Mid Century Modern Coffee Tables: Our Favorites
Noguchi Coffee Table
Isamu Noguchi was a visionary and a name that is up there on the marquee with Eames, Saarinen, and George Nelson. We had the pleasure of visiting the museum in NY, where we wandered around in awe about many of his stone sculptures. The sheer strength, determination, and brilliant design vision was unmatched within the medium.
His famed coffee table arrived in the Herman Miller catalog in the 40s, and is still sold and knocked off to this day. It embodies true form and function with its sturdy base and top in timeless elegance.
Platner Coffee Table
Warren Platner’s design wielded hundreds of curved steel rods that create a masterful iconic piece that is also still sold today. The decorative, graceful, and gentle design reached back to his roots as an architect. As opposed to wholly rejecting ornament, he used it to create a structure that itself was inherently ornate. There was an 18K gold plated version in 2015 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the collection at Knoll.
Eames Elliptical Coffee Table
Nicknamed the “Surfboard Table'“, this table debuted in 1951 as the ETR featuring a Birch laminated plywood with black plastic top and bent welded steel base. A white top was then offered for its relaunch of the table in 1994 from Herman Miller. Eames, known for a whole line of mid century modern furniture line, designed this sleek low-profile coffee table to pair with a long sofa providing for a sleek centerpiece for casual seating.
Saarinen Tulip Coffee Table
Eero Saarinen designed the Pedestal Collection in 1957 featuring an elegant cast aluminum base and oval top that was sold in a variety of materials such as marble and Walnut. Saarinen tables have remained a modern and classic design that have been replicated by many manufacturers with notable differences in subpar construction and finishes. You’ll want to notice how slim and perfectly contoured the base is designed and avoid replicas with thick two-piece bases, as they offer a dead giveaway. The tables were produced under Knoll and offered a modern collection including side tables and dining tables from the same concept of decluttering the leg area. This is one of the iconic mid century modern coffee tables that has gained so much attention and still sought after today.
Astro Coffee Table
The Astro coffee table by Victor Wilkins was released in 1967 for G Plan and featured a teak or walnut frame with glass top. It’s a petite table well suited for a smaller sofa or set of low-profile chairs. Wilkins also design many interior products including the Spider coffee table, and other sleek nested side tables that we love.
What inspires us is the space themed shape during the mid-century period, and the Scandinavian-style woodwork that keeps this piece timeless.