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Why was furniture scarce during the Middle Ages?

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Mahogany card table — Furniture Card table, mahogany (primary wood) with original gold patina and gold stenciling, maker unknown, c. 1828; in the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 70.48 × 91.74 × 91.44 cm.

Furniture was scarce during the Middle Ages primarily because of the nomadic lifestyle of the wealthy and the limited production of household goods until the Renaissance.21

Noblemen who owned multiple dwellings typically possessed only one set of furnishings, which they transported from house to house. This necessity for mobility was so extreme that it often included removing door locks and window fittings to use at the next location. Because furniture was so difficult to acquire and move, it was common for visitors to bring their own bed and other essential items when traveling.2

This scarcity had a direct impact on design, leading to the development of portable, collapsible, or multifunctional pieces, such as folding chairs, trestle tables with removable tops, and beds with collapsible frameworks. The chest served as the most basic and versatile piece of furniture, functioning as a seat, table, desk, and storage unit. Furthermore, because furniture was produced in relatively small quantities and wood is a perishable material, very few pieces from this period have survived to the present day.21