Steal a Hipster Look with a Retro Coffee Table
Generally, living rooms have a focal point around which everything is centered; often this is 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.
The 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. Its form defines retro style: clean lines, organic shapes, and modular capability. Post World War II materials advancements resulted in fiberglass and synthetic lacquered pieces.
Due to the upswing in casual styling, retro coffee tables became popular. After the war, the interior landscape became more relaxed and people were looking for furniture that was different from their parents’ generation, furniture that utilized new forms and new materials. 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.
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. Harvey Probers “Nuclear Table” is a perfect embodiment of casual styling that became so popular. 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. The well-known Tulip Table by Eero Saarinen is another innovative retro design. The signature table is defined by its pedestal base which eliminated the “clutter” of multiple legs.
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. Retro coffee tables come in many shapes, materials and sizes and they are a welcome addition to a room that needs a simple, yet interesting and fun, solution to one’s living room décor.
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