In this blog, learn about one of the most unique mid century coffee table designs you've never heard of, and why it's one of our best picks.
Coffee tables can be really hard to get right. The shape you need depends on your room size, and how you use your space. Do you need space to walk around? Does it need to serve just a sofa, or a whole suite? Does the top need to be durable? Does it need to expand or contract depending on the occasion? And that's before we get onto how it looks.
We've always struggled with them too, despite selling what feels like thousands. We really need one, but have always had small living rooms, and as you can imagine we have quite an eclectic style, so we're waiting for the right shape and design to come along (this is our dream table but it's too big for our room, but you can buy it!).
We've always found the most practical shapes for small spaces is the round table - we used to have a Schreiber table like this years ago and it was so easy to manoeuvre round. That extra space you gain really does make a difference in smaller rooms, but yet you don't really lose much surface area. They're also often very stylish and epitomise that mid century aesthetic. It explains why round coffee tables are often in demand.
We stock a range of shapes and sizes at urbn nest. But it's more common to find glass topped rounded tables, made popular by the famous G Plan Astro table. As stylish as durable surfaces like glass or ceramic tiles are, they're not for everyone. We still get a lot of demand for more simple solid teak coffee tables. But there's not as many solid wood coffee tables with rounded shapes.
Of the handful we've had, 2 have been the rare Nathan cog coffee table (as everyone seems to call it). Nicknamed this because of the inlaid cog shape to the top. it's actually called the "Castilian" coffee table in the 1970s catalogue, model number 5214, presumably a vague reference to northern Spain, although we have no idea what the significance is, and it seems that google doesn't either. Which is probably why everyone just refers to the cog.
Described as "a classic design with intricate inlaid veneers", the cog turns what would have otherwise been a plain and stylish (if a little boring) table into something so much more interesting. The inlaid cog shape breaks up the teak well, and is further divided up into four quadrants; the grains angled away from each other to give the impression of different wood tones.
The band round the edge provides further contrast, something Nathan did with other products such as their round and oval dining tables. Teak can be quite dominant if left plain, and so manufacturers like Nathan broke up the mass of colour using pattern and contrasting African teak (which is darker in colour). It's a hallmark of better quality, well thought out designs which we like to stock.
We're sure the cog shape is probably some kind of reference to northern Spain, but the symbol is typically modernist in appearance, befitting of it's age (mid 1970s), in an era where typically mid century sans serif typefaces and pictogram symbols like cogs were the graphic style of choice for most organisations and campaigns. What we're trying to say here, is that this table top is proper mid century design.
The sharp table top design is softened by slightly more conservative leg design, which also supports a magazine shelf, again consisting of contrasting teak veneers. I think the legs definitely make the table a bit warmer, more welcoming. Nathan were savvy and had half an eye on the changing mid 1970s tastes for more traditional looks and probably didn't want to go too bold with an already unique design. Tap here to read more about that.
All in all, it ticks a lot of boxes. It has cool mid century vibes, but yet it's quite soft in appearance and could easily fit into other more traditional or eclectic styles. In more neutral interiors, it's decorative enough to be the main feature in the room, while it's crisp enough to not look out of place in more modern spaces.
It's a big table, and pretty heavy. But the round edges cut a lot of size off it, meaning it could still work in smaller spaces. It's build quality and weight mean it's sturdy, so you could put your feet up on it if you wanted to (/allowed to!).
Nathan furniture are one of our favourite makers at urbn nest, and this table is as usual, built like a tank. We have one in stock at the time of writing, available with full refinishing, so you'll basically get a brand new solid wood table for a lot less than buying something brand new, with a lot more quality and character! It will come with a durable lacquered finish like all our refinished tables, and should look just as vibrant as the one in the catalogue!
