Questions & Answers
Our trusted network of 1stDibs sellers answer common questions
Who invented the coffee table?
1 Answer
No one knows for sure who invented the coffee table. The earliest examples of the occasional table can be traced back to Victorian-era Britain. At that time, makers like William Watt and Collinson and Lock were producing coffee tables in large quantities.
Notably, F. Stuart Foote, the designer behind the American Imperial Furniture Company, claimed to have invented the coffee table in the early 20th century. He stated that he did so by cutting down the legs of a dining table. However, it's unlikely that Foote is the actual inventor of the coffee table, as books describing coffee tables existed in the UK a decade before his birth in 1872.
Shop a wide variety of coffee tables on 1stDibs.
Notably, F. Stuart Foote, the designer behind the American Imperial Furniture Company, claimed to have invented the coffee table in the early 20th century. He stated that he did so by cutting down the legs of a dining table. However, it's unlikely that Foote is the actual inventor of the coffee table, as books describing coffee tables existed in the UK a decade before his birth in 1872.
Shop a wide variety of coffee tables on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertApril 12, 2024
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Shop for Coffee Tables and Cocktail Tables on 1stDibs
"Organic 3" Modern Coffee Table by Last Workshop, Walnut
Located in Chicago, IL
"Organic 3" coffee table by Last Workshop, 2025.
Solid walnut, natural finish.
XL size-
Dimensions: 68" x 50" x 15"H
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2010s American Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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Newly Refinished - Mid-Century Modern Round Burl Walnut Coffee Table by Baker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Expertly Refinished
With over 15 years of experience, our workshop has followed a careful process of restoration, showcasing our passion and creativity for vintage desig...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Burl
Bunny Williams Home Celine Coffee Table
Located in New York, NY
A study in understated glamour, the Celine Coffee Table will be the crown jewel of any seating group. Its antiqued mirrored glass top—hand-painted on the reverse with a floral lattic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Metal
$2,400 / item
Ceramic Coffee Table
By Project 213A
Located in Macieira de Sarnes, PT
Ceramic Coffee Table, designed in 2024.
Hand-sculpted ceramic coffee table with an organic shape made in Project 213A's in-house ceramic workshop and finished with a custom glaze.
E...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Ceramic
$6,231 / item
A MID-CENTURY-MODERN MODERNIST Rattan SIDE TABLE by Janine ABRAHAM, France 1950
Located in PARIS, FR
A superb Modernist, Freeform, Brutalist, Folk Art pedestal table or side table, with a four-legged black lacquered metal frame and an impressive woven wicker top, creating a warm and...
Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Metal
Tue Poulsen Square Tile Topped Coffee Table of Wenge by Erik Wørts Danmark 1960s
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Square coffee table by Danish artist and ceramist Tue Poulsen (born 1939) and Danish furniture designer Erik Wørts (1916-97). Made ca 1960s.
The coffee table has handmade tiles on to...
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Materials
Ceramic, Wenge
