The 1950s brought us the grand tradition of living room dining, made possible by TV dinners, trays and mid-century modern coffee tables.
After moving my vintage coffee table to the tiki bar, I set out to find a replacement. I wanted something that wouldn’t be dwarfed by my long living room sofa—with room to keep the TV dinner tradition alive.
Here are the top mid-century modern coffee tables I found.
- MCM Storage Coffee Tables
- Modern Glass Coffee Tables
- Retro Mod Coffee Tables
- My Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table Pick
Note: This article contains affiliate links. See my disclosures for details.
MCM Storage Coffee Tables
These tables come with convenient drawers and cubbies for storing remote controls or displaying magazines. This one even turns into a desk for working (or eating) from the couch.
Modern Glass Coffee Tables
Glass top coffee tables are perfect for showing off a modern base or avoiding water rings. You wouldn’t want a wood top blocking your view of this stylish table.
Retro Mod Coffee Tables
For a fun retro look, go for a kidney bean shape, hairpin legs or a matched set of tables with angled legs.
My Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table Pick
There are so many pretty options, but one jumped out at me right away. I had to have West Elm’s Marcio Display Coffee Table, with its modern angles and rounded trapezoid shape.
You can display your favorite MCM coffee table books and magazines under the tempered glass top, protected from spills. And at 46 inches wide there’s room for two happy diners.
The glass top shows more dust and smudges than a wood top, but it’s also safe from water stains. It’s worth the extra cleaning because it’s basically a work of art.
Furniture Delivery Delays
That said, just be aware that delivery might take longer than expected. After I placed my order, the status changed to backordered, and the delivery date was pushed back a couple times.
I was concerned it would be stuck in backordered mode for months—especially after reading reviews and forums like this and this—so I started looking for alternatives.
But eventually my coffee table showed up, and I’m glad I waited. It was clearly the only one for me.
West Elm has a big selection of gorgeous mid-century modern coffee tables, like this starburst beauty.
Once you track down the right coffee table, you might also like these resources for styling your MCM living room.
- Beautiful mid-century modern coffee table books to display
- Cozy modern throw blankets for your sofa
- Mid-century modern decor guide
Oh wow! That’s a beautiful coffee table!! I was noticing in the one pic how great a match on the wood it is to your couch. You picked out a great one….awesome MCM addition to your L.R. I have never seen one like this in all my years..love the way it displays your books or magazines underneath. I give it thumbs up!!
Thanks! Eric and I both fell in love with it right away! I love all the unusual angles and shapes. And it’s nice to have a dedicated spot for books and magazines.
Tara, that’s an awesome coffee table. I think it’s the perfect choice. Side note: have you thought about adding a wheel on the left side, as viewed from the couch? Then it could possibly be the first indoor MCM wheelbarrow. 😉
I also love the hairpin leg items. I’m planning to build a patio table from reclaimed wood with a herringbone top and hairpin legs. I think it’s second or third on my upcoming projects list.
Haha, an MCM wheelbarrow (or rolling bar cart) would be cool. This coffee table has four legs but you can’t tell. I need to take more photos. 😀
Your DIY hairpin table sounds like a fun project! We bought a bunch of hairpin legs to work on some projects we haven’t gotten to yet, like plant stands.
Hey Tara! This article is super helpful!
May I ask how your Marcio coffee table is holding up, two years later? I am also completely obsessed with it – but would love to know if you’ve had any issues since, before buying it myself!
Thank you, thank you! 🙂
Thanks, Mackenzie! I love the Marcio coffee table and it has held up well. The wood looks beautiful. We got a couple of fine scratches on the glass, probably from when we had plates or mugs on there, so that’s our fault. I would just recommend being careful about what you put on the glass top (or more specifically what you drag across it). 🙂 The other thing to know is that dust collects on the wood underneath the glass, so it can be tricky to lift the glass to dust under there, but it’s probably not a deal breaker. It is a cool coffee table and we are happy with it.
Hi Tara, I am considering purchasing this coffee table as it is truly unique. Our living room space is a bit tight and it would really help to know the depth of the glass at the 2 ends – at the widest and the narrowest ends . I would appreciate it if you could please measure and let me know. I have looked all everywhere for the dimensions, but all I see is a depth of 26″ and it seems like that may likely be either the depth of the widest part of the glass or the width of the feet. If its the latter ( I doubt it) it would not fit in our space. Thanks in advance for your time
Hi Dee! The glass is 26″ on the widest part and about 18.5″ on the narrowest part.
This is so helpful. Thank you so much!