairy tales relating stories of kings and queens always spoke of them. So did movies that portrayed the lives of the affluent. A quick peek into the past gives a sneak preview of the pride of place it enjoyed. Well, we are talking about the all-important role dressing tables play in our homes and lives.
Dressing tables are items of furniture that have come a long way, literally. For, they find a mention in some of our oldest books even.
According to a few boiled down versions of these writings, kings expressed their love to their queens in the form of gifts and the most cherished gift any queen enjoyed was an elaborately laid out dressing table. And, of course, a battery of maids to help her groom herself!
Like various spheres of life, these items of furniture too were not spared from the influence of Father Time. While the times of rajas and maharajas saw elaborate dressing tables embellished with precious metals and stones, the colonial era saw some of the most ornately carved dressing tables in wood that sat prim and proper in palatial bungalows.
Toilet table
Actually speaking, the word dressing table originated from the term ‘toilet table’, a table with drawers meant for the safe keeping of toiletries. However, the interest women exhibited in adorning themselves and the natural inclination they had towards preening themselves marked its entry into our dressing rooms.
The very mention of dressing tables conjures up in mind the picture of a huge table with innumerable drawers and a life-size mirror. These traditional tables, carved out of mahogany, walnut, teak or oak shone bright and were always accompanied by either a high stool or a chair that complemented the look of the table. But, as time progressed and palatial bungalows slowly made way to compact living spaces in the form of apartments and tiny homes, so did these traditional dressing tables that soon became functional, trying to occupy as little space as possible.
Think what you may, dressing tables are no longer a luxury. In fact, they are a must in every modern home. No longer considered a space dedicated to just grooming and dressing up, a functional and a well-designed dressing table can go a long way in helping reduce bedroom clutter. They not only hold cosmetics, make-up accessories and the like, but can also double up as the medicine counter where regular medicines can be carefully kept out of reach of little ones in the family in one of the drawers. This is not all. If the table has good many drawers, even stationery, staplers, scissors, paper knives and the like can be made to fit into one of the boxes.
Be creative
Unleash your creativity a bit and the dressing table, occupying the centrestage in the bedroom-cum-dressing room, can be made to function as a bedside table too. In the open cabinets next to the mirror can be kept books you love to read before retiring for the day and even alarm clocks that you so love to hate. And, not to forget, the water jug. Top them all with an attractive flower vase so that the dressing table dons an ornamental look. It’s just being space-wise, you see.
A close look at the furniture market reveals the emphasis on conserving space and getting the maximum out of every bit of furniture we bring home. How do you like a dressing table-cum-study table in bright shades for your child’s room? If worried that your child will get distracted by the mirror, just relax. For, the mirror is tiltable, with the other side sporting a soft board which can be used to pin up either messages or reminders. Well, the options are too many.
Gone are the days when anything that you can tuck your legs underneath and that won’t look too officey could pass off as a dressing table. With wall-to-wall cabinets being the order of the day in most modern homes, most people now prefer to have a part of their wardrobes function as their dressing table (or, should we call it a dressing cabinet?). These dent-in-the-wardrobe kind of dressing tables are practical too, as the mirror is fixed to the door of the cabinet which opens to shelves that function as well as the drawer of the dressing table. These shelves, especially if they are in glass, not only look classy, but also display our poshest perfumes well, lending the much-needed ‘oh-so-chic’ touch to our cabinets. The glamour quotient of these functional cabinets can be enhanced by the fixture of focus lights right above the mirror. However, a cool and comfy chair is an absolute must.
If you thought all this comes at a price, then rest assured it will not make a hole in your pocket. For, these modern dressing tables and cabinets are now available in a variety of material ranging from blockboards and plywoods to metals, making them easily affordable to one and all. Agreed these modern tables are no match to traditional wooden units. But, ‘functional’ is the keyword, ain’t it?