ISA Bergamo Attrib. Wooden Coffee Table with Shaped Top, Italy, 1950s
By ISA Bergamo
Located in Naples, IT
This coffee table, attributed to the ISA Bergamo factory and typical of Italian design from the 1950s, is a perfect example of the Mid-Century Modern style. The tabletop is made of w...
Metal, Brass
Modernist Cherry Brass Side Table Coffee Table Josef Frank, 1950s, Sweden
By Josef Frank
Located in Vienna, AT
Modernist Mid-Century Modern vintage side table or coffee table from cherry wood and brass attributed to Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn 1950s Sweden.
Brass
Minimalist brass and glass sofa/coffee table by Bergboms, Sweden, 1950s
By Bergboms, Alf Svensson
Located in Hägersten, SE
Minimalist Sofa/Coffee table designed by Alf Svensson and made by Swedish company Bergboms.
Brass
Rare Osvaldo Borsani Marble and Brass Side / Coffee Table , Italy, 1950s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
Rare Osvaldo Borsani Marble and Brass Side / Coffee Table, Italy, 1950s. Manufactured by ABV Arredamento Borsani Varedo.
Marble, Brass
Italian mid-century modern brass and laminate pedestal or coffee table, 1950s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern brass and laminate pedestal or coffee table, 1950s.
Brass
Indian Star Shape Wooden and Brass Low Coffee Table 1950s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Indian wooden low coffee table in the shape of 8 pointed star decorated with embossed brass accents and nails.
Brass
$3,445Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century Kidney Coffee Side Table with Marble Top & Brass Legs, Italy 1950s
By Ico Parisi, Gio Ponti
Located in Steinheim am Albuch, BW
Stunning Italian organic shaped coffee table with marble top and tapered brass legs from the 1950s.
Marble, Iron, Brass
Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table by Cesare Lacca in Gilt Brass Period, 1950s
By Cesare Lacca
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Mid-Century Modern coffee table by Cesare Lacca in gilt brass, top in shaped crystal with polished edge, printing of Napoli protected by Crystal, period 1950s Measure cm: H 45 x W...
Crystal, Brass
Mid-century coffee table in enamelled copper, 1950s
Located in Parma, IT
Coffee table made in Italy in the 1950s. Enamelled copper top hand-decorated with informal motif, wooden edge, painted metal structure with adjustable feet and brass details, wooden ...
Metal, Brass, Copper
Original Carl Aubock Walnut Tree Trunk Coffee Sofa Table, Vienna, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
An authentic vintage sculptural „Baumtisch“ tree trunk table from the 1950s, designed and crafted by Carl Auböck II.
Brass
Glass Coffee Table by Adelmo Rascaroli, Italy, 1950s
Located in Milan, IT
Rare low table by Adelmo Rascaroli. Wood frame with accurate details, brass details and glass top with rounded edges.
Brass
1950s Mid-Century Large Moroccan Tray Coffee Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exquisite hand-hammered brass Moroccan tray features a stunning mid-century mahogany base complemented by four elegantly designed folding legs. Versatile in its use, the piece c...
Brass
Original Carl Aubock Large Mid-Century Walnut Tree Trunk Coffee Table, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A organic and sculptural original vintage tree trunk sofa table from the 1950s, designed and executed by Carl Auböck. This impressive and unusual modernist table is made of a walnut ...
Brass
Hand-painted Illustrated Wood Coffee or Center Table, 1950s, Italy
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Mid-century Italian unique hand-painted illustrated Wood Coffee Table with black iron newspaper shelf, 1950s, Italy Measurtements : Top: 86 x 42 cm Height: 41 cm Newspaper shelf to...
Metal, Brass
Italian coffee table made in the 1950s with a marble top
Located in Vigevano, PV
Italian coffee table made in the 1950s with white marble top and quartz veining, brass tips.
Marble, Brass
Midcentury Teak 1950s Metamorphic Dining Coffee Table By Wilhelm Renz Germany
By Wilhelm Renz
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
Stamped 'Made in Germany' with the WR maker's badge. The brass hinges for folding the table are strong with a lovely patina.
Brass
Wrought iron tripod side table with brass decorations and alabaster top - 1950s
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Antique side table - Classical Style Measures : Ø 42cm H:56 cm Materials : Wrought Iron - Alabaster - Brass 1950s wrought iron coffee table.
Alabaster, Brass, Iron
As a practical focal point in your living area, antique and vintage coffee tables and cocktail tables are an invaluable addition to any interior.
Low tables that were initially used as tea tables or coffee tables have been around since at least the mid- to late-1800s. Early coffee tables surfaced in Victorian-era England, likely influenced by the use of tea tables in Japanese tea gardens. In the United States, furniture makers worked to introduce low, long tables into their offerings as the popularity of coffee and “coffee breaks” took hold during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
It didn’t take long for coffee tables and cocktail tables to become a design staple and for consumers to recognize their role in entertaining no matter what beverages were being served. Originally, these tables were as simple as they are practical — as high as your sofa and made primarily of wood. In recent years, however, metal, glass and plastics have become popular in coffee tables and cocktail tables, and design hasn’t been restricted to the conventional low profile, either.
Visionary craftspeople such as Paul Evans introduced bold, geometric designs that challenge the traditional idea of what a coffee table can be. The elongated rectangles and wide boxy forms of Evans’s desirable Cityscape coffee table, for example, will meet your needs but undoubtedly prove imposing in your living space.
If you’re shopping for an older coffee table to bring into your home — be it an antique Georgian-style coffee table made of mahogany or walnut with decorative inlays or a classic square mid-century modern piece comprised of rosewood designed by the likes of Ettore Sottsass — there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Both the table itself and what you put on it should align with the overall design of the room, not just by what you think looks fashionable in isolation. According to interior designer Tamara Eaton, the material of your vintage coffee table is something you need to consider. “With a glass coffee table, you also have to think about the surface underneath, like the rug or floor,” she says. “With wood and stone tables, you think about what’s on top.”
Find the perfect centerpiece for any room, no matter what your personal furniture style on 1stDibs — shop Art Deco coffee tables, travertine coffee tables and other antique and vintage coffee tables and cocktail tables today.
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
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