Here's an innovative vernacular piece of furniture popular in past centuries: A chair that doubled as a table.

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It speaks of thrift, ingenuity, and a scarcity of materials or space. While the ruling classes undoubtedly had both the room and budget for separate tables and chairs, a commoner family living in a small abode would need furniture to do double duty. The chair might not have been comfortable, but it was certainly useful.

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There's a fair amount of latitude as to what shape the tabletop could be.

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Once folded down some of the tables, like this one, simply rested on the chair arms.

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Others were secured into position via pins, like the ones seen in the hog slaughtering table.

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There were bench-length variants too with, of course, storage beneath the seat.

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While the form factor has fallen by the wayside, its spirit lives on in every recent college grad's futon-couch-bed.