The Games Table Is Having a Moment—And We’re All In

Being confined to our homes for the better part of two years has, no doubt, changed the way we live. One rather lighthearted shift? People are playing games again—and we’re not just talking about your morning Wordle ritual. Rather, it’s those analog get-them-out-of-the-cabinet pastimes that involve boards, cards, lettered tiles, and fake money. With the renewed interest, an oft forgotten piece of furniture has reentered the living room: the games table.

In case you’re having trouble picturing it, Robert Highsmith from AD100 firm Workstead describes the games table as “typically slightly smaller in scale than a four-seater dining table, often with a lower profile or details conducive to gaming.” He recently placed a Harvey Probber one in a historic Victorian manse in New York’s Hudson Valley.

He’s not the only one. Who can forget Cara Delevingne’s crimson poker room in L.A. complete with a vintage games table and wheel of fortune? For a less theme-y rendition, look to the mirrored Milo Baughman version in Instagram founder Kevin Systrom’s Ken Fulk–designed Lake Tahoe retreat or the chic Jansen number in Jean-Louis Deniot’s historic L.A. home.

“Games tables are well placed in alcoves or in a larger space where they can create a room within a room—something in between the scales of lounging and dining,” Highsmith explains. “They really define a room and offset the surrounding spaces, performing a playful function that can loosen up more formal layouts.”