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Late 20th Century American Modern Tables
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Stone, Brass
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass, Steel
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Ceramic, Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Porcelain, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Ceramic, Wood, Paper
Vintage 1950s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Composition
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Ceramic, Walnut
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Tables
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut, Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
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 — shop Art Deco coffee tables, travertine coffee tables and other antique and vintage coffee tables and cocktail tables today.
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