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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

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 legendary 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.

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.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Color:  Purple
Italian Glass Mosaic Tile Coffee Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
Glass mosaic tile coffee table, Italy, circa 1950s.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Brass

P20 Coffee Table by Vittorio Introini for Saporiti
Located in Melbourne, VIC
Italian coffee table by Vittorio Introini for Saporiti Italia with customized top in new Italian lacquer.  
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Lacquer

Circular Coffee Table in Black Resin and Lapis Lazuli by E. Allemeersch
Located in New York, NY
Very impressive Lapis Lazuli and resin circular coffee table by E. Allemeersch. The table is peculiar by the shade of blues that varies and dances with the light. The item is signe...
Category

1970s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Lapis Lazuli

Hanns Altmeier Colorful Ceramic Square Coffee Table, Germany, 1960
Located in Munich, DE
Colorful ceramic coffee table made by Hanns Altmeier, 1906-1979 a German painting artist. Iron black painted base with four ceramic tiles.
Category

1960s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Iron

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Coffee Table by Etienne Allemeersch, Rectangular, with Fossil Inlay, 1970's
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Mid Century Mosaic Tile Top Table
Located in London, London
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Contemporary Oikos Coffee Table 2 in Mixed Clay and Resin
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Vallauris Ceramic 1960's Coffee Table
Located in palm beach, FL
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Midcentury Mosaic Tile and Teak Coffee Table by Berthold Müller, 1960s
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Stone Circular Coffee Table
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 2000s. Metal base with stone top, hints of green, black and greys.
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Italian Midcentury Mosaic Marble Coffee Table, 1950
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Italian midcentury coffee table with a spectacular mosaic marble top.  
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Previously Available Items
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Paul Evans Cityscape Coffee Table for Directional
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Mosaic Table
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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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