Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE
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
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
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.
to
283
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
2,273
71
2,164
308
32
2,504
1,089
185
100
81
77
36
23
13
12
9
7
5
4
4
3
3
2
1
2
2,161
340
1
1,147
547
1
34
305
396
422
53
17
1,423
1,134
765
532
386
5,033
2,504
2,274
2,038
1,076
2,504
2,221
2,302
87
73
68
68
67
Style: Mid-Century Modern
Place of Origin: North American
Place of Origin: American
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Rectangular Walnut Blood Red
By Tronk Design
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Rectangular Walnut Pink
By Tronk Design
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Oval Walnut Pink
By Tronk Design
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Round Walnut Navy
By Tronk Design
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Rectangular Maple Black
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Rectangular Maple Yellow
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Rectangular Maple Brassy Gold
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Oval Maple Rose Copper
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Rectangular Walnut Red
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Ross Clear Glass Coffee Table Maple White
Located in Cincinnati, US
A perfect mix of Scandinavian inspiration and industrial flare that cohesively come together to make a statement piece which embodies simplicity, functionality and elegance.
The ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
$1,154 / item
Williams Hairpin Coffee Oval Table Walnut Black
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Oval Walnut Green
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Coffee Table
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
$788 / item
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Square Walnut White
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Square Walnut Rose Copper
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Rectangular Walnut White
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Oval Walnut Yellow
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Williams Hairpin Coffee Table Square Maple Black
Located in Cincinnati, US
A thin, elegant and light table that can be customized to any shape, size and color desired. This handcrafted item perfectly blends industrial hairpin legs with a beveled wooden top....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Clarke Industrial Coffee Rectangular Table Maple Black
Located in Cincinnati, US
The Clarke Collection comes in ten different table top sizes, two wood species, and two metal finishes. The exposed stainless steel bolts blur the line between Scandinavian and Indus...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Clarke Industrial Coffee Table Oval Walnut White
Located in Cincinnati, US
The Clarke Collection comes in ten different table top sizes, two wood species, and two metal finishes. The exposed stainless steel bolts blur the line between Scandinavian and Indus...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
$1,050 / item
Florence Coffee Table in Walnut Wood (Toad) by The Spalty Dog
Located in Cincinnati, OH
Elevate your living space with the Florence Coffee Table. This minimalist design features clean lines, organic curves, and tapered legs that exemplify the essence of mid-century aest...
Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
Florence Coffee Table in Walnut Wood (Natural) by The Spalty Dog
Located in Cincinnati, OH
Elevate your living space with the Florence Coffee Table. This minimalist design features clean lines, organic curves, and tapered legs that exemplify the essence of mid-century aest...
Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
Florence Coffee Table in Ash Wood (Natural) by The Spalty Dog
Located in Cincinnati, OH
Elevate your living space with the Florence Coffee Table. This minimalist design features clean lines, organic curves, and tapered legs that exemplify the essence of mid-century aest...
Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Ash
Florence Coffee Table in Ash Wood (Lychee) by The Spalty Dog
Located in Cincinnati, OH
Elevate your living space with the Florence Coffee Table. This minimalist design features clean lines, organic curves, and tapered legs that exemplify the essence of mid-century aest...
Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Ash
Travertine and Walnut Table Attributed to Harvey Probber
Located in Buchanan, MI
Travertine and walnut table attributed to Harvey Probber, Heritage Drexel. Would make a great centerpiece
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Travertine
Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Lucite Coffee Table by Alessandro Albrizzi, 1970
Located in NICE, FR
An perfect example of mid-century modern design, this sculptural coffee table by Alessandro Albrizzi showcases the designer’s signature fusion of elegance and innovation. Crafted in ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Chrome
V Shaped Low Table from USA
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A 'V' or boomerang shaped low table in mahogany with black metal legs.
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Metal
Low Table by Paul Evans for Paul Evans Studio, 1960s
By Paul Evans
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A welded, patinated, and polychromed steel and glass low coffee / cocktail table of Brutalist influence.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Two-Tier Table by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates, 1968
By Ward Bennett
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A two-tiered carved ash coffee or side table in natural oil finish with Brickel leather planar surfaces over four swivel casters. Model 1260. Marked on underside.
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Leather, Ash
Low Console Table by Harvey Probber, 1960s
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A Mid-Century Modern walnut console table / coffee table designed by Harvey Probber with a single shelf and brass through tenon legs. Made in the USA, circa 1960s.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Brass
Asymmetrical Coffee Table by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1950s
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A low console or table with a spare mahogany frame that supports an asymmetrical top with brass capped feet.
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Brass
Walnut Low Table by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rectangular dark walnut low table having a black laminate top and distinctive triangular legs.
Category
1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
Polished Steel Low Table from USA
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A substantial modernist low table having a one-piece heavy forged polished stainless steel base with rounded corners and legs supporting a floating mirrored glass top.
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Stainless Steel
Illuminated Drum Low Table from USA
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A delightful, expressive and unique illuminated glass-topped low table crafted from a vintage bass drum that retains its original rich blue and red paint. An...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Walnut Low Table from USA
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A walnut low table having a long rectangular top with raised end rails resting on a six-legged base with turned legs and stretchers. The legs attach ...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
Low Table by Tobia Scarpa for Knoll
By Knoll, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A substantial square low table having a heavy gridded architectural steel base supporting a thick smoked glass top.
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Cork Low Table by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1950s
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A simple and elegant square low table with a raised cork top on a mahogany 'Parsons' base.
Category
1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Cork
Two-Tiered Carrara Marble Table by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates, 1960s
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A refined and elegant rectilinear coffee or low table having an exposed stainless steel frame supporting two figured Carrara marble slabs.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Marble, Steel
Occasional Table by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1941
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An interesting and uncommon occasional table on casters having a cruciform structure intersected by two circular planes, the top of the table surfaced with leather.
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Brass
Sculptural Tray Table from USA
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A finely crafted and elegant craft movement tray table with a removable top and sinuous hand carved intertwining legs.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
X-Base Low Table Attributed to Vladimir Kagan
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A striking and well-crafted X-based low table in walnut having a biomorphic boomerang-shaped glass top.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut, Glass
Low Table or Bench by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A low table or bench with an ebonized walnut frame which rises slightly above the table surface and can hold a loose cushion if used as a bench.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Walnut
Magazine Box Low Table by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1950
s
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An ebonized mahogany low table with magazine boxes on the ends.
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Steel
Solid Mahogany and Glass Low Table by Harvey Probber, 1970s
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A low table with a glass top and three jointed legs form an organic design.
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood
Mid-century Modern coffee and cocktail tables for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern coffee and cocktail tables for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage coffee and cocktail tables created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include tables, seating, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern coffee and cocktail tables made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original coffee and cocktail tables, popular names associated with this style include Edward Wormley, Knoll, Joel Escalona, and Dunbar. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for coffee and cocktail tables differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $154 and tops out at $397,156 while the average work can sell for $2,800.
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