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Rowton is defined by one detail. The caddy top is a moulded top with a slightly raised edge, so the surface sits inside a shallow frame rather than running out flat to the corner.
It is a small thing that changes a piece entirely. A caddy top gives a chest or a side table a lid-like quality, borrowed from the tea caddy, and it holds whatever you set down on it. On a coffee table it means glasses stay where you put them.
The range is often specified in cherry, which sharpens the moulded edge and darkens over the years to a deep reddish brown.
Every piece is made to order in our Suffolk workshop, to your dimensions and in the finish you choose.
What the range covers
| Piece | Notes |
|---|---|
| Rowton caddy top side table | Caddy top, often in cherry |
| Rowton caddy top chest | Chest of drawers with the caddy top |
| Rowton coffee table with potboard | A potboard is the low shelf between the legs, at or near floor level |
Related type pages: lamp and side tables, chests of drawers, coffee tables and occasional furniture.
Rowton is known for these three pieces. The caddy top itself is not limited to them, so if you want a lamp table, a server or a small cabinet drawn with the same edge, we will make it to match.
Timbers
Rowton is priced in the four standard timbers: oak, cherry, mahogany and walnut.
Cherry is the usual choice for this range and the one most often photographed. It takes the moulded caddy edge crisply and mellows with age. Oak gives a heavier, more country result. Mahogany is the most formal of the four, and walnut carries the strongest figure.
Character oak, pippy oak for tops, oak selected for medullary ray and clean timber with no knots at all are available on application. More on our timbers.
Make it yours
- Size. Height, width and depth to the millimetre. Coffee table height in particular is worth setting against the sofa you already own rather than to a standard.
- Drawer count and depth on the chest.
- The potboard. Kept, omitted, or set at a different height.
- Caddy moulding. The profile and the depth of the raised edge can be adjusted, and it makes more difference than most people expect.
- Ironmongery. Solid brass knobs, swan neck handles or turned wooden knobs.
- Finish. Polished, painted, limed, sand-blasted, rub-through paint or natural, and colour matched to a sample you send us.
The caddy top can also be carried onto pieces not currently in the range, so that a lamp table or a small cabinet belongs with the chest. Read how commissioning works, and order free timber and finish samples so you can see cherry against oak before deciding.
Questions about Rowton
What exactly is a caddy top?
A caddy top is a top with a moulding run around its edge that stands slightly proud of the surface, framing it. The name comes from the tea caddy. It stops small items sliding off and gives the piece a quieter, more contained outline.
What is a potboard?
A potboard is a low shelf set between the legs, at or just above floor level. It was originally for pots and pans. On a coffee table it gives you a second surface for books without adding bulk.
Why is Rowton usually made in cherry?
Cherry holds a fine moulded edge well and its colour deepens over the years, which suits the caddy detail. It is not a restriction. Rowton is priced in oak, cherry, mahogany and walnut like everything else in the catalogue.
