Armand Francine Aude Coffee Table

Defying design conventions and embracing all tastes, Bohemian style, or Boho style, is eclectic, bold and, above all, individual. Vintage Bohemian-style furniture and decor feature bright colors, natural materials and a global spirit, ranging from statement pieces such as peacock chairs constructed with wicker and handmade art-glass vases to jewel-toned plush seating like turquoise sofas.

Although Bohemian furniture is not rooted in a specific time and can include Victorian lamps alongside Space Age chairs, its name dates back to the 19th century. Its exact origins are unclear, with some sources linking it to a counterculture formed in the wake of the French Revolution and others to a pejorative for the Romani people in France who were erroneously believed to be from Bohemia, which was part of what is now the Czech Republic.

By the 1850s, “bohemian” was used to describe someone who led an itinerant life, usually an artist, actor or author. This helped shift the term from disparaging to something romantic and evoking creativity, culture and travel. In the 20th century, to be a bohemian was fashionable, and the celebration of free expression in the 1960s gave the Bohemian style a hippie flair. It has remained popular over the years, especially with younger generations seeking to express their personality and individual perspective through furniture, folk art, antiques and other collectibles.

A Bohemian interior exuberantly mixes textures and patterns, particularly through textiles from around the world in tapestries, rugs and upholstery. Bohemian decor can include Japanese shibori, Indonesian ikat and Kazakhstani suzani prints mingling with Moroccan lanterns, Turkish carpets and wall hangings from India. Saturated earthy colors like burnt orange and marigold yellow are common to bring together the mix of vintage, modern and global design.

Find a collection of vintage Bohemian tables, mirrors, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and more furniture on 1stDibs.

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.