Retro coffee table

Retro coffee tables are a fantastic way to make a style statement. I love coffee tables; as well as for the mid morning latte, you can use them for glamorous pre-dinner drinks, party drinks or for sipping a brandy after the meal.

This stylish piece, right, is from the mid sixties.  It sets off the fashionable Portmeirion coffee set perfectly.

As coffee tables are not the most expensive pieces of furniture, you could always splash out on something a little more stylish than you would otherwise buy.

New retro coffee tables

I've found these two cracking coffee tables from Heals in the retro style. If you don't fancy trawling through antique markets or scanning eBay, then these two look the part.

The 'Flow' nest of tables from Heals, top left, looks similar to the coffee table above. Its organic shape and tapered legs are very reminiscent of classic 50s furniture design.

The retro look is long and low. The original influence was Scandinavian furniture design. The classic 60s coffee table would have been made of teak and would have sat low on the ground.

The Orla Kiely Rowan table bottom left is an instant classic. It the follows the retro style perfectly. It has tapered legs and has the long low look so typical of the Mad Men era. It is made from solid American Black walnut and has been given a hard wearing matt finish.

Original retro coffee tables

If you want an original coffee table from the 50s, 60s or 70s I recommend eBay as the best source. You will have the widest selection and be able to browse at your leisure.

Go for . Look for teak or rosewood finish. There are some great designs including the classic round and oval glass topped tables which were popular in the 70s.