Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
The suave architect and interior designer Paul Laszlo made his reputation in Hollywood, where his clients included Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor. He was aligned to no artistic or design movements, relying on his own carefully honed instincts to create his celebrated lounge chairs, tables, dressers and other furnishings. From the late 1930s to the 1960s, Laszlo’s name was a byword for sumptuous modernity among members of the smart set.
Born in Hungary in 1900, Laszlo learned about quality from his father, a prosperous furniture manufacturer. He studied design in Vienna and had his technical training in Stuttgart, Germany, where, at age 27, he established an upscale design business that gained an international reputation. Nine years later, with the Nazis in power, Laszlo, a Jew, left Germany for the United States and made his way to Los Angeles. There, he established an interior design office in Beverly Hills and was pleased to find that his Stuttgart credentials carried weight.
While he took many commercial assignments for American department stores, custom residential work was Laszlo’s stock in trade. He turned his hand to every element in a room, “down to the last ashtray,” Time magazine once wrote. Like his clients, Laszlo appreciated luxury — not the luxury of rare and precious materials, but the luxury of rich colors and textures, and deep comforts. He had a contemporary élan, exemplified by spaces that were bright, airy, uncluttered and up-to-date.
The classic earmarks of Laszlo’s furnishings are generous proportions and, in the case of his Paddle and Plank armchairs, namesake armrests that are flat and wide, the perfect spot to rest a cocktail. His case goods, tables and dining chairs have clean, elegant lines; they are simply formed yet warm, with interesting details such as woven veneer door fronts.
In recent years, Laszlo’s designs have found a new audience among fans of his easygoing modernism. Prices are in the neighborhood of $5,000 for his vintage cabinets, and from $8,000 to upwards of $20,000 for seating pieces, which are generally found in pairs or groups of six or more.
There was a reason that Laszlo’s work was so admired in the mid-20th century: every design contributes to an environment that is comfortable and elegant — at once robust and relaxed.
Find vintage Paul Laszlo furniture on 1stDibs.
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Travertine
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1950s American Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Laminate, Birch
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
1930s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1980s American Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Birch
2010s American Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass, Steel
1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Multi-gemstone, Concrete, Metal, Brass
1970s Italian Minimalist Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Travertine
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Driftwood
2010s American Modern Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Plaster, Plywood
20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Chrome, Steel
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut, Formica
1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Multi-gemstone, Concrete, Metal, Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Maple
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Laminate
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass