James Barringer
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Realist Landscape Paintings
Oil
17th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
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21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile, Wood
2010s American End Tables
Wood, Lacquer
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
2010s African Minimalist Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Carrara Marble, Gold Leaf
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary North American Organic Modern Coffee and C...
Concrete
2010s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak
2010s Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
17th Century Old Masters Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-19th Century Academic Portrait Paintings
Oil
19th Century Old Masters Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Pencil
1930s Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Board
Recent Sales
Vintage 1950s Hollywood Regency Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Vintage 1940s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Gold Leaf
Vintage 1950s Hollywood Regency Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Gold Leaf
Vintage 1940s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Gold Leaf
Vintage 1940s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Lacquer
Vintage 1950s American Hollywood Regency Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Lacquer
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.
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