Ever been caught up with one of those random thoughts where you really want to know how something we now take for granted came into existence? Trying to figure out why coffee tables are called coffee tables could certainly be up there.
Coffee tables are a basic piece of furniture design found in numerous living rooms and coffee houses across the globe. Today’s coffee tables are very versatile in nature. Need a top to place decorations or other small items on? The coffee table has got you covered.
Need to stretch your legs and place them on something, while relaxing on the sofa? Coffee table for the win. And of course, it is the perfect living room furniture to place a cup of coffee on. If you’re looking to buy a new coffee table, Four Hands Kensington Coffee Tables would be a trendy pick.
The Coffee Table: A Tea Table Evolved?
Are Coffee tables called coffee tables because they aren’t your typical tea table?
Tea Tables
The tea table has been around since ages- literally. Professional interior designers working on the finest of houses, like those of affluent businessmen, would definitely include a quality, round top tea table amongst the furniture.
The clearest of distinctions between a tea table and a coffee table is of height. Modern coffee tables are strikingly shorter than your average, tall tea table. Tea tables stood at heights which suited seating arrangements with chairs around it, similar to a dining table.
Certain features which you see in the current day coffee table started showing in the late 19th century. Anglo-Japanese style furniture was gaining popularity in Victorian era Europe, and a relatively shorter table design came with it.
The 18th century also witnessed the tea trolly: a moveable tea table ideal for tea service. Unlike the typical round tables associated with tea tables in that era, the trolley sported a rectangular table top, something also associated with a coffee table.
The Ultimate Breakthrough
So when exactly did America’s favorite hot beverage get its own table? Many enthusiasts lay their claims to the matter. The most commonly accepted ‘inventor’ of the coffee table is the Imperial furniture company.
Stuart Foote, founder of the Imperial furniture company, insists that he is the individual responsible for the massive evolution from a tea table to a coffee table. Foote’s claim suggests that he shortened the legs of the average tea or dining table, and the result was a low table designed for your cup of coffee. After the Imperial furniture company introduced the first coffee tables, use of coffee tables increased rapidly all over the country.
Today, they are a common find in the house of an average homeowner, credits to the small space it occupies and general convenience it offers. A perfect piece of furniture to place in front of your couch.
Stay Updated with Increasingly Popular Designs
Today, as furniture designing continues to evolve, the coffee table too, changes shape. Most designs maintain the characteristic rectangular table design, but different shapes can also be seen. Some pieces may have glass work done on them too. Regardless, this article certainly covers details which clarify why a coffee table is known as a coffee table!
Most working class homes have these tables placed at a convenient spot which does not compromise living space in the room. A popular pick is in front of the sofa: feel free to stretch your legs out.
Coffee tables are ideal for one’s coffee cups or a glass of something or the other, plus a lot of other conveniences. Grab one from Coppers and Tweed if you don’t have one already!