Gossip bench

A gossip bench or telephone table is a piece of furniture that includes a chair with an attached side table on one end, sometimes with built-in storage such as drawers or a magazine rack.

[1] The furniture became popular shortly after the telephone was invented in 1876.

[2] They were most popular between the 1930s and the 1950s,[2] but have no specific date of invention, as they developed over time as a matter of convenience and necessity.

The gossip bench began as a shelf for the telephone (then a very large and cumbersome non-portable object) to rest upon, usually in the hallway of the home.

Scandinavian influence produced more sleek styles, while those in Great Britain were more ornate.