glass and brass table

A Clear Choice…Modern Brass, Glass and Lucite Coffee Tables

Now for a totally personal decorating post, but after my furniture setbacks from last week I am hoping you will indulge me. Somehow, finishing the house has become much more than just getting it organized and usable – it’s become symbolic or representative of my success in settling in to our new life. There are days when the frustrations of getting things accomplished here make me feel like I am failing. While I know it’s all fluff, not rocket science and not world hunger solving, I can’t seem to help it. You can see we have made progress, but without getting too analytical, I don’t think that is really what this is all about. Nonetheless, for now, I can’t seem to think about anything else.

In addition to the French chairs and desk that I am now missing, my living room, shown above, still needs a coffee table. I’m trying to balance desire with practicality, and as ever, some kind of availability. At times like this, with a lack of antique stores and thrift shops, I find myself scrolling 1stdibs, the place where dreams are made. There is a whole host of utterly lovely vintage lucite and brass coffee tables to be found there and that is what I would really like to add here. Visually I don’t want to clutter up the space and I assume at some point I’ll be making my way to Istanbul or Morocco or somewhere else nearby and getting a fabulous carpet that I won’t want to cover up. I’d like something airy and light and at great contrast to Yamamoto’s trunk which is being used as the other coffee table in the large square space. At the same time, I’d love some brass to link the two pieces together as the trunk has beautiful brass fittings. Corners, as on the piece below in Ellen Rakieten’s Chicago apartment, would be particularly referential. And I’m loving the way the transparent table looks with a Chesterfield sofa.

Jonathan Adler’s Jacques Table is readily available on his website and oh-so tantalizingly says “Yes, We Ship to Qatar” in big letters on the bottom. Unfortunately, the table is one of those items that is exempt from international shipping. It is too small anyway, whispers the sour grapes voice in my head.

Even better than just brass corners or edges is a table that has a shelf. I love having space to put books and other items without cluttering the top. This one, in a room designed by Lindsay Coral Harper looks like it may even be a closed vitrine. I could definitely have some fun with that.

I think it was this 2010 photo of Elizabeth Bauer‘s NYC studio in Lonny that really propelled this table onto everyone’s want list. Hers has a bit of faux bamboo detailing around the edge and a low shelf that makes for lots of magazine storage.

There are some seriously to-die-for vintage examples of this style to be had all over 1stdibs, from this Romeo Rega beauty…

…to this one by Pierre Vandel. Serious love.

I haven’t really found a budget option in this style, but the Winston Gold Leafed Coffee Table from Worlds Away might do for those of you in the USA.

An X frame is another shape I love, seen in Vogue in the home of model Miranda Kerr.

Some pretty ones on 1stdibs…

…including my favorite Karl Springer shape. I’ve been sighing over different versions of this table for years and years and it occurs to me that Mr. Springer could really use a post of his own.

In the spirit of the Springer table is the new Helix Table from Design Within Reach, designed by Chris Hardy. The addition of wood to the legs gives the table a bit more heft, but I don’t mind. I tried to convince DWR to sell me the table without the glass top this summer, before leaving for Doha, as the legs come disassembled. I thought maybe I could squeeze it in my carry-on. Who knows? I may be forced to that plan this summer.

A possibly easier option to come up with is a full-on lucite table with little to no detail to detract. I don’t want this simple waterfall one and I haven’t seen it here anyway, but ironically, CB2 will ship their version to me here. The table is inexpensive ($300) but the shipping is another 150% of the purchase price.

I would definitely consider a big simple square like this one in Claiborne Swanson Frank‘s apartment and if I was back in Hong Kong I know I could get that made easily.

I like this one that shows its joints and we could use brass screws – see I can squeeze in a bit of brass – to connect the parts.

Again there are beautiful examples on 1stdibs, most of which are also quite expensive. I don’t mind the prices on the signed pieces made with metal in the photos earlier, but find it harder to justify prices when it is only lucite.

Especially since Wisteria makes this version, on sale for $719 right now. It too comes disassembled, so I wonder about packing up the pieces and having a new glass top cut here.

This is one of those posts that has no clear (ha ha) answers at the end, but I’d love to hear what you think and which ones you like. Any suggestions on sources that might be available to me or even making my own would be appreciated! I think I must be at the six month mark – isn’t that always a dip time in expat adjustment?

Links to all the photos and 1stdibs items can be found on my related Pinterest board, along with many other goodies.

Feb 13, 2014 By tokyojinja in Doha Move, Furniture, Glass, Interior Design, Metals 13 Comments Tags: 1stdibs, acrylic, CB2, Chris Hardy, Claiborne Swanson Frank, coffee table, Design Within Reach, Elizabeth Bauer, glass and brass table, Helix Coffee Table, Jonathan Adler, Karl Springer, Lindsay Coral Harper, lucite, lucite coffee table, Miranda Kerr, Nate Berkus, Pierre Vandel, Romeo Rega, trunk coffee table, Wisteria

A Clear Choice…Vintage Baker Brass and Glass Coffee Table

There are many modern furniture items that have a chameleon like ability to work in a multitude of decor styles. Some are very famous, like the Saarinen Tulip table (more on that later) or Wegner Wishbone chairs, both commonly used and talked about. Seen less often, one of my favorites is a certain vintage Baker glass and brass coffee table which, while being fundamentally the same table, comes in many variations. Pegged as 1960s and made by Baker Furniture, the table has a glass top with an elaborate pie-crust brass edge and the base is wooden, carved to resemble bamboo.

This is the most “classic” version of the table, shown again below in a Kelly Wearstler interior.

Beyond that the variations are endless. The top can be the scrolled version of a circle above, oblong, rectangular and even smooth edged. The base can be thick or thin faux bamboo, wood tone or painted. Other base variations exist as well and over the years some of the tops and bases seem to have been separated and remarried to other pieces. The terms Hollywood Regency and Chinese Chippendale are thrown around a lot with this table.

Some versions have the tray top set into an octagonal wooden base, giving it a more Moroccan vibe.

bakercoffeetableoctagonal

This version has even been painted to enhance the feeeling.

The table has also gained prominence in being featured on Mad Men in Betty Draper’s new living room. I don’t even watch the show, but it was big enough news to be featured on Apartment Therapy. It’s hard to see in these photos, but it looks like is is a marquis shape – a pointy thin oval – with a different base.

Most of these examples are selling in the thousands on 1stdibs, but with a little hunting the tables can be found for good prices elsewhere, like on One Kings Lane…

…or eBay.

The table’s resurgence is no surprise as everyone is in love with vintage brass these days (While the world is catching up to that trend, I’m expecting some blogger to announce it’s over any day now!). And while I love the bit of vintage bling they add to a room, while simultaneously keeping things light and airy, this style can be a bit too fancy for some. My actual favorite has the simple smooth brass edge and a thinner bamboo leg like the one below. I’ve seen this version in a circle and more commonly in a nicely sized oval. The example below is selling for $3250 on 1stdibs.

I am currently consulting long distance on two different projects, with different aesthetics, but both of which had living rooms that would benefit from a Baker style coffee table. Imagine my pleasure when both found the same one! The rooms are only partially assembled and being worked on slowly, but I think there is enough to show how well it works in different spaces.

The first one, located visiting relatives in Tennessee had a real Tennessee consignment shop price – somewhere in the neighborhood of $300.

Here it is now in its new home in Westchester with two newly recovered vintage wingchairs and a reimagined Pottery Barn ottoman. Don’t you just love that contrast piping!

The other table was found in urban Chicago, so it had more of a big city price – about double – which seems expected.

Here it is sitting in front of a dark grey velvet sofa from Jayson Home & Garden. You can also see a Saarinen Tulip table (see, we get to it) and some beautiful mid-century Danish chairs, as well as the new french doors and bookshelves we had built to divide the space and create an office guest room. You’ll be seeing lots more of this project in coming months as we make progress.

A rug is greatly needed and yet to come but we are thinking about something along these lines, also in a Chicago apartment featured recently in The New York Times.

So which shape do you like best? Have you seen this table used elsewhere? I’d love to know if you have, as I rarely see it in the design press.

Feb 14, 2013 By tokyojinja in Furniture, Glass, Interior Design, Metals 11 Comments Tags: Baker Furniture, coffee table, glass and brass table, vintage brass