Pierre Vandel Burgundy Lacquered Furniture

A Pierre Vandel coffee table is a striking statement piece. High-contrast and unmistakably stylish, Vandel’s tables are sophisticated and opulent, with the visual power that Hollywood Regency and mid-century modern furnishings bring to a modern space.

Vandel was born in 1939 in Roubaix, France. He graduated around 1957 with a focus on industrial assembly and design and became part of the research teams at Ponts et Chaussées and Arts et Métiers, two respected engineering and research schools in Paris. Before entering the world of furniture, Vandel worked on projects that satisfied his curiosity and drive for experimentation, including a vertical aquarium and hi-fi systems.

Vandel’s breakthrough in furniture came a few years later. In 1969, the Marais International company bought 5,000 units of Vandel’s side tables and offered a meeting with French fashion and furniture designer Pierre Cardin. Becoming a friend and advisor, Cardin offered his support and connected Vandel to an affluent market that swooned over his glamorous designs.

Vandel’s glass coffee tables — often accented with brass frames or lacquered wood — remain among his most in-demand work. His Vertèbre chair from 1972 is one of his more elusive designs. With only 800 ever produced, half with armrests and half without, this lounge chair is coveted not only for its rarity but also for its unique spine-like frame.

Vandel’s furniture continues to be recognized for its imaginative forms and is prized by collectors as a piece of design history.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Pierre Vandel tables, seating, storage pieces and more.

The right vintage, new or antique tables can help make any space in your home stand out.

Over the years, the variety of tables available to us, as well as our specific needs for said tables, has broadened. Today, with all manner of these must-have furnishings differing in shape, material and style, any dining room table can shine just as brightly as the guests who gather around it.

Remember, when shopping for a dining table, it must fit your dining area, and you need to account for space around the table too — think outside the box, as an oval dining table may work for tighter spaces. Alternatively, if you’ve got the room, a Regency-style dining table can elevate any formal occasion at mealtime.

Innovative furniture makers and designers have also redefined what a table can be. Whether it’s an unconventional Ping-Pong table, a brass side table to display your treasured collectibles or a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk to add an air of nostalgia to your loft, your table can say a lot about you.

The visionary work of French designer Xavier Lavergne, for example, includes tables that draw on the forms of celestial bodies as often as they do aquatic creatures or fossils. Elsewhere, Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who looked to Roman architecture in crafting her stately Jumbo coffee table, created clever glass-topped mobile coffee tables that move on bicycle tires or sculpted wood wheels for Fontana Arte. 

Coffee and cocktail tables can serve as a room’s centerpiece with attention-grabbing details and colors. Glass varieties will keep your hardwood flooring and dazzling area rugs on display, while a marble or stone coffee table in a modern interior can showcase your prized art books and decorative objects. A unique vintage desk or writing table can bring sophistication and even a bit of spice to your work life. 

No matter your desired form or function, a quality table for your living space is a sound investment. On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage, new and antique bedside tables, mid-century end tables and more .