$1,040Sale Price|20% Off
Kipp Stewart Long Board Coffee Table by Drexel
By Kipp Stewart
Located in Pasadena, TX
Danish modern teak Drexel Declaration coffee table 60" long teak coffee table by Kipp Stewart for the Drexel Declaration line.
Rosewood, Walnut
a Lovely Walnut coffee Table by Kip Stewart for the Drexel Declaration Line
By Drexel
Located in Asbury Park, NJ
This is a nice original example from Drexel, designed by Kip Stewart as part of the "Declaration" line from the 1960's. Its in nice original finish, it features a flip top that revea...
Walnut
Drexel “Declaration” Walnut Coffee Table by Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials: Walnut Wood, Brass Pull Handles ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we...
Brass
$1,120Sale Price|20% Off
Drexel Declaration Cocktail Table by Kipp Stewart, 1950s
Located in Trenton, NJ
A fully authenticated and precisely documented example of one of the most celebrated pieces in the Drexel Declaration collection — the cocktail table designed by Kipp Stewart and Ste...
Wood
Sold
H 15.5 in W 60 in D 22 in
Mid-Century Modern Walnut and Rosewood Drexel Declaration Coffee Table, 1950
By Drexel
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A vintage Mid-Century Modern walnut and Rosewood Drexel Declaration coffee table. Walnut with rosewood inlay.
Rosewood, Walnut
Sold
H 16.5 in W 37.5 in D 37.5 in
Mid Century Drexel Declaration Coffee Table with Nesting Stool Tables
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in San Jose, CA
Vintage Drexel declaration coffee table by Kipp Stewart and Stewart McDougall in walnut.
Formica, Walnut
Mid Century Drexel Declaration Coffee Table
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
Located in Raleigh, NC
Mid-Century Drexel Declaration Walnut Coffee Table. Designed by Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall for Drexel in the late 1950’s.
Wood, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Drexel Declaration Coffee Table Kipp Stewart
By Drexel
Located in Toledo, OH
Mid-Century Modern walnut coffee table by Kipp Stewart for Drexel. Surfboard style with original finish. Stamped on the bottom. Very nice original finish with light wear. Dimensions...
Walnut
Mid Century Modern Drexel Declaration Coffee Table in Walnut
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
Located in San Diego, CA
This glowing walnut coffee table designed for Drexel Declaration has the iconic white porcelain hardware and long elegant legs that make the series so popular.
Porcelain, Walnut
Drexel Declaration Coffee Table by Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
From the iconic Drexel Declaration collection by Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall, this is a deep, rectangular table in walnut wood on recessed legs. Two drawers with signature po...
Brass
Sold
H 15.25 in W 60 in D 22 in
Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall Drexel Declaration Coffee Table Circa 1960s
By Kipp Stewart, Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
Located in Peabody, MA
A walnut coffee table with contrasting teak inlay designed by Stewart MacDougall & Kipp Stewart for their Declaration Line for Drexel, circa 1950s.
Teak, Walnut
Kipp Stewart “Declaration” Coffee Table for Drexel
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designer: Stewart MacDougall & Kipp Stewart Manufacturer: Drexel “Declaration” Period/style: Mid-Century Modern Country: United States Date: 1950s Dimensions: 16.25?H x 32?L x...
Porcelain, Walnut
Kipp Stewart "Declaration" Storage Coffee Table for Drexel
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant coffee table designed by Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall for Drexel’s iconic Declaration collection and manufactured in the United States, circa 1960s.
Brass
Sold
H 15 in W 60 in L 15 in
1950s Stewart MacDougall & Kipp Stewart Drexel Declaration Walnut Coffee Table
By Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Iconic 1956 Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart Drexel Declaration walnut coffee table with rosewood inlay.
Rosewood, Walnut
Drexel Declaration Walnut Coffee Table, Kipp Stewart Mid Century Modern
By Kipp Stewart, Drexel
Located in Virginia Beach, VA
A beautiful Drexel coffee table in walnut veneer with a circular rosewood inlay.
Walnut
Kipp Stewart for Drexel "Declaration" Line Walnut Coffee Table/ Bench
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Kipp Stewart for Drexel 75" long Walnut Coffee Table. Long and Sleek! Nice Scale and only 16" deep! Original finish shows scratches but overall presents well. Add a cushion to us...
Walnut
Sold
H 16.25 in W 46 in D 32 in
Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall "Declaration" Coffee Table for Drexel
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall "Declaration" coffee table for Drexel. This piece has been professionally restored.
Brass
Sold
H 16.25 in W 46 in D 32 in
Stewart MacDougall & Kipp Stewart “Declaration” Coffee Table for Drexel
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designer: Stewart MacDougall & Kipp Stewart Manufacturer: Drexel “Declaration” Period/Style: Mid-Century Modern Country: United States Date: 1950s Dimensions: 16.25 H x 32 L x...
Walnut
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H 16.25 in W 46 in D 32 in
Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall “Declaration” Coffee Table for Drexel
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designer: Stewart MacDougall & Kipp Stewart Manufacturer: Drexel “Declaration” Period/Style: Mid-Century Modern Country: United States Date: 1950s Dimensions: 16.25?H x 46?W x...
Porcelain, Walnut
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H 15.5 in W 75 in D 16 in
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Long Walnut Coffee Table
By Kipp Stewart, Drexel
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration mid century long walnut coffee table Table measures: 75 wide x 16 deep x 15.5 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call r...
Walnut
Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall "Declaration" Coffee Table for Drexel
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designer: Kipp Stewart & Stewart McDougall Manufacturer: Drexel Country of origin: United States Date of manufacture: 1960-1969 Materials: Walnut wood, brass hardware, porcelain ...
Brass
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H 15.5 in W 48 in D 16 in
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid-Century Modern Walnut Coffee Table, 1961
By Kipp Stewart, Drexel
Located in South Bend, IN
Offering a gorgeous Mid-Century Modern walnut coffee table designed by Kipp Stewart for his Declaration line for Drexel.
Walnut
Sold
H 15.5 in W 44 in D 44 in
Kipp Stewart, Drexel Declaration Cocktail Table, Brazilian Rosewood Inlay
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart
Located in Buffalo, NY
Stunning Mid-Century Modern cocktail table designed by Kipp Stewart for Drexel, declaration, Brazilian rosewood inlay, unusual "out of round" shape.
Wood
Stewart McDougall & Kipp Stewart “Declaration” Coffee Table for Drexel
By Kipp Stewart, Stewart MacDougall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designer: Stewart McDougall & Kipp Stewart Manufacturer: Drexel “Declaration” Period/Style: Mid Century Modern Country: United States Date: 1959 Dimensions: 15.5″H x 60″L x 22...
Walnut
Stewart McDougall & Kipp Stewart “Declaration” Coffee Table for Drexel
By Stewart MacDougall, Kipp Stewart
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designer: Stewart McDougall & Kipp Stewart Manufacturer: Drexel “Declaration” Period/Style: Mid Century Modern Country: United States Date: 1959 Dimensions: 15″H x 46″L x 32″W...
Brass
Sold
H 16 in W 46 in D 32 in
Drexel “Declaration” Walnut Coffee Table by Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
By Kipp Stewart
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drexel “Declaration” Walnut Coffee Table by Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
Brass
Walnut Rosewood Coffee Table by Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A medium toned walnut coffee table with rosewood dot design to the center of the table having inlay rosewood inset to the edge giving this well crafted table a high end Mid Century f...
Walnut
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H 15.75 in W 48 in D 16 in
Walnut Smaller Scale Coffee Table by Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A hard to find smaller scale medium toned walnut coffee table with rosewood inlay detail to the inside edge.
Walnut
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Walnut and Rosewood Inlay Coffee Table
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Kipp Stewart
Located in New Windsor, NY
Kipp Stewart designed Drexel declaration walnut with rosewood inlay coffee table.
Rosewood, Walnut
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H 20.13 in W 30 in D 30 in
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Walnut Coffee or Occasional Table, 1958
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Mid-Century Modern walnut and cane two-tier coffee table or occasional side table By Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration USA, 1958 Measures: 30" W x 30" D x 20.13...
Cane, Walnut
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Coffee Table
By Kipp Stewart, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
From the iconic Drexel Declaration collection by Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall, this is a deep, rectangular table in walnut wood on recessed legs. Two drawers with signature po...
Brass
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Coffee Table
By Kipp Stewart, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
From the iconic Drexel Declaration collection by Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall, this is a deep, rectangular table in walnut wood on recessed legs. Two drawers with signature po...
Porcelain, Walnut
Midcentury Walnut and Rosewood Drexel Declaration Coffee Table
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in San Jose, CA
Vintage coffee table from the Declaration collection designed by Kipp Stewart & Stewart McDougall for Drexel Furniture Co. in walnut.
Rosewood, Walnut
Mid Century Drexel Declaration Coffee Table Kipp Stewart
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Baltimore, MD
Fabulous Mid-Century Modern coffee table designed by Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall for Drexel’s Declaration Collection, circa 1960s.
Porcelain, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Drexel Declaration Coffee Table Kipp Stewart
By Drexel
Located in Toledo, OH
Mid-Century Modern walnut coffee table by Kipp Stewart for Drexel. Surfboard style with original finish. Stamped on the bottom. Very nice original finish with light wear. Dimensions...
Walnut
1960s Mid-Century Modern Drexel Declaration Coffee Table Kipp Stewart
By Kipp Stewart, Drexel
Located in Charleston, SC
Sleekly designed Danish modern style coffee table by Kipp Stewart for Drexel. This elegantly executed cocktail table circa 1960s is fabricated from walnut with an attractive grain an...
Walnut
Restored Drexel Declaration Walnut Surfboard Coffee Table
By Drexel
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This exceptional coffee table comes to us from Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall.
Walnut
Sold
H 15.5 in W 48 in D 16 in
Minimalist Walnut Coffee Table by Kipp Stewart for Drexel, Declaration Line
By Kipp Stewart, Drexel
Located in San Diego, CA
An exceptional minimalist low profile walnut coffee table by Kipp Stewart for Drexel - Declaration line, circa 1960s.
Walnut
Sold
H 16 in W 46 in D 32 in
Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall "Declaration" Walnut Coffee Table for Drexel
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall "Declaration" walnut coffee table for Drexel.
Brass
Mid Century Modern Coffee Table By Drexel, Declaration Line, c1960s
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Chino Hills, CA
Step back in time and elevate your living space with this stunning vintage coffee table, a true gem designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart for the prestigious Drexel 'Declar...
Rosewood, Walnut
Restored Drexel Declaration Walnut & Rosewood Cocktail Table
By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, Drexel
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This exceptional coffee table comes to us from Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall.
Walnut, Rosewood
Drexel Declaration Coffee Table
Located in Santa Monica, CA
A truly stunning piece, this coffee table exhibits both timeless style and superior functionality. Two drawers with their original white ceramic pulls and a stowaway space (with a lo...
Walnut
Sold
H 15 in W 60 in L 15 in
Midcentury Drexel Declaration Coffee Table by Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
By Kipp Stewart, Stewart MacDougall, Drexel, Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall
Located in Framingham, MA
Mid-Century Modern Declaration cocktail table by Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall for Drexel. Surfboard style - constructed of American walnut with a Brazilian rosewood inlay. Sub...
Rosewood, Walnut
Vintage Mid-Century Modern "Declaration" Coffee Table by Drexel
By Drexel
Located in San Marcos, CA
Here is the acclaimed "Declaration" coffee table designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart in the mid-1960s for Drexel.
Walnut
Mid Century Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Walnut Long Coffee Table
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart
Located in Asheville, NC
Rare Mid-Century Modern long and low walnut coffee table by Kipp Stewart for the Drexel Declaration line.
Walnut
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Coffee Table
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Beautiful Kipp Stewart Drexel Declaration coffee table. This is made of beautiful rich walnut with a hidden interior storage and two drawers with the original round porcelain pulls.
Brass
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Large Rounded Coffee Table
By Kipp Stewart, Drexel
Located in Asheville, NC
Wonderfully scaled and Minimalist coffee table by Kipp Stewart for Drexel. Its unique shape is a square with completely rounded corners; its diameter is a very functional 44.5 inches...
Walnut
Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Walnut and Rosewood Coffee Table
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Absolutely gorgeous walnut coffee table with beautiful rosewood circle inlay detail and a great and unusual shape, not perfectly a round shape but more elliptical. Beautiful quali...
Walnut, Rosewood
$13,260
H 35.44 in W 36.82 in D 19.3 in
Mid-Century Modern Record Player Cabinet by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, 1955
By Carlo Hauner, Forma, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
A Caviúna record player produced by Forma S.A. Móveis e Objetos de Arte in the 1950s, with designs by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler. This record player has two hanging doors that ...
Hardwood
$9,500 / set
H 31.25 in W 33 in D 29 in
Rare 1964 Rosewood Herman Miller Eames Lounge chair & Ottoman w/Original Receipt
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Palm Springs, CA
We were fortunate to acquire this rare 1964 Eames chair and Ottoman in black leather and Rosewood veneer. The label dates them to a specific year as the double ring round Herman Mill...
Leather, Rosewood
$6,950 / set
H 24.01 in Dm 13.78 in
Pair of Constant Night Stands in Iroko Wood by Master Studio for Lemon
By Lemon
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Neatly proportioned with exceptional detailing, the constant nightstand is your perfect bedside partner. In our furniture making, the IDEA is to create special pieces that you can bu...
Hardwood
$1,250
H 8.47 in W 22.64 in D 22.64 in
Piero De Martini for Cassina 'Naviglio' Coffee Table in Walnut and Slate
By Piero De Martini, Cassina
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Piero De Martini for Cassina, 'Naviglio' coffee table, walnut, slate, metal, Italy, 1980s This low table features are modernly structured, featuring a clear square table top execute...
Slate, Metal
$3,990 / item
H 15.75 in W 74.81 in D 29.14 in
Mustard Velvet Daybed with V-Shaped Beechwood Base, Model V
By Dusty Deco
Located in Los Angeles, CA
DD V daybed is an exclusive daybed made by hand in Bosnia and Herzegovina by skilled craftsmen with long experience in wood and upholstery. Both frame and the characteristic V-shaped...
Fabric, Beech, Velvet
$4,815Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 23.63 in Dm 27.56 in
Rezzonico chandelier 5 arms clear Murano glass, multicolor details by Multiforme
By Multiforme
Located in Venezia, Veneto
Kia Ora chandelier 5 lights clear Murano glass with blue and ruby trims, multicolour vitreous paste details. Kia Ora is the combination of the traditional Venetian structure with g...
Blown Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
$2,238
H 14.38 in W 42.92 in D 28.94 in
Italian Design Wooden Coffee Table with Bar Compartment, 1970s
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
This is a stunning and sophisticated piece of mid-century furniture. 1970s Italian design often combines elegance and practicality, making this coffee table truly unique. Its rectan...
Glass, Plywood
California Modern Slatted Bench / Coffee Table by John Keal
By John Keal, Brown Saltman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials: Walnut Wood, New Tweed Fabric, New High-Density Foam ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing histo...
Fabric, Foam, Wood, Walnut
$1,470Sale Price|40% Off
H 16.5 in W 31.25 in D 31.25 in
Mid Century Modern Olive Burl Square Coffee Parsons Table Made in Italy
By Milo Baughman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful Mid-Century Modern olive burl square coffee table made in Italy. Good vintage condition - has label under table Gimbel Brothers nyc - made in Italy. Table is located in Wil...
Olive, Burl
Tendo Mokko “Zataku” Japanese Modern Low Coffee Table 1970s
By Tendo Mokko
Located in Debrecen, HU
An original Tendo Mokko Japanese low table, representing one of the most refined expressions of post-war Japanese modern design. Crafted using Tendo’s renowned molded plywood techno...
Plywood
Cocoon Ceiling Lamp with Rope by Linus Bopp, Limbach, 1960s, Germany
By Linus Bopp
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Cocoon Ceiling Lamp with Rope by Linus Bopp, Limbach, 1960s, Germany Lampshade is in very good vintage condition. This lamp works with E27 light bulbs. Wired and suitable to use w...
Resin, Rope, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Floating Surfboard Coffee Table, 1990s
Located in Raymondville, TX
A vintage mid-century modern surfboard coffee table made in Sweden circa 1995. This classic MCM piece features an oak finish, an elongated oval surfboard-shape 'floating' top, a maga...
Wood, Oak
Mid-Century Modern Andre Bus Walnut Coffee Table by Lane
By Andre Bus
Located in Wilmington, DE
Mid-Century Modern Andre Bus Walnut Coffee Table by Lane Offered is a great Mid-Century Danish Modern Andre Bus Lane Acclaim Elongated coffee table. It has an oak edge with a walnut...
Walnut
$16,727 / item
H 53.15 in W 125.99 in D 59.06 in
Oval Brass and Parchment Chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires
By Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Beautiful chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires, this other version of the spider chandelier has longer arms on the sides giving the oval shape. The metal arms paint...
Metal, Brass
$2,720Sale Price|20% Off
H 46 in W 80 in D 12 in
Mid Century Danish Modern long Slim Teak Bookcase Lower drawer Unit
By Arne Vodder
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid century Teak wood wide narrow bookcase with adjustable shelves and a lower left storage area with 4 drawers. Beautiful teak with Slim design and sits on 4 tapered teak legs. Made...
Teak
$1,237Sale Price|58% Off
H 15.56 in W 49.22 in D 14.38 in
Midcentury Minimalist Walnut Brown Rectangular Coffee Table, 1950s
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Midcentury Minimalist walnut brown rectangular coffee table, 1950s.
Walnut
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
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.