Mid-Century Modern Slate Top Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This stylish midcentury coffee table features vintage walnut base, square stone top, and unique Pearsall style design. At 32 by 32 inches this impressive 1960s table works as an end ...
Slate
Solid Walnut & Slate Rectangular Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall, Jens Risom
Located in Rockaway, NJ
High quality craftsmanship slate top solid oiled walnut base coffee table signed and dated 1972.
Slate
Cube Shape Oiled Walnut Pedestal Base Square Slate Too Coffee Center Table MINT!
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Cube Shape Oiled Walnut Pedestal base square slate too coffee Center Table MINT!
Stone, Slate
Unavailable
H 15 in W 60 in D 20.5 in
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Slate and Walnut Coffee Table by Adrian Pearsall
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Hudson, NY
Make a statement in your living room with this very handsome Brutalist slate coffee table by designer Adrian Pearsall. The slab of natural slate is one inch thick that sits on a fram...
Slate
Unavailable
H 15 in W 58 in D 22 in
Mid-Century Modern Slate and Walnut Brutalist Coffee Table by Adrian Pearsall
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Hudson, NY
This coffee table makes a statement with it's beautifully crafted and designed solid walnut frame topped with a slab of raw slate stone.
Slate
Adrian Pearsall Slate Top Walnut Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Esperance, NY
Adrian Pearsall slate top walnut coffee table.
Walnut
Adrian Pearsall Slate Top Coffee Table
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This rectangular coffee table features a textured slate table top and beautifully refinished walnut base.
Slate
Occasional Table with Slate Top Adrian Pearsall
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original modern design. Limited. Sculpted walnut base with original slate top. The base has a small peg at the center top that fits into a hole under the slate for stability. Origin...
Slate
Style Of Adrian Pearsall Brutalist Slate Top Cocktail Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous slate top cocktail table in the style Adrian Pearsall. Carved walnut base.
Slate
Adrian Pearsall Black Slate and Walnut Coffee of Cocktail Table
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Miami, FL
Midcentury black slate top on a walnut base coffee or cocktail table designed by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates.
Slate
Adrian Pearsall Brutalist Coffee Table
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Redding, CT
Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Brutalist Coffee Table in the manner of Paul Evans.
Adrian Pearsall Coffee Table For Craft Associates
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Miami, FL
Coffee table in walnut with slate top by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates.
Slate
Adrian Pearsall Brutalist Drum Table slate top goop Paul Evans style
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Virginia Beach, VA
A 1960s large occasional drum table designed by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates. In the style of Paul Evans Goop series, Adrian Pearsall offered a built up resin relief in paint...
Slate
Beautiful Slate-Topped Coffee Table by Henredon
By Adrian Pearsall, Henredon
Located in Houston, TX
Sculptural coffee table by Henredon. Walnut base has four legs and wonderful negative space. Slate top has normal even wear around the edges.
Slate
Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Walnut Table or Bench
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Hudson, NY
Beautiful walnut framed table or bench with solid heavy stone floating top made of textured slate. Stunning piece.
Slate
Modernist Slate Top Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall, Phillip Lloyd Powell
Located in San Diego, CA
A beautifully crafted Mid-Century Modern coffee or cocktail table with riven slate textured top and solid walnut base.
Slate
1960s Mid-Century Slate and Walnut Coffee Table
By Phillip Lloyd Powell, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Miami, FL
1960s vintage slate and walnut mid-century coffee table, often attributed to Adrian Pearsall and Phillip Lloyd Powell.
Slate
1970s Adrian Pearsall Coffee Table for Craft Associates
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1970s Adrian Pearsall coffee table for Craft Associates.
Walnut
Sold
H 20 in W 27 in D 22 in
Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Pair of Walnut and Slate End Tables c.1958
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Camden, ME
A classic Mid-Century pair of Adrian Pearsall slate topped walnut tables for Craft Associates.
Slate
Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Lamp Table
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Bainbridge, NY
1960 designed solid Walnut and Charcoal Slate End Table by Adrian Pearsall f or Craft Associates.
Slate
Adrian Pearsall Sectional Sofa with Slate Ends
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A striking Adrian Pearsall designed sectional sofa with walnut trim and slate end pieces.
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid Century Adrian Pearsall Style Platform Sectional Sofa
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Lutz, FL
Mid Century Modern 2 Piece Platform Sectional Sofa and Matching Coffee Table. Done in the style of the Strictly Spanish line by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates.
Slate
Sold
H 27 in W 96.5 in D 34 in L 27 in
Adrian Pearsall Sectional Sofa w/ Slate Ends Reupholstered in Wool Gray Flannel
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A great sectional sofa set designed by Adrian Pearsall for his company Craft Associates.
Slate
Sold
H 26.5 in W 144 in D 33 in
1960’s Adrian Pearsall Sectional Sofa Set with Slate Inset Ends Re-upholstered
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A wonderful sectional sofa by designed by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates. This set features slate inset pieces at the corners.
Slate
1960s Spanish Revival Modular Sectional Sofa
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1960s four-piece Spanish revival sectional sofa with turned wood accents and slate coffee table sections (there is a second table under the far right cushion).
Slate
Walnut and Slate Coffee Table by Adrian Pearsall
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Coffee table by Adrian Pearsall. Solid walnut frame with a black slate top.
Slate
Midcentury Adrian Pearsall Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage modern slate top coffee table featured in rich walnut grain by Adrian Pearsall.
Slate
Adrian Pearsall Rectangle Oiled Walnut Base Slate Top Coffee Table MINT!
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Adrian Pearsall Rectangle Oiled Walnut Base Slate Top Coffee Table MINT!
Slate
Sold
H 15 in W 61.5 in D 31.25 in
Adrian Pearsall Slate Top & Walnut Biomorphic Boomerang Coffee or Cocktail Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Southampton, NJ
Purchased in Jenkintown in 1968 and obtained from the original owner this is a rare and stunning piece. Slate top coffee table having sculptural walnut base in the classic Pearsall f...
Slate, Brass
Crafts Associates Adrian Pearsall Walnut Frame Slate Top Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern oiled walnut base slate top long rectangel shape coffee table by Adrain Pearsall. The table is a good match to "Bastiano" Lounge Chairs by Tobia Scarpa.
Walnut
Crafts Associates Adrian Pearsall Walnut Frame Slate Top Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern oiled walnut base slate top long rectangel shape coffee table by Adrain Pearsall. The table is a good match to "Bastiano" Lounge Chairs by Tobia Scarpa.
Walnut
Sold
H 14.5 in W 59.25 in D 22 in
Mid-Century Modern Adrian Pearsall Walnut with Slate Top Cocktail Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Simple and elegant Brutalist slate top cocktail table by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates. Solid walnut, slate fits snugly into the base. A very architectural piece as the slate ...
Slate
Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Slate Top Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall, Craft Associates
Located in San Diego, CA
Simple modernist solid walnut coffee or cocktail table designed by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates.
Mid-Century Modern Slate Top Brutalist Coffee Table by Adrian Pearsall
By Adrian Pearsall, Craft Associates
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This stunning vintage modern coffee table features a unique floating top design with a solid walnut frame.
Slate
Sold
H 15 in W 59.25 in D 22 in
Walnut and Slate Coffee Table by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates, 1960s
By Adrian Pearsall, Craft Associates
Located in Hamburg, PA
A gorgeous sleek Mid-Century Modern walnut and slate coffee table designed by Adrian Pearsall. This beautiful cocktail table would make a great focal point in any interior.
Slate
Sold
H 15 in W 58 in D 22 in
Craft Associates Adrian Pearsall Solid Walnut Oiled Frame Slate Top Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall, Craft Associates
Located in Las Vegas, NV
This Adrian Pearsall brutalist low table, crafted from walnut with a top of slate, was made for Craft Associates and is indicative of Pearsall’s talent. The slate and walnut low tabl...
Slate
Sold
H 15 in W 59 in D 22 in
Adrian Pearsall Solid Walnut Slate Like Top 5' Long Rectangle Coffee Table MINT!
By Adrian Pearsall, John Keal
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Adrian Pearsall Solid Walnut Slate Like Top 5' Long Rectangle Coffee Table MINT!
Resin, Walnut
Sold
H 15 in W 58 in D 22 in
Coffee Table in Solid Walnut by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates, USA, 1960s
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Deland, FL
Introducing a rare and iconic slate-topped coffee table designed by the influential Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates.
Slate
Sold
H 15 in W 58 in D 22 in
Adrian Pearsall Slate Top Walnut Base 3-Piece End Table Coffee Table Living Room
By Adrian Pearsall, Paul Evans, Craft Associates
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Brutalist masculinity and modernist minimalism in perfect harmony. Thick, earthly textured slate evokes the menacing mystery of the dark Monolith from 2001 A Space Odyssey. Pearsall ...
Slate
Sold
H 16.5 in W 64.5 in D 22.5 in
Mid-Century Modern Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Sculptural Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall, Craft Associates
Located in Wilmington, DE
Offered is an authentic Adrian Pearsall coffee table with a gorgeous sculptural wooden base and slate top.
Slate
Sold
H 15 in W 58 in D 22 in
Adrian Pearsall Slate Textured Top Walnut Base Rectangle Coffee Table Mint
By Adrian Pearsall, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Adrian Pearsall slate textured top walnut base rectangle coffee table mint.
Slate
Sold
H 14.5 in W 58 in D 22 in
Walnut Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Coffee Table with Faux Slate Top
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A classic Adrian Pearsall coffee from the 1970s, with Pearsall’s signature through-tenon design on the upper corners of the legs. This feature recalls much earlier furniture forms, g...
Composition
Sold
H 14 in W 66 in D 16 in
Rectangle Solid Oiled Walnut Frame Slate Top Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table
By John Keal, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Long rectangle solid oiled walnut frame slate top Mid-Century Modern coffee table Mint!
Stone, Slate
Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Slate Top End Tables
By Adrian Pearsall, Craft Associates
Located in San Diego, CA
Simple modernist solid walnut end tables or side tables designed by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates.
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Adrian Pearsall Sculptural Slate End Tables
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Wilmington, DE
See our other listings for a matching coffee table plus more by Adrian Pearsall. Dimensions: 24" w x 24" d x 20.5" h
Slate
Octagonal Oil Walnut Base Round Slate Top Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table MINT!
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Octagonal Walnut Base Round Slate Top Mid-Century Modern coffee table MINT!.
Stone, Slate
$4,794
H 14.5 in W 59.5 in D 20 in
Large & Stylish Minimalist Coffee Table w. Stunning Black Slate Top & Iron Base
Located in Lisse, NL
Great looking. sleek design, long and practical, rectangular coffee table. This beautiful quality and lengthy coffee table is made of natural materials only and you could not wish f...
Slate, Wrought Iron
1960s Midcentury Coffee Table by Adrian Pearsall
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Midcentury walnut coffee table designed and manufactured by Adrian Pearsall, circa 1960s. This stunning coffee table features a black laminated top with a black vinyl base. the coffe...
Faux Leather, Walnut
$1,198Sale Price|58% Off
H 15.56 in W 49.22 in D 14.38 in
Midcentury Minimalist Walnut Brown Rectangular Coffee Table, 1950s
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Midcentury Minimalist walnut brown rectangular coffee table, 1950s.
Walnut
1980s Extra-Large Granite Coffee Table with Pedestal Base
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Monumental coffee table produced in the Netherlands during the 1980s demonstrates the period's embrace of raw, elemental materials. The design relies on pure geometric forms: a thick...
Stone, Granite
Mid-Century Modern Walnut Coffee Table by Glenn of California, 1960s
By Glenn of California
Located in Highland, IN
This large and well made walnut coffee table by Glenn of California has a deceptively simple form with nice details like the reveal between the top and legs. 15"h X 48"w X 48"d
Walnut
$2,250
H 12.75 in W 33.5 in D 33.5 in
Mid-Century Metaform Attributed Stone Coffee Table with Black X-Base
By Metaform Holland
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stone coffee table attributed to Metaform combines material weight with geometric clarity. A substantial gray stone slab rests atop an interlocking wooden X-base finished in black. T...
Slate
Large Slate & Steel Coffee Table, Belgium 1960's
By Pia Manu
Located in New York, NY
Beautifully crafted steel coffee table by Pia Manu with a deep metal patina, the top is a patchwork of grey-toned slate slices.
Slate, Steel
Brutalist French coffee Table with Slate top, 1960
Located in Berlin, DE
Brutalist French coffee Table France 1960 in good original condition. Solid oak with slate top.
Slate
$2,250
H 13.625 in W 39.5 in D 39.5 in
Mid-Century Martin Visser Style Coffee Table, Slate Top, Chrome Cube Legs
By Martin Visser
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Extra-large Mid-Century coffee table commands attention with thick chrome cube legs and handsome natural slate top. The geometric base creates a floating effect while providing subst...
Slate, Chrome
Monumental Heavy Coffee Table, Slate, Wood and Concrete, 1960s Dutch
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Offered is this beautiful rare Brutalist octagonal shaped slate coffee or cocktail table, made in the 1960s. A "mosaic" of different sizes slate stone in beautiful autumn colors embe...
Slate, Concrete
Belgian Slate + Wood Coffee Table, 1970s
Located in Chicago, IL
A 1970s Belgian coffee table, defined by the contrast between a honed slate top and solid wood block supports. The top is cut from Belgian bluestone, its matte surface marked by fin...
Slate
$4,400 / set
H 20 in W 27 in D 22 in
Pair of Adrian Pearsall Walnut Bases Slate Like Tops End Side Tables Stands MINT
By Adrian Pearsall, Milo Baughman, John Keal
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Pair of Adrian Pearsall Walnut Bases Slate Like Tops End Side Tables Night Stands MINT!
Walnut
$4,000
H 15 in W 40 in D 40 in
Danish Mid Century Adrian Pearsall Oiled Walnut Rounded Square Coffee Table MINT
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Danish Mid Century Adrian Pearsall Olied Walnut Rounded Square Coffee Table MINT!
Glass, Walnut
Mid Century Modern Jens Risom Walnut Coffee Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Tulsa, OK
Mid Century Modern Jens Risom Walnut Coffee Table Above average vintage condition and structurally sound. Table has been refinished and doea have small areas where the veneer has bee...
Walnut
$2,800
H 20 in W 27 in D 22 in
Adrian Pearsall Solid Walnut Slate Like Top Composite Top End Side Table Mint
By Adrian Pearsall, John Keal, Jack Cartwright
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Adrian Pearsall Solid Walnut Slate Like Top Composite Top End Side Table Mint
Resin, Walnut
Rare Early Walnut Bench or Coffee Table by Risom
By Jens Risom
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Very nice solid walnut bench or coffee table by Risom.
$9,417 / item
H 16.54 in W 52.37 in D 17.72 in
Civil Bench 057 by Pierre Jeanneret for Cassina, Mid-Century Modern
By Cassina, Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Berlin, DE
Civil bench 057 by Pierre Jeanneret for Cassina. Prices vary dependent on the chosen material. Available in teak, oak or black stained oak. Assembly, consists of three consecutive ...
Rattan, Wood, Oak, Teak
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool This White Oak Chile Counter Stool is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. The stool is chunky and modern...
Wood, Oak
$6,500 / item
H 14 in W 36 in D 20 in
Modern Oval Coffee Table in Oak Wood Cylinder Base and Glass by Ercole Home
By Ercole Home
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Palazzo oval coffee table with green and ivory glass sits on 2 Rift White Oak Wood pedestals by Ercole Home. This new bespoke coffee table design by Ercole Home is available today fo...
Art Glass, Cut Glass, Oak
$13,500 / set
H 29.73 in W 20.28 in D 17.72 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Monk" Chairs for Molteni, Ivory Canvas, 1974, Set of 6
By Molteni & C, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Monk" dining chairs for Molteni, ivory canvas and walnut, Italy, 1974, set of six. The particular feature of this model is the support structure composed of...
Canvas, Walnut
$1,250
H 8.47 in W 22.64 in D 22.64 in
Piero De Martini for Cassina 'Naviglio' Coffee Table in Walnut and Slate
By Cassina, Piero De Martini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Piero De Martini for Cassina, 'Naviglio' coffee table, walnut, slate, metal, Italy, 1980s This low table features are modernly structured, featuring a clear square table top execute...
Slate, Metal
$9,588 / item
H 39.38 in W 9.85 in D 31.5 in
Parchment, Brass and Glass Table Lamp by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires
By Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Ventola table lamp by the artist Diego Mardegan exclusively for Glustin Luminaires. Beautiful two ways shade made of a brass structure, parchemin paper and waxed fabric hold by an...
Brass
Parchment Directional Sconces, Made in Italy
Located in Culver City, CA
Made in Italy Parchment shades on patinated brass arm. 8"w x 14”d x 13”h *Please Note: This fixture is made in Italy, and comes newly wired (eu wiring). It is not UL Listed. Stand...
Brass
$5,525 / item
H 7.75 in W 14 in D 14 in
Series03 Large Flush Mount, Polished Unlacquered Brass, Goatskin Parchment Shade
By Adam Otlewski
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass, hand-stitched accordian folded goatskin parchment shade with diffuser. Shades are made from genuine goatskin parchment, hand-selected for each lamp for its na...
Brass
LUte OW Sconce PB
By Lumfardo Luminaires
Located in Inglewood, CA
Part of our Lumfardo Luminaries contemporary collection, this Lute OW brass and painted aluminum cylinder sconce is hardwired with two E26 sockets for use in the US. It can also be w...
Brass, Aluminum
$3,900 / set
H 15 in W 20 in D 14 in
Pair of Guy Lefevre for Maison Jansen Brass and Glass Top Side Table
By Maison Jansen
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Guy Lefevre for Maison Jansen side table, nesting table, floating glass top. Low table 17 /13/13 Top table 20/14/15.
Brass
Fontana Arte Blue Glass and Brass Wall Mirror, Italy, 1950
By Fontana Arte
Located in New York, NY
A Fontana Arte blue glass and brass wall mirror; exuding charm and grace in a simple and refined design; with a clear rectangular mirror plate in the center, a magnificent blue color...
Brass
$108,444
H 29.14 in W 66.93 in D 21.66 in
Utö Library Table by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1932
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Hønefoss, 30
Rare and authentic Utö library table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth, manufactured by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1932. Wear consistent with age and use, including surface scratches, m...
Pine
19th Century Chinese Canopy Wedding Bed
Located in Marbella, ES
This is a wonderful example of a canopy bed from Shanghai Province, China. Made of Chinese Northern Elm, this bed features hoofed feet and multiple floral carvings. The exterior ...
Gold Leaf
Rug & Kilim's Hand Knotted Classic Geometric Rug Purple Green Pattern
By Rug & Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
This hand knotted Classic rug joins the latest additions to the Homage Collection by Rug & Kilim, an ambitious custom-capable encyclopedia of periods recapturing and reinventing ...
Wool
Scandinavian Midcentury Lounge Chairs in Sheepskin
By Flemming Lassen
Located in Karlstad, SE
Pair of large high-back lounge chairs manufactured in Denmark, 1930s. These majestic chairs surround you with their curved backrest and are just as comfortable as they look. They...
Sheepskin, Wood
$25,000
H 14.5 in W 70 in D 35 in
Christian Krekels Black Rectangular Coffee Table Inlaid With Minerals
By Christian Krekels
Located in Plainview, NY
Christian Krekels Pyrite and Resin Coffee Table with Stepped Steel Base, Signed A masterful fusion of sculptural form and refined composition, this oblong coffee table by Belgian ar...
Agate, Steel
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
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.