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Living rooms are focused on relaxing or entertaining and typically are centered around one piece of furniture: the coffee table. In the living room, most people want furniture that is functional and comfortable, but also pieces that are stylish, fun and reflects their individuality. 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. The best-known retro furniture can be seen in the forties, fifties, and sixties and no matter the decade one will always recognize the retro style. Its form defines retro style: clean lines, organic shapes, and modular capability. Too, because of the materials that became readily available after WWII, it often incorporates non-traditional materials such as fiberglass and synthetic lacquers.

Retro coffee tables were often designed because families were adopting a more casual atmosphere into their homes. 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. Luckily, designers understood this and were fortunate enough to have new technology and materials such as plastics, chromium-plated steel and plywood at their disposal. The materials allowed for different and unique new forms, allowing for mass production and durability.

The ubiquitous Isamo eileen gray table, designed in the forties, is comprised of a “free form” glass top supported by two identically sculpted pieces of wood pinned together at an angle to form the base is a well-known retro coffee table. 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.

In today’s contemporary furniture one can see inspiration from the classic retro style’s of yesterday. For instance, Paul Frankl’s Big Foot coffee table from the 1940’s, with its amorphic shape, is reminiscent of 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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