Acrylic Rainbow Coffee Table
2010s Belgian Post-Modern Tables
Steel
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2010s Dutch Modern Side Tables
Resin
2010s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Table Lamps
Brass
2010s English Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak, Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Center Tables
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Nickel, Pewter
2010s American Modern Console Tables
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary American Rustic Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak
2010s Italian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Ceramic
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Center Tables
Brass
2010s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Sideboards
Oak
Mid-20th Century Spanish Baroque Side Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps
Murano Glass
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Lucite, Glass
Finding the Right coffee-tables-cocktail-tables for You
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. Browse a vast selection of antique, new and vintage coffee table and cocktail tables today.
- 1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023Whether a glass or acrylic coffee table is better is a matter of personal preference. An acrylic table is less likely to shatter and often lighter in weight, while a glass coffee table may have a more prominent shine. How carefully a coffee table is crafted also impacts its quality and longevity. On 1stDibs, shop a range of coffee tables.
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