Louis XVI Neoclassical Gold Leaf Side Table with Cream Onyx Top

Design & Inspiration

Place this table beside a bergère or at the end of a chaise longue and the room immediately gains a focal point that earns its position. The square cream onyx top — veined with amber and rust in the way only natural stone can be — rests above a fully gilded frame that speaks the precise design language of the Louis XVI era: symmetry, restraint, and classical ornament applied with intention. This is not decoration for its own sake; every carved detail refers back to the ancient world that 18th-century French designers so admired.

Materials & Craftsmanship

The frame is constructed from solid pine dried to below 10% humidity — a standard that ensures dimensional stability in Egypt's variable climate. Over this, craftsmen apply gesso and then hand-lay genuine gold leaf, burnishing the surface to the warm, slightly matte finish characteristic of period water-gilding. The apron carries a continuous carved laurel-branch frieze — the laurel being the Neoclassical period's favored symbol of honour and victory — interrupted at each corner by a rosette medallion. Each of the four legs is turned and fluted in the manner of a classical column shaft, tapered toward a small turned foot, with a carved acanthus-and-ball collar where the leg meets the apron.

Dimensions & Details

Length: 50 cm / Width: 50 cm / Height: 55 cm
Top material: Natural cream onyx with amber veining
Frame: Solid pine, hand-gilded with gold leaf
Finish: Antiqued gold leaf over gesso base
SKU: TABCOR8191

Handcrafted in Egypt

Every Brass & Wood piece is made by hand in Egypt by craftsmen trained in the traditions of European period furniture reproduction. The gold-leaf gilding is applied using the same water-gilding technique practised in 18th-century Parisian ateliers: gesso ground, bole layer, wet-lay gold leaf, then careful burnishing with an agate tool. No spray paint, no vacuum metallising — the gilded surface you see is real gold leaf, laid by hand. The result carries the warmth and slight variation of hand work that no machine process can replicate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What materials is this table made from?

The top is natural cream onyx with amber veining. The frame is solid pine finished with hand-applied gold leaf over a gesso base, in the tradition of 18th-century French Neoclassical gilding.

Is assembly required?

Minimal assembly is required — typically attaching the legs to the apron frame, which can be done without specialist tools in a few minutes.

Can this table be customized?

Yes. Brass & Wood offers customization on marble or onyx top colour, frame finish (antique gold, silver leaf, painted), and dimensions. Contact us before ordering to discuss your requirements.