$436Sale Price|20% Off
Post-Modern Four Post Glass Top Coffee Table
Located in Trenton, NJ
This vintage 1980s postmodern coffee table embodies the bold architectural spirit of the era. A thick square glass top floats elegantly atop four sculptural pedestal bases, each craf...
Composition
$1,736Sale Price|20% Off
Post Modern Fiam Italia Curved Glass Coffee Table
By FIAM, Angelo Cortesi
Located in Chicago, IL
Curved waterfall cocktail table by Angelo Cortesi for FIAM. FIAM being the leading glass furniture manufacturer in the world. Waterfall edges on this 1/2” thick tempered glass coffee...
Glass
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Post modern lucite snail spiral glass top coffee table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern lucite snail spiral glass top coffee table.
Glass, Plexiglass
Vintage Post Modern Waterfall Glass Coffee Table or Side Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition Materials: Curved Glass, Metal Base This sculptural Post Modern glass table from the 1980s features a striking waterfall design crafted from a...
Metal
Post modern coffee table with cork and glass, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Rare coffee table with chromed legs, a wooden and glass top with inserted corks. Cool postmodern design. Very good condition 1970s - Belgium Dimensions: Height: 35cm Width x dep...
Glass, Plastic, Cork
Coffee Table, Hand-Blown Bubble Glass, Post-Modern Design, Panorammma
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Bubble Glass Coffee Table embodies a retro-futuristic fantasy. Inspired by past visions of the future, it draws from mysterious tales of speculative technologies and flying sauce...
Glass
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Post modern glass Coffee Table with color plexiglass round bases
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Unique Post modern glass Coffee Table with large color plexiglass round bases.
Glass, Plexiglass
Coffee Table, White Marble & Hand-Blown Glass, Post-Modern, Panorammma
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Ovni Uovo Sculptural Coffee Table presents a retro-futurist fantasy. Performing as a past vision of the future Ovni Uovo constructs over mysterious tales of speculative technolog...
Stone, Marble
Post-Modern Coffee Table by Kouloufi, Bronze & Glass, Belgium, 1970
By Kouloufi
Located in Antwerp, BE
Kouloufi cocktail table, polished bronze, Belgium 1970s the base is composed of double arches which are connected to each other via two stretchers. The base supports a thick clea...
Brass
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Post Modern Formica and Glass Coffee Table After Panton, C 1970's
By Verner Panton
Located in New York, NY
Post Modern coffee, or cocktail, table having dramatic C shaped black formica ends which support the thick ( .50 in. ) plate glass center panel.
Glass, Formica
Mid Century Italian Post Modern Rectangular Glass Coffee Table in Black & Gray
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Sleek post modern design from Italy circa early 90's. Textured resin over wood with clear glass top.
Glass, Wood
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
Post Modern Milo Baughman Style Smoked Glass & Bent Chrome Coffee Table
By Milo Baughman
Located in Madison, WI
This minimalist, Post Modern modern table in the manner of Milo Baughman would look great in a Modern or Mid-Century decor. This table is versatile and holds many books or magazines,...
Chrome
Post Modern Self-Winding Coffee Table
Located in Culver City, CA
A stunning piece of Dakota Jackson engineering and design, the Self-Winding Coffee Table references the self-winding clock with two pieces of the table top that shift under and aroun...
Chrome
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
Large Post Modern Coffee Table with Formica Base and Textured Glass Top
By Jay Spectre, Milo Baughman
Located in New York, NY
Spectacular two tier triangular coffee table, having a glossy black Formica base, with a thick ( 1 in. ) deeply textured plate glass top. The base features three balls, on which the ...
Glass, Laminate
Post Modern Art Deco Inspired Chrome, Brass & Glass Coffee Table by Lorin Marsh
By Lorin Marsh
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
This Post Modern Art Deco Inspired Chrome, Brass & Glass Coffee Table by Lorin Marsh is unique and grand, with high-quality brass and chrome framing.
Brass, Chrome
Post Modern Coffee Table Glass and Colorful Sculpture Metal 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
A unique coffee or occasional table. Free from glass with colorful anodized aluminum legs and finials. The metal elements are highly sculptural.
Aluminum
$2,320Sale Price|20% Off
Post Modern Enamel and Glass Coffee Table Dated '91 Probably Made in Italy
By Michael Graves (b.1934), Ettore Sottsass
Located in New York, NY
Intriguing Post Modern, Memphis style coffee table having opposing curved bases, of turquoise and white enameled metal, which support the thick ( .75 in ) bevelled glass top.
Metal
Post Modern Style “Apollo” Gilt Metal Coffee Table with Glass Top & Bottom Shelf
By Hastening Designs
Located in Middleburg, VA
Post Modern Style “Apollo” gilt metal coffee table.
Steel
Post Modern Karl Springer Coffee Table in Gunmetal Brass with Smoked Glass Top
By Karl Springer
Located in Lake Worth, FL
This vintage coffee table not signed but looks to be designed by Karl Springer is a stunning piece of postmodern furniture. The gunmetal brass finish and smoked glass top give it a u...
Metal
Design Institute of America Post Modern Cantilevered Coffee Table
By Design Institute America
Located in Miami, FL
Black beveled glass with black lacquered wood base cantilevered coffee or cocktail table by Design Institute of America. Signed on the inside of base.
Smoked Glass, Wood
Stacked Glass Fan Shape Base Round Coffee Table Italian Post Modern Mid Century
By Pace Collection, Brueton
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Stacked Glass Fan Shape Base Round Coffee Table Italian Post Modern Mid Century MINT!
Glass
Post Modern Steel Coffee Table by Leon Rosen for Pace
By Leon Rosen, Pace Furniture Company, Brueton, Milo Baughman
Located in Chicago, IL
A post modern architectural coffee table by Leon Rosen for Pace.
Chrome
Side Table, Hand-Blown Bubble Glass, Post-Modern Design, Panorammma
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Bubble Glass Side Table embodies a retro-futuristic fantasy. Inspired by past visions of the future, it draws from mysterious tales of speculative technologies and flying saucers...
Glass
Solid Brass Square Posts Legs Glass Top Coffee Table
By Mastercraft, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern 3/4" thick glass top coffee table standing on polished brass legs.
Brass
Funky Post Modern Colorful Coffee Table ca' 1990
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Post modern, in the style of Memphis. See the matching side table.
Aluminum
Monumental Post Modern Steel Coffee Table by Leon Rosen for Pace
By Leon Rosen, Pace Furniture Company, Milo Baughman, Brueton
Located in Chicago, IL
A monumental post modern architectural coffee table by Leon Rosen for Pace.
Chrome
Post modern coffee table with a hidden rotating bar, Germany 1980s
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in ECHT, NL
Post modern square coffee table. Made from white lacquered MDF.
Metal
$1,646Sale Price|29% Off
Attributed Niels Bendtsen Post Modern Crystal and Steel Coffee Table, 1970s
By Niels Bendtsen
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Post-modern and minimalist, the coffee table has a metal structure with four feet connected by chromed metal tubes and a beautiful glass top with a black lacquered metal edge.
Crystal, Steel
1980s, Post Modern Black Lacquer Coffee Table in the Roger Rougier Style
By Roger Rougier
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage, large scale post modern sculptural Black Lacquer Coffee Table with a Triangular Glass top in the of Roger Rougier's Style.
Glass, Lacquer
Mid Century Italian Post Modern Memphis Sottsass Style Coffee Table in Black
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A super funky cocktail table design from the 1980's and made in Italy. It features all steel construction with thick clear glass top. Very good ready to use condition.
Metal
Custom Post Modern Steel Coffee Table in Gold Finish
By Leon Rosen, Brueton, Gio Ponti, Adrian Pearsall, Pace Collection
Located in Chicago, IL
Welded Steel Form. Gold Paint Finish. Sold without Glass. Photographed using a 39 7/8" Diameter Glass. One available in a Bronze finish and one in a painted Gold finish. Also ava...
Steel
Custom Post Modern Steel Coffee Table in Bronze Finish
By Leon Rosen, Brueton, Gio Ponti, Adrian Pearsall, Pace Collection
Located in Chicago, IL
Welded Steel Form. Bronze Paint Finish. Sold without Glass. Photographed using a 39 7/8" Diameter Glass. We have one in Bronze and one in a painted Gold finish in a different list...
Steel
Mid Century Italian Post Modern Rectangular Cocktail Table in Glass & Marble
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A large and substantial coffee table from Italy circa 1970's. It features a thick clear glass top with chunky solid marble marble legs in white with grey veining.
Metal, Brass
Chinoiserie Oriental Maitland-Smith Post Modern Shagreen Coffee Table
By Maitland Smith
Located in Chicago, IL
Maitland-Smith Shagreen coffee table/signed on bottom. a couple spots where the shagreen has chipped off. Should be fairly easy to repair if desired. the dim of the top is about 39...
Wood
Kaizo Oto for Design Institute of America Geometric Post Modern Coffee Table
By Design Institute America, Kaizo Oto
Located in Saint Louis, MO
1980s Post modern mixed metal coffee table with geometric forms by designer Kaizo Oto for Design Institute of America.
Brass, Steel, Stainless Steel, Chrome
1970s Post-Modern Tessellated Stone Side Table with Glass Top
By Maitland Smith
Located in Chattanooga, TN
A striking synthesis of stone, glass, and metal, this Post-Modern side table is sculptural architecture made furniture—an elegant merging of solidity and light, texture and shine.
Stone, Brass
Pair of Post Modern Brutalist Iron Base Glass Top Coffee Tables c. 1980/90's
By Mastercraft
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Brutalist style verdigris finish metal based, tempered glass top coffee tables, in excellent, original, clean and ready to use condition. Circa 1970's reminiscent of the work...
Iron
Post Modern Coffee Table by Kaizo Oto for Design Institute of America c 1980s
By Kaizo Oto, Design Institute America
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional Post Modern coffee table designed by Kaizo Oto for Design Institute America circa 1980's.
Metal
American Modern Coffee Table, Black Glass with Brass Accents, 2015
Located in Queens, NY
American Modern design rectangular geometric faceted form black glass coffee table with brass detailing and a giltwood base.
Brass
Vintage Modern Chrome, Brass & Glass Two-Tier Coffee Table
Located in Stafford, TX
Vintage Modern Chrome, Brass & Glass Two-Tier Coffee Table A striking late 20th-century Modern coffee table showcasing a refined architectural design crafted from polished chrome, s...
Brass, Chrome
Glass coffee table with wheels, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Timeless coffee table in the manner of Gae Aulenti for Fontana arte. Often wrongly sold as being a design of hers. Made out of a thick clear glass top, chrome sculpted legs to hold ...
Chrome
Brass and glass coffee table, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Elegant 4 legged solid brass coffee table with two tier clear glass tops. Beautiful piece, timeless and will combine in lots of interiors. 1970s - Italy Height: 45cm Width: 130cm ...
Brass
Modern to Postmodern Coffee Table Travertine Hexagon Base Glass Rectangle Top
By Artedi
Located in Topeka, KS
Lovely vintage Modern to Postmodern Italian coffee table comprised of a hexagon shaped travertine pedestal base, rectangular chrome tube details, and a rectangular glass top in the s...
Travertine, Metal
Post Modern Hollywood Regency Mechanical Expanding Brass and Glass Disk Table
By Charles Hollis Jones, Design Institute America
Located in New York, NY
Voguish Hollywood Regency adjustable coffee table of brass and glass. The table features three ring form surfaces of various heights, the top center surface is stationary, while the ...
Brass
$1,032Sale Price|20% Off
1970's Glass & Travertine Coffee Table
Located in Bern, CH
1970’s glass topped travertine lounge table. Round glass tabletop set on a two part solid natural stone base. The heavy travertine base can be set as required to enable an individual...
Travertine
Italian modern yellow metal rod structure coffee tables with glass top, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern yellow metal rod structure coffee tables with glass top, 1970s. Rectangular coffee tables with yellow enamelled metal rod structure and glass shelf. 1970 approx. Good ...
Metal
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Mid century Postmodern glass waterfall coffee table
By FIAM
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern coffee table with a waterfall top. Glass is very clean no chips or major scratches.
Glass
$795Sale Price|20% Off
Art Deco Style Sculptural Post Modern Arched Tessellated Stone Cocktail Table
By Maitland Smith, Magnussen Furniture
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Crafted in the Philippines during the elegant “Nineteen‑Laties” era of the 1980s, this end table is a refined study in organic geometry and tropical modernism. Its sculptural base, c...
Stone
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
1970s Acrylic and Glass Coffee Table
Located in Waxahachie, TX
Vintage 1970s. Thick crystal clear acrylic legs and body support glass. Great for staging and rooms that need to look bright and open.
Glass, Acrylic
Architectural Coffee Table in Glass and Steel
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Coffee table, glass, steel, Europe, 1970s. This sculptural coffee table features a transparent glass top resting on a striking geometric frame accented with horizontal red slats at ...
Steel
$881 / item
Bended Black Glass Coffee Table, 2 Available
By FIAM
Located in Steenwijk, NL
This black glass coffee table is made out of 1 piece of curved glass. It has 4 aluminum ball shaped feet that can be taken of. The aluminum parts make these tables even more stylish ...
Glass
Postmodern Glass Top and Chrome Geometric Coffee Table
Located in Astoria, NY
Postmodern Circular Glass Top and Chrome-Plated Coffee Table, the geometric base on four cobalt blue glass ball feet. 16" H x 41" Diameter. Provenance: From a Warren, New Jersey Co...
Chrome
Mid Century Italian Post Modern Black & White Kidney Shape Cocktail Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A large free form coffee table from Italy circa 1980's. It features cast concrete legs with textured wood and clear inlayed glass.
Concrete
20th Century French Postmodern Curved Glass Coffee Table
Located in High Point, NC
This 20th Century French postmodern curved glass coffee table showcases a bold, sculptural simplicity emblematic of late-century design. Formed from a single sheet of thick, bent gla...
Glass
Vintage italian marble and glass coffee table, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Timeless stepped marble base coffee table supporting a clear glass top. Beautifully veined marble bases. 1970s - Italy Good condition with normal age related wear. Dimensions: He...
Marble
Monumental Post-Modern Modular Glass Coffee Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Striking and modern, this large glass table features a substantial removable top that rests on two sculptural abstract rolling supports. The bold, minimalist design highlights the in...
Glass, Plywood
Karl Springer, Mid-Century Modern, Large Coffee Table, Chrome, Glass, 1980s
By Karl Springer
Located in Stamford, CT
Mid-Century Modern Karl Springer Signed Chrome Coffee, Cocktail Table, Glass Top Karl Springer Chrome Coffee, Cocktail Table, Glass Top.
Steel, Chrome
Marble and Glass Coffee Table by Fratelli Longhi
By Fratelli Longhi
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Elevate your living space with this exquisite coffee table by Fratelli Longhi, a testament to Italian craftsmanship and modern design. Featuring a sculptural base crafted from a slee...
Glass, Wood
Postmodern Mactan, Glass and Pastor Stone Coffee Table.
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Postmodern Mactan, glass and pastor stone coffee table This coffee table measures: 48 wide x 29 deep x 16 inches high We take our photos in a controlled lighting studio to show as ...
Stone
$876Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Octagonal Beveled Glass Top Lucite Coffee Table
Located in Delray Beach, FL
The Postmodern Octagonal Beveled Glass Top Lucite Coffee Table is a testament to bold postmodern design. Its unique octagonal shape and transparent lucite frame create a striking, mo...
Glass
Post-Modern Travertine Coffee Table
Located in Portland, ME
Post-Modern Travertine coffee table or low side table in the form of an unfinished section of Doric column; two thirds of the column are fluted, with the remainder rough-hewn.
Travertine
Unavailable
H 15 in W 52 in D 21 in
Interlock Steel and Smoked Glass Cocktail Table 2017 by Post & Gleam
By Post & Gleam
Located in Newbury Park, CA
Materials: Plate steel, smoked glass The Interlock coffee table is handcrafted and locally made by Post & Gleam and their trusted community of vendors in Los Angeles, CA.
Cut Steel
Italian Post-modern Glass Coffee Table for Bellato, 1980s
Located in Budapest, HU
Introducing the Italian post-modern coffee table from the 1980s, designed by Bellato.
Metal
Unavailable
H 11.42 in W 49.61 in D 30.32 in
Post Modern Glossy Laquered Red Coffee Table with Glass Table Top, Italy 1980s
Located in Vienna, AT
Post Modern glossy laquered red coffee table with glass table top, Italy 1980s.
Glass, Epoxy Resin
Unavailable
H 14.5 in W 48 in D 27 in
Alessi Post-Modern Glass, Wood, and Rubber Coffee Table c. 1980's
By Alessi
Located in Portland, ME
Attributed to Alessi, this sleek Postmodern coffee table features black stained oak legs, thick floating glass top, and adjustable glass shelf. The glass is edged with a very Fine be...
Glass, Rubber, Oak
Unavailable
H 16 in W 53.75 in D 30 in
Memphis Style Studio Artist Post Modern Solar System Metal Glass Coffee Table
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in El Cajon, CA
Outrageous, artist-made welded iron Memphis Style coffee table depicting celestial scene or stylized sky. Heavy beveled glass top.
Metal
Lucite and Glass Coffee Table
By Charles Hollis Jones, Karl Springer
Located in Forest Hills, NY
1980's Lucite and Glass coffee table, a stunning piece of furniture that exudes elegance and sophistication - features a 1-inch thick glass top that is not only functional but also a...
Glass, Lucite
Post-Modern Rotative Caprice Cocktail Table by Draga & Aurel
By Essential Home, Draga & Aurel
Located in New York, NY
Night fever collection The Caprice cocktail table is a statement of its own with its unique modern design and incredible “joie de vivre” personality. With a structure made entir...
Brass
Lacquered Wood and Glass Coffee Table
Located in Cambridge, MA
This monumental coffee table has a lacquered white base of intricate detail and a 1" thick, high quality beveled glass top. Unknown manufacture and origin, but most likely a one-of-a...
Wood, Glass
Brass and Glass Four Post Cocktail Table
By Mastercraft
Located in Bronx, NY
!Six brass posts elegantly sway up to support the 3/4" glass on this mastercraft brass cocktail table with beautiful patina, see through allows for carpeting showcase and spacious fe...
Vintage Postmodern Marble and Glass Coffee Table
Located in Dallas, TX
Postmodern glass and marble table with cut green marble legs and beveled glass top. Top slides into groves in the tapered V-shaped legs. Overall good condition with light wear. Dime...
Marble
1980 Murano Stacked Glass Ice Block Coffee Table
Located in Staten Island, NY
1980 Murano Stacked Glass Ice Block Coffee Table. The table top can be separated from the stacked glass base
Glass
1980s Undulating Glass Coffee Table With Frosted Accents
Located in Miami, FL
1980s Undulating Glass Coffee Table boasting subtle frosted accents. The wave portion of the table provides a classy and functional touch, creating the perfect storage space to house...
Glass
1980s Undulating Wavy Glass Coffee Table With Frosted Accents
Located in Miami, FL
1980s undulating glass coffee table w/ frosted accents. The wave portion of the table could be used as storage for magazines etc. Item is in good vintage condition and is structurall...
Glass
Unavailable
H 16.54 in W 48.23 in D 32.29 in
Peter Ghyczy Coffee Table, Brass and Glass, circa 1990s, Dutch
By Peter Ghyczy
Located in London, GB
Peter Ghyczy is one of the pioneers of the floating glass table during the Post Modern period. His designs are known for the iconic clamp technique along with quality caste metals as...
Brass
Unavailable
H 16 in W 51 in D 19 in
Contemporary Coffee Table Made from Solidified Denim Jeans and Glass
By Thislexik, Vedat Ulgen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The denim jeans are hardened using resin, turning them into sturdy supports for the glass surface. Base Materials: Cotton and EcoPoxy resin Surface Material: Glass Dimensions: 16...
Cotton, Glass, Epoxy Resin
Ceramic Panther Coffee Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
W52 D26 H15 Post Modern Panther Coffee Table. Featuring a black panther made from ceramic with a glass oval top.
Ceramic, Glass
Unavailable
H 15.36 in W 47.25 in D 47.25 in
Ettore Sottsass Jaipur Coffee Table, Marble Base with Glass Top
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in London, GB
Ettore Sottsass Jaipur table from Edition “Up and Up”, circa 1984. Square white marble base with four triangle supports in dark green marble and clear glass top. Stunning exam...
Marble
Unavailable
H 17 in W 42 in D 42 in
1980s Lucite and Glass Sculptural Abstract Coffee Table by Shlomi Haziza
By Shlomi Haziza
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
A 1980s sculptural lucite abstract coffee table signed and stickers by artist Shlomi Haziza, with square glass top. Postmodern coffee table, in great condition.
Glass, Lucite
Square Brass Coffee Table
Located in Krakow, małopolskie
A transparent table made of polished brass and glass. A simple, noble form is emphasized by the highest quality materials. Construction is made of solid brass profiles.
Brass
Wavy Sculptural Bentwood Coffee Table
Located in Faversham, GB
Low table with a steam-bent laminated wood base in a warm terracotta finish, shaped into a continuous undulating wave. Thick rectangular glass top raised on chrome standoffs. Consist...
Glass, Plywood
Unavailable
H 17.33 in W 53.35 in D 31.89 in
Peter Ghyczy Coffee Table, Brutalist Glass and Gold Lacquer, circa 1980s, Dutch
By Peter Ghyczy
Located in London, GB
Peter Ghyczy coffee table (in the manner of), frameless design with quality brutalist glass top with gold lacquer legs, circa 1980s Dutch. This coffee table has been gently cleane...
Metal
Solar Flare Coffee Table
By Studio S II
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Solar Flare Coffee Table is inspired by sonification, the process of creating sound from data. Its shape is articulated through sonified audio clips of the sun’s solar flares col...
Glass, Epoxy Resin
Unavailable
H 11 in W 43.25 in D 28 in
Ambo Glass Top Coffee Table by Enzo Mari for Zanotta, Italy 1980’s
By Enzo Mari
Located in Draper, UT
Ambo Coffee Table by Enzo Mari for Zanotta, Italy 1980’s Vintage Ambo Coffee Table Set by Enzo Mari for Zanotta, Italy, 1980s. Very good condition. The kidney-shaped glass table to...
Stainless Steel
Robert Whitton Prototype Coffee Table
By Robert Whitton
Located in Phoenix, AZ
This Robert Whitton coffee table, crafted from aluminum and glass, is a striking example of design excellence from the late 20th century. Produced during the 1980s and early 1990s, t...
Aluminum
Postmodern Cocktail or Coffee Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Striking Postmodern glass top cocktail table, circa 1980s. This sculptural square coffee table is designed of 3/4" glass enveloped and supported on all four corners with custom metal...
Metal
Unavailable
H 11.82 in W 39.38 in D 39.38 in
Square Glass and Iron "Alanda" Coffee Table in the style of Paolo Piva, 1981
By Paolo Piva, B&B Italia
Located in Padova, IT
"Alanda" coffee table, designed in the style of Paolo Piva for B&B Italia in 1981. Black powder coated steel frame with a very heavy, thick 12mm crystal glass top. A real stateme...
Steel
Architect Robert Whitton Prototype Coffee Table
By Robert Whitton
Located in Phoenix, AZ
This Robert Whitton coffee table, crafted from aluminum and glass, is a striking example of design excellence from the late 20th century. Produced during the 1980s and early 1990s, t...
Aluminum
Postmodern design was a short-lived movement that manifested itself chiefly in Italy and the United States in the early 1980s. The characteristics of vintage postmodern furniture and other postmodern objects and decor for the home included loud-patterned, usually plastic surfaces; strange proportions, vibrant colors and weird angles; and a vague-at-best relationship between form and function.
ORIGINS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE POSTMODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Critics derided postmodern design as a grandstanding bid for attention and nothing of consequence. Decades later, the fact that postmodernism still has the power to provoke thoughts, along with other reactions, proves they were not entirely correct.
Postmodern design began as an architectural critique. Starting in the 1960s, a small cadre of mainly American architects began to argue that modernism, once high-minded and even noble in its goals, had become stale, stagnant and blandly corporate. Later, in Milan, a cohort of creators led by Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini — a onetime mentor to Sottsass and a key figure in the Italian Radical movement — brought the discussion to bear on design.
Sottsass, an industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, gathered a core group of young designers into a collective in 1980 they called Memphis. Members of the Memphis Group, which would come to include Martine Bedin, Michael Graves, Marco Zanini, Shiro Kuramata, Michele de Lucchi and Matteo Thun, saw design as a means of communication, and they wanted it to shout. That it did: The first Memphis collection appeared in 1981 in Milan and broke all the modernist taboos, embracing irony, kitsch, wild ornamentation and bad taste.
Memphis works remain icons of postmodernism: the Sottsass Casablanca bookcase, with its leopard-print plastic veneer; de Lucchi’s First chair, which has been described as having the look of an electronics component; Martine Bedin’s Super lamp: a pull-toy puppy on a power-cord leash. Even though it preceded the Memphis Group’s formal launch, Sottsass’s iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell with radical pops of pink neon — proves striking in any space and embodies many of the collective’s postmodern ideals.
After the initial Memphis show caused an uproar, the postmodern movement within furniture and interior design quickly took off in America. (Memphis fell out of fashion when the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990’s minimalism.) The architect Robert Venturi had by then already begun a series of plywood chairs for Knoll Inc., with beefy, exaggerated silhouettes of traditional styles such as Queen Anne and Chippendale. In 1982, the new firm Swid Powell enlisted a group of top American architects, including Frank Gehry, Richard Meier, Stanley Tigerman and Venturi to create postmodern tableware in silver, ceramic and glass.
On 1stDibs, the vintage postmodern furniture collection includes chairs, coffee tables, sofas, decorative objects, table lamps and more.
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.