Imagine that every single thing you owned had a purpose and place, and you’re coming pretty close to imagining traditional Korean furniture, which is really important in the Korean lifestyle. Every piece had a function and complex design that helped enhance the living area of the family it belonged to.
Though some of the antique Korean furniture may look a bit dorky when standing by itself, if being mixed properly with knowledge and a bit of autism, they are going to be an impressive living area.
This reading will focus on Korean antique furniture and its style.
Firstly, let’s take a quick look at some noticeable items based on independent research of antique Korean furniture.
We have a list of items in order of design to function since many of us can not afford an authentic Korean antique, so no history lesson.
Classified And Noticeable List Of Traditional Korean Furniture
As an Asian country right next to Japan, Korean furniture is most likely similar to the Japanese.
Some noticeable things are their using purposes, usually durable and regularly made of wood as the similarity in their culture.
Class Product Names
Table Low Table Combined Chest
Ordinary Table
Hall Desk
Sofa Desk Bamboo Sofa Desk
Side End Table
Cabinet Cabinet With Drawers
Cabinet Table Combined
Small/Portable Tables Wooden Tea Table
Plastic Tea Table
Patterned Mother Of Pearl Korean Furniture
Now, let’s take a closer look at the products listed above since we are all living in a free-minded world, keep in mind that all listed products are all recommendations.
1. Tables
These types of products are usually the most convenient and you can use it for any using purposes.
Some have drawers and can be used as a Korean antique chest as well as a coffee counter with their classic look.
Some come with an authentic antique style medallion hasp, strap hinges, and handles.
Naturally made in a rectangular shape with a low height, you can place this product almost anywhere in your living space such as under a window, a lamp table, or a coffee counter as mentioned.
Usually, you will find the fish-shaped brass lock included to serve the central cabinet (if your product has one) when purchasing, the drawers are also useful and convenient add more beauty to the piece of art without making your home look like a Korean traditional furniture museum.
Most certainly, you will find these pieces of furniture extraordinarily useful for your living space and can use it for multi-purpose such as a coffee counter, a lampstand, or even a back stand.
Let’s take a quick look at the recommended items based on reviews and ratings.
Editor’s choices Product Name Ratings
#1 TOP REVIEWS Oriental Coffee Table Low Chest 5.0
#2 BEST MULTI-PURPOSES Oriental Rosewood Ming Table 5.0
#3 BEST QUALITY Oriental Rosewood Hall Desk 4.2
Here is an example of the mentioned items that we highly recommend for you.
Oriental Rosewood Ming Table – BEST MULTI-PURPOSES
The Oriental Rosewood Ming Table as I’m starting to consider Oriental as one of many famous Korean furniture brands.
This product is a table that does not actually look like a table, irony isn’t it? I’m not sarcasm but since this one is a multi-purpose item, it’s a fact, let me tell you why.
This is a product that usually appears in numerous antique Korean movies.
The square classic design with a classic rosewood, black or two-tone finish, the dimension is 20x20x22 inches. Also, it has a variety of using purposes such as an end table, lampstand, or a coffee counter.
Though you will not want to move this thing around frequently because of its weight (17.5 pounds) I’m not saying it’s heavy but for just a table, it is heavy.
But in exchange, this product is super sturdy, it can hold an adult man as long as he won’t jump like a child on it.
If you buy this product on a Korean furniture online shop, may you receive it in parts and require assembling it.
But don’t worry, you can easily put it together in just a few minutes with some basic household tools, or you can ask someone to do it for you if you don’t have the time or just lazy like me.
Pros
- High-quality built
- Small yet sturdy
- Can be used for multi-purpose
- Durable
- Easy to assemble
- Super affordable
- Easy to clean
- Sturdy craftsmanship
- Classic design
- Two options of colorway
- Easy to mix with other furniture
- Supports heavyweight
- Made of wood
Cons
- Heavyweight
- Require assemble
In short, this will be a perfect purchase for you if you are looking for a small, sturdy desk that can be used for many purposes, high-quality built, and has a classic design.
2. Sofa Desk
As civilization keeps on evolving, it is quite obvious that new models will be born.
These models are usually built as a piece of modern Korean furniture but still have a classic vibe in it.
They are often made of woods or some eco-friendly material such as bamboo or hemp.
As a piece of Korea home equipment, these models still have some basic features of Korean furniture such as portability, durability and can be used for various purposes such as coffee tables, working desks, or even a back table if you are currently using a king-size bed.
Unlike some pure classic designed pieces of movables, these modern models are usually super easy to clean and some are highlighted with some noticeable features that help improve many aspects of your lifestyle.
Editor’s choices Product Name Ratings
#1 TOP REVIEWS ZOOPOLYN TV TRAY TABLE 4.5
#2 BEST MULTI-PURPOSES C Shaped Snack Table Sofa Couch 3.9
#3 BEST FOLDABLE DESK Tangkula Sofa Side End Table 4.5
For easier imagine what they are like and what they do, here is an example item of the recommended list.
ZOOPOLYN TV TRAY TABLE – TOP REVIEWS
The ZOOPOLYN TV TRAY TABLE is made to be a sofa desk with a mix of modern and traditional Korean furniture.
With its simple and stylish design, this side table is functional and suitable for any decor of your apartment, ideally blending with other furniture accessories.
This item is remarkably made of bamboo, which is super eco-friendly and durable.
The compact and space-saving design makes this item extremely portable, you can take it almost everywhere in your home and can use it for many purposes like a coffee counter, a side stand, or even a bathtub desk.
Being finely made of natural bamboo, this item did a great job itself with its smooth tabletop, which makes this product surprisingly easy to clean.
When purchasing this one, you will find it comes in unassembled parts, but you can easily assemble it with the instruction in just a few minutes.
Pros
- Made of eco-friendly material
- High-quality made
- Can be used for multi-purpose
- Scratch-resistant featured
- Easy to assemble
- Easy to mix with other furniture
- Sturdy craftsmanship
- Easy to clean
- Lightweight
- Super affordable
- Non-slip stands
- Long-lasting
- Beautifully designed
Cons
- Assemble require
- May scratch your wooden floor
- Can be break if not get assemble properly
With all the mentioned things, this will be a valuable piece of modern mixed traditional Korean furniture for your living space, featured with many important things such as scratch-resistant, non-slip stands, or made of eco-friendly material.
3. Cabinet
Existed since the beginning of mankind, these pieces of fittings are built to serve as a Korean antique chest as well as a decoration counter with its classical look.
These products usually have dark-stained or fine-grain finishing of wood normally hand-rubbed.
They come with many complex classic accessories such as carved brass handles, lock kits, or complicated curves.
Regularly made in a rectangular or square shape with a low height of 22 inches and small width, you can easily place them practically wherever you want in your home such as beneath your working desk or you can use it as a decor desk or even a television stand.
You will find these products extremely useful and convenient for your home, though, with that many complicated details, they can be a bit tricky to clean properly.
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Editor’s choices Product Name Ratings
#1 TOP REVIEWS Oriental 4 Drawer Antique Furniture 5.0
#2 BEST MULTI-PURPOSES Oriental Double Cabinet 5.0
#3 BEST QUALITY Avers Media Cabinet 5.0
Oriental 4 Drawer Antique Korean Furniture – TOP REVIEWS
As you may guess here is an example of what showed up before. The Oriental 4 Drawer Antique Korean Furniture.
Yet another product comes from Oriental, this brand can be one of the most dynamic brands in traditional Korean furniture for sale.
This product is manufactured to be an antique Korean bandaji chest with a dark-stained, fine-grain finishing of the hand-rubbed Elmwood.
Unlike modern Korean furniture, this one comes with many complex accessories such as an authentic antique style medallion hasp, strap hinges, handles, and a set of a lucky fish-shaped lock.
This one is too, a rectangular shape with a height of 37.5 inches and 32 inches of width, you can place this product almost anywhere in your living space such as at the end of your bed, an aquarium desk, or a coffee counter as mentioned.
As mentioned, the fish-shaped brass lock stands for good fortune included in the central cabinet, the three drawers are also helpful, practical and add more charm to this product without making your living space look like some Korean furniture stores.
Pros
- Made of Elmwood
- Can be used for multi-purpose
- Smooth drawers
- Fish-shaped brass lock and keys included
- Sturdy craftsmanship
- Lightweight
- Supports heavyweight
- Long-lasting
- Beautifully designed
- Standard quality
Cons
- Require assemble
- Small size
- Difficult to be clean
- Expensive
In short terms, this piece of furniture will be extraordinarily useful for your living space and can be used for many purposes such as a back stand, a lampstand, or a decoration desk.
4. Small/Portable Tables
Just like the name, you will find these products super useful if you are living in a small space or just looking for a compact Korean antique table yet have a classic look so you can do whatever you want with it.
These models usually come with square or rectangular shapes with the material of wood or plastic (If the price is low). And it suitable for chilling activities such as tea meditations and zen or you can even use this as a desk for romantic bed breakfast, sounds lovely, right?
Some items with foldable legs, as all of the mentioned items, these models are too, you can use for many purposes such as a laptop desk, studying table or you can even have a 2 main course meal with it.
Again, let’s take a quick look at some noticeable piece of traditional Korean furniture
Editor’s choices Product Name Ratings
#1 BEST LOOK Excelife Folding Wooden Tea Table 4.0
#2 BEST SIZE Excelife Mother Of Pearl Korean Furniture 3.7
Excelife Folding Wooden Tea Table – TOP REVIEWS
One last example, the Excelife Folding Wooden Tea Table.
If you are currently living in a small living space like an apartment just simply looking for a small tea board for your personal tea enjoying set, then this foldable table will please all your needs and complete your antique Korean tea set with its antique look.
As mentioned, you can use portable yet durable. Also, the lightweight of this thing will surprise you with just 9 pounds of weight.
You can use this one for activities like drinking tea or coffee, have a meal with your family, or even as a decoration desk.
Another advantage of this product is it’s made of Kalopanax, which makes it super durable, the round edges will be a safe point if you are living with kids around.
Plus, you can even add a heater underneath and it will be a fine kotatsu table, sounds good, isn’t it?
This would be a perfect little table for your tea enjoying or zen space with its wood and classic design, though you must carefully check the product when it arrives as some purchased users complain that they received this product in imperfect condition.
Pros
- Foldable legs
- Lightweight
- Made of wood
- Can be used for many purposes
- Does not require assemble
- Easy storage
- Easy to clean
- Durable
- Portable
- Safe round corner
- Supports heavyweight
- Standard quality
- Classic design
Cons
- Some arrived damaged
- The actual product does not look like pictures based on the users complains
- A little bit too low
Overall, this product would be an excellent piece of equipment for your working or living space with its antique Korean furniture look and can be used for multi-purposes like a bed breakfast board or a laptop desk, which fits perfectly for your antique Korean tea set.
Things People Also Ask About Traditional Korean Furniture
1. What are Traditional Korean Houses Called?
Antique Korean houses are generally called ‘hanok’, they were first designed in the 14th century throughout the Joseon Dynasty.
Korean architecture considers the positioning of the house concerning its surrounding landscape and seasons.
This is called ‘baesanimsu’ meaning that the ideal house is built with a mountain in the back and a river in the front.
2. Why Are Japanese and Korean Similar?
Although both of their languages have different writing systems, Japan and Korea share a considerable number of similarities as they share the same cultural heritage.
3. Where To Buy Traditional Korean Furniture?
Regularly, you can just Google ‘Korean furniture store near me’ and drive straight there.
But since the world has evolved so much, you don’t need to go anywhere, all you have to do is find a trusted online market site such as Amazon and just get what you are looking for.
The only concern is if you don’t get what you paid for or looking for, just demand a refund or ask them to ship you a new one, life’s easy!
Conclusion
If you are into Korean culture or just looking for something to blow fresh air into your living space, antique Korean fittings are wonderful things. Because they are usually made of wood, unique design, and is a multi-function furniture.
I’m truly hoping that this writing will assist you in finding the most suitable item for your home or just simply deliver some modest information about traditional Korean furniture.
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