Table Shilling
Vintage 1970s Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass, Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mirror, Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Arts and Crafts Signs
Oak
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
Stainless Steel
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Laminate
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Vintage 1970s Italian Minimalist Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Stainless Steel
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1970s European Sectional Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Laminate, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Steel, Nickel
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Mid-20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century German Armchairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Burl
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Burl
Late 20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Iron
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
Fabric, Oak
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.