Living rooms are focused on relaxing or entertaining and typically are centered around one piece of furniture: the coffee table. While people want to reflect their individuality and style in their décor, they often need comfortable and functional furniture in their living rooms. Styles are wide and varied, so there are many options from which to choose; often, people opt for the hip and retro look of the modern furniture.
Noguchi table dates from the art deco twenties to the pop-art seventies, and the term retro typically denotes the innovative forms of the forties through the sixties. Whatever the decade, retro furniture has very recognizable traits. Identifiably, retro is about the form: clean lines, organic shapes, and modular capabilities. Too, because of the materials that became readily available after WWII, it often incorporates non-traditional materials such as fiberglass and synthetic lacquers.
Due to the upswing in casual styling, retro coffee tables became popular. People wanted to have innovative forms and materials that were not as formal as their parents’; they wanted a home that was more open and inviting for adults and kids alike. Designers often used different materials like plastic, steel, and plywood in their designs. Designers were able to mold these materials into new and interesting forms, and manufacturers were able to mass produce furniture yet still keep them durable.
A classic retro coffee table the eileen gray table with a base of two pieces of sculpted wood pinned together at an angle. Another is by Harvey Probber, called the Nuclear Table, and it is a good example of the casual lifestyle that families desired to incorporate into their homes. This table offers a variety of forms with its two half circle shapes that can be place together to form a circle, can be lined up to give an ‘S’ shape, or can be stacked on top of each other to give height. Another retro design noted for its innovation is Eero Saarinen’s Tulip Table. Its lacquered steel base is a pedestal form and was designed to reduce the “clutter” of legs that typical tables have.
Contemporary furniture produced today is often reflective of some of retro coffee tables being offered by antique dealers. For example, in the 1940’s Paul Frankl’s Big Foot coffee table called to mind Zaha Hadid’s futuristic designs. Whoever the owner, a retro coffee table, with its innovative forms and materials, can offer a sleek and elegant, yet fun way to liven up one’s living room.
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