Antique Coffee Tables

Almost every home in the country has a coffee table or cocktail table in their living room or lounge area. Antique coffee tables are a style of long, low tables designed specifically to be put in front of a sofa or lounge suite to put your coffee cups, drinks glasses, magazines, books or even your feet onto for easy and convenient access to them. Even the old idiom ‘gather around the coffee table’ portrays these pieces of furniture to encourage light conversation and small talk.

The Origin of Antique Coffee Tables

Before the widespread use of the coffee table, tables used for the purpose usually with the high backed settle included end tables, occasional tables, centre tables and tea tables. Antique coffee tables are often dated back to the Victorian era. During the 1780s when the high back settle was replaced with the low back sofa, the antique coffee table wasn’t far behind. Coffee tables of this era were almost always placed behind the sofa so that anyone sitting on the sofa could easily place their book, cup or whatever else they needed to on it. Since then, coffee tables have become more and more styled and cheaper, but nothing beats the design and look of antique coffee tables and many people prefer this type of table to the newer Ikea style offerings.

Revival of Antique Coffee Tables

Towards the end of the late 19^th century, many carpenters began to mimic the use of older styles of furniture crafting as they were becoming more and more in demand. When buying antique coffee tables it is important to remember that you may see Georgian style coffee tables or other styles of carpentry build antique coffee tables, but these types of furniture didn’t exist during these eras – they are newly built pieces of furniture mimicking the styles of these eras.

Styling of Antique Coffee Tables

Antique coffee tables come in many different shapes, sizes and styles. Each region of the world also exhibits very different styles and designs of coffee tables and use different woods and fixtures. Victorian era antique coffee table carpenters often used oak, walnut or mahogany wood with brass fixtures and fittings while the Japanese crafters prefer a very minimalist style and often have very high quality craftsmanship. They often used iron instead of brass to finish their pieces. The French carpenters preferred pine and yew and their antique coffee tables often featured drawers for additional storage and to avoid clutter.

Why Antique Coffee Tables?

In modern times, too often, your coffee table is left to become just another piece of furniture in your home when in fact, it should be unique and something to look at and appreciate – it is, after all, in the centre of the room. By purchasing an antique coffee table, the wear of the age and history of the piece of furniture can make it something to talk about and soon you’ll be gathering around the coffee table to talk about antique coffee tables!