John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
At a time when many furniture makers were turning to cheaper materials for mass production, mid-century modern designer John Keal didn't shy away from utilizing quality woods in his work, like mahogany and walnut to create his coffee tables, cabinets and benches.
While little is known about Keal, he was part of a powerhouse group that collaborated with Los Angeles furniture manufacturer Brown-Saltman in the 1940s and ‘50s. Other designers who had partnered with the firm during the mid-20th century included Greta Magnusson Grossman, Paul Frankl, Paul Laszlo, and Gilbert Rohde, a New York City-born designer who would help legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer Herman Miller avert financial disaster during the Great Depression.
Brown-Saltman was established in 1923 and initially specialized in reproductions of furniture in period styles. When cofounder David Saltman met Frankl, the firm had discontinued its Early California collection and was producing modern furniture.
The Austrian-born Frankl was already a big name in decorating in California in the late 1930s — his clients were Hollywood movie stars who were drawn to pieces such as his Art Deco-style Skyscraper series and other biomorphically shaped designs that showed the influence of Chinese and Japanese forms (Brown-Saltman’s offerings were frequently demonstrative of Asian influences). Frankl had become interested in producing inexpensive furniture for middle-class consumers, and his 1940s-era collaboration with Brown-Saltman was a success — print advertisements touted his name as well as the fact that these furnishings, which drew on the clean lines of chrome-framed Bauhaus pieces but instead integrated organic materials, were intended for modern homes.
Keal’s work also fit snugly into what we now call California modernism, which derived from the Bauhaus and International Style movements, and revolutionized the way we build homes today, not only in the Golden State but across the globe. Keal created sleek end tables in walnut and topped with enameled copper and upholstered low-profile dining chairs framed in bleached mahogany for Brown-Saltman as well as other West Coast mid-century brands such as Glenn of California and Modeline.
Find vintage John Keal seating, storage pieces and tables on 1stDibs.
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Creator: John Keal
Expertly Restored - John Keal Mahogany Round Coffee Table for Brown Saltman
By John Keal, Brown Saltman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
California Modern Slatted Bench / Coffee Table by John Keal
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
California Modern Slatted Bench / Coffee Table by John Keal
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Fabric, Foam, Wood, Walnut
Mid Century Modern Expandable Slatted Coffee Table/Bench by John Keal
By John Keal, Brown Saltman
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful and versatile expandable mid century minimalist walnut slat bench designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman, circa 1960. This California modern piece features an expandable s...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
Mid Century Modern Extendable Coffee Table by John Keal for Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Southampton, NY
Mid Century Modern Extendable Coffee Table by John Keal for Brown Saltman.
Sleek Original Mid-Century Modern Walnut Veneer Coffee Table with Two 12” Square Walnut Plinth Bases. The T...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Laminate, Formica
John Keal Mid-Century Modern Walnut Expanding Coffee Table by Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in St. Louis, MO
John Keal for Brown Saltman Mid-Century Modern rectangular walnut expanding cocktail table, with vinyl laminate center on block pedestals expands from 66" to 95" long. Top to be refi...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
John Keal for Brown Saltman Mid-Century American Wooden Expandable Coffee Table
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-Century American wooden coffee table with a smooth veneer in rectangular expandable form revealing a black formica topped center, sitting on two square block supports. (JOHN KEAL...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Wood
John Keal Walnut Coffee Table with Three Folding Side Tables
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Chicago, IL
Rare coffee table with internal folding snack tables by John Keal for Brown Saltman. Bleached walnut wood square top coffee table with three intern...
Category
1950s American Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Laminate, Walnut
John Keal Expanding Coffee Table by Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This expanding coffee table by John Keal is both handsome and versatile. When closed the rectilinear top sits on a pair of cube bases for a sim...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Formica, Walnut
$1,725 Sale Price
50% Off
Brown and Saltman Set of Three End Side Tables in Dark Oiled Walnut Art Tile Top
By John Keal, Brown Saltman
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Set of 3 Brown and Saltman end coffee side occasional tables stands in dark oiled walnut with art tile top.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Art Glass, Walnut
John Keal for Brown Saltman Set of Three Walnut and Burl Cocktail Tables, 1970s
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Dallas, TX
Set of three hexagonal shape side tables design by John Keal for Brown Saltman in the 1970’s.
Constructed of walnut with a burl wood circle on the top.
In beautiful vintage conditi...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Wood
Mid Century Modern Brown Saltman Extendable Coffee Table by John Keal
By John Keal
Located in Tulsa, OK
Mid Century Modern Brown Saltman Extendable Coffee Table by John Keal
Above average vintage condition and structurally sound. Very little scratching or finish wear. Outdoor listing...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
Expanding Coffee Table in Walnut & Formica by John Keal for Brown Saltman, 1960s
By John Keal
Located in Deland, FL
An exquisite design by John Keal for Brown Saltman. The expanding table design allows for additional surface use and storage. This design element is great for when you have drinks or...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
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John Keal for Brown Saltman Constellation End Tables
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of walnut with enamel copper tile tables titled ‘Constellation’ produced by high-end Californian furniture manufacturer, Brown Saltman. These two solid walnut wood tables each fe...
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Mid-Century Modern Mahogany Nesting Tables by John Keal for Brown Saltman
By John Keal, Brown Saltman
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1960s John Keal For Brown Saltman Blue Constellation Tile Side Tables
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1960s John Keal For Brown Saltman Gold Constellation Tile Side Table
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Mid-Century Modern Brown Saltman Style Hexagon Drum Coffee Table
By Brown Saltman
Located in San Carlos, CA
For Sale: Stunning Mid-Century Modern Coffee/Side Table in the Style of Brown Saltman
Add a touch of mid-century elegance to your home with this beautiful coffee table or side table...
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1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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H 16 in W 25.5 in D 25.5 in
John Keal Side Table with Travertine Stone Top for Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stylish side table designed by John Keal and manufactured by brown Saltman in the United States circa 1950’s. This unique design has been recently refinished by our skilled team of c...
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Materials
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Pair of Hexagonal 'Domino' Side Tables by John Keal for Brown-Saltman
By John Keal, Brown Saltman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Occasional hexagonal tables by John Keal for Brown-Saltman.
Stamped and labeled.
Practical and versatile.
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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$2,800 / set
H 15.75 in Dm 21 in
Mid Century Modern John Keal Style Walnut Expanding Coffee Table
By John Keal
Located in Chicago, IL
Mid Century Modern John Keal Style Walnut Expanding Coffee Table
Mid century modern unique rectangular expanding walnut coffee table styled after John Keal is both handsome and vers...
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Vintage Mid-Century Modern Slat Bench or Coffee Table
Located in Doylestown, PA
Vintage slat coffee table or bench. Adaptable to many design styles. Great for more defined spaces or coordinating with smaller scale furniture. ...
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Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
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Mid-Century Modern Walnut Slat Bench Coffee Table
Located in Clarksboro, NJ
This listing is for a Mid-Century Modern Walnut Slat Bench Coffee Table. Featuring a straight line design, rectangular wooden slat top, four removable wooden legs, and a beautiful wa...
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Magazine Wedge Table by John Keal for Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Hanover, MA
John Keal for Brown Saltman mahogany side table with trapezoid wedge-shaped top flanking a magazine rack, on tapering dowel leg frame with brass-capped feet. Brown-Saltman decal on u...
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John Keal Expanding Coffee Table by Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
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Previously Available Items
John Keal Coffee Table with Glass Top for Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rectangular coffee table by John Keal for Brown Saltman, c.1950s, USA. The table features a mix of textured glass and mahogany. The mahogany side of the table slides open to reveal h...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Glass, Mahogany
John Keal for Brown Saltman Mahogany Biomorphic Outrigger Coffee Table, ca 1950s
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Cathedral City, CA
John Keal for Brown Saltman Mahogany Biomorphic Outrigger Coffee Table, ca 1950s
Large and unique biomorphic coffee table designed by John Keal for B...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Wood, Mahogany
H 14.5 in W 65.75 in D 29 in
John Keal Expanding Coffee Table for Brown Saltman, 1970
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage expandable walnut coffee table. Designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman. Original black poufs included for seating. Signed with the original tags on the poufs.
Killer design where coffee table literally expands so that walnut reveals a black formica center when pulled apart for extra surface space.
Very good vintage condition for the table. Minor wear consistent with age. Some small areas of wear on the poufs where black vinyl has minor tears.
Price is for coffee table and four poufs.
Coffee table is 60 inches and expands to 75 inches.
We currently have this paired with Milo Baughman ChromeChairs, a Stunning Burl Wood Armoire and Warren Bacon Bar Stools.
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
John Keal for Brown Saltman Walnut and Smoke Glass Coffee Table
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A beautiful and elegant one drawer coffee table designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman. Crafted out of walnut the piece has a smoked glass top. The dimensions are 60x24 inches and ...
Category
20th Century American John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
Mid Century Modern Expandable Slatted Coffee Table/Bench by John Keal
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful and versatile expandable mid century minimalist walnut slat bench designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman, circa 1960. This California modern piece features an expandable sliding top with eight support legs. Perfect to use as a living room coffee table, entryway or bedroom seating bench. Size: 55.5" expands to 98" long, 18"W x 12"H.
John Keal:
At a time when many furniture makers were turning to cheaper materials for mass production, mid-century modern designer John Keal didn't shy away from utilizing quality woods in his work, like mahogany and walnut to create his coffee tables, cabinets and benches.
While little is known about Keal, he was part of a powerhouse group that collaborated with Los Angeles furniture manufacturer Brown-Saltman in the 1940s and ‘50s. Other designers who had partnered with the firm during the mid-20th century included Greta Magnusson Grossman, Paul Frankl, Paul Laszlo, and Gilbert Rohde, a New York City-born designer who would help legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer Herman Miller avert financial disaster during the Great Depression.
Brown-Saltman was established in 1923 and initially specialized in reproductions of furniture in period styles. When cofounder David Saltman met Frankl, the firm had discontinued its Early California collection and was producing modern furniture.
The Austrian-born Frankl was already a big name in decorating in California in the late 1930s — his clients were Hollywood movie stars who were drawn to pieces such as his Art Deco-style Skyscraper series and other biomorphically shaped designs that showed the influence of Chinese and Japanese forms (Brown-Saltman’s offerings were frequently demonstrative of Asian influences). Frankl had become interested in producing inexpensive furniture for middle-class consumers, and his 1940s-era collaboration with Brown-Saltman was a success — print advertisements touted his name as well as the fact that these furnishings, which drew on the clean lines of chrome-framed Bauhaus pieces but instead integrated organic materials, were intended for modern homes.
Keal’s work also fit snugly into what we now call California modernism, which derived from the Bauhaus and International Style movements, and revolutionized the way we build homes today, not only in the Golden State but across the globe. Keal created sleek end tables...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
John Keal for Brown-Saltman Expanding Coffee Table
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Fulton, CA
A Mid-Century Modern expanding coffee table designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman of California. Table adjusts between 66 inches to 95 inches...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
1950s Mid Century Walnut & Glass Coffee Table Designed John Keal for Brown Saltm
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Mid-century walnut & glass coffee table designed by John Keal and manufactured by Brown Saltman in the United States circa 1950s. This stunning coffee table features a smoke glass to...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Glass, Walnut
H 16.5 in W 75 in D 24 in
John Keal Cork Top Coffee Table for Brown Saltman
By John Keal
Located in Dallas, TX
A boomerang shaped mahogany coffee table with lacquered cork / particle board top. Model 92 designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman.
Category
1950s Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Cork
Expertly Restored -John Keal "Outrigger" Two-Tone Coffee Table for Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Wood, Mahogany, Walnut
H 15 in W 66 in D 29.5 in
John Keal Mahogany Biomorphic Outrigger Coffee Table for Brown Saltman, ca 1950s
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Cathedral City, CA
Large and unique biomorphic coffee table designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman of California in the 1950s. This is one of those iconic tables that many people consider among their ...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Wood, Mahogany
H 14.5 in W 65.75 in D 29 in
Biomorphic Floating Coffee Table, John Keal for Brown Saltman, Mahogany, 1950s
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Round Rock, TX
Offered is a unique coffee or cocktail table designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman. Dubbed the "Outrigger" table. Signed to underside.
The top is made from beautiful ribbon maho...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Mahogany
H 15 in W 66 in D 29 in
John Keal for Brown Saltman Coffee Table with Glass Top
By John Keal, Brown Saltman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rectangular coffee table by John Keal for Brown Saltman, c.1950s, USA. The table features a mix of textured glass and mahogany. The mahogany side of the table slides open to reveal h...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Keal Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Glass, Mahogany
John Keal coffee and cocktail tables for sale on 1stDibs.
John Keal coffee and cocktail tables are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of John Keal coffee and cocktail tables, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original coffee and cocktail tables by John Keal were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider coffee and cocktail tables by Michael Taylor, Heywood-Wakefield Co., and Tomlinson. Prices for John Keal coffee and cocktail tables can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,590 and can go as high as $4,600, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,048.