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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
Roger Capron Coffee Table with Botanical Ceramic Tiles in Beige and Brown
By Roger Capron
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Roger Capron, coffee table, ceramic, beech, France, 1970s
This table is another exquisite example of Roger Capron’s work, showcasing a rectangular tabletop composed of his preferred...
Category
Vintage 1970s French Post-Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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Vintage French Herbier Coffee Table by Roger Capron (circa 1970s)
By Roger Capron
Located in London, GB
This piece is a fine example of Capron's celebrated 'Herbier' tile series (circa 1970s), in which real plant sprigs and grasses gathered from the garrigue scrubland surrounding Valla...
Category
Vintage 1970s French Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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Ceramic
Italian Graphic Coffee Table in Ash
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Coffee table, ash, glass, Italy, 1970s
This ash coffee table from Italy consists of a wooden grid, build up out of ash laths. Four solid round legs end up in four round ends. On top...
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Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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Luna Coffee Table by Bloom Home, Solid Reclaimed Elm, Vintage Style
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
Luna 50″ Coffee Table. A heavy thick top with vintage style pommel legs.
This coffee table is constructed from solid elm wood in our natural elm finish. Please note this item is ha...
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21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cock...
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Elm
Antique Dark Brown Spanish Chestnut Coffee Table with Two Drawers, circa 1840
Located in Casteren, NL
This characterful Spanish coffee table was crafted circa 1840 from solid chestnut wood. It displays a restrained Spanish country style in which the robust construction and natural ch...
Category
Antique 1840s Spanish Rustic Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Italian Sculptural Coffee Table 24kt Gold Plated Aluminium, Crystal Glass Top
Located in Ancona, Marche
The Vertigo Gold sculptural coffee table is composed of 24 aluminum elements, each meticulously mirror-polished and individually plated in 24kt gold. A true jewel, the piece captivat...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Crystal, Aluminum, Gold Plate
