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! Tap here to view it, and tap here to see our other Nathan products.

We love sharing the details behind the design icons at urbnnest.com. Stories are a huge part of the products we sell. It gives them so much more depth and character, and gives customers like you a real connection to the pieces you buy. We regularly try and source some of the best quality, most iconic mid century designs possible. HOLD ON...WTF IS THIS ARTICLE ABOUT? We're not kidding. All of these artists have something in common with our vintage 1980s postmodern uplighters. What they all have in common is Thorn EMI. That name might not mean much to you. But back in the 80s, Thorn EMI was a huge company spanning everything from music, electronics, defence and even retail (a bit like what Virgin was). It was formed after Thorn Electronics and EMI merged in the late 1970s. Thorn electronics manufactured things like lighting, hence why our lamps are adorned with Thorn EMI markings. You've probably heard of EMI if you're a music fan - that's because they were a huge record label before their takeover by Sony in 2012. They still own the rights to many well known pre-2012 songs from huge artists. So for a time there was a huge conglomerate business, both making super cool industrial lighting as well as marketing and distributing mainstream music. Bizarre! Thorn EMI existed essentially as long as the Tory government did (not sure that there's a link there, just coincidence..) until it was re-broken up into two segments in 1996. Thorn Lighting still exists today, and still makes industrial spec lighting for commercial settings. RIGHT. BACK TO THE 1980s LIGHTING! So think 1980s. The end of modernism, the start of postmodernism. Curves are back, kind of combining simplicity with space age of the 60s. Blacks, whites and bold colour pops. Memphis style. While Thorn's lighting is commercial spec, their customers clearly wanted modern, up to date designs. Our uplighters were originally from a school, where you can imagine them lining corridors. If th look slightly oversized, it's because they're massive. We're not exaggerating - 6ft (1.8m) in height, they're not designed to illuminate the room. Instead, they're meant to provide some upward lighting, or atmosphere as we'd think of today. Originally likely to have been a safety feature, a kind of night light to deter intruders and make passages feel safer, nowadays we can imagine them providing subtle warm vibe to the corner of a room or alcove. No longer will you have to put the "big light" on! These have clearly been designed with some thought, rather than just built to lowest possible cost. Our favourite feature is the grooves down the "stem", which feel very Art Deco and give them some additional vertical emphasis, making them feel even taller! We also like the colour, which is deliberately off-white. We think this makes them easier to style. They have neat little switches under the bulkhead, picked out in an orange which glows when turned on. Industrial chic. I'M TEMPTED, BUT HOW COULD I STYLE THEM? What do you do with massive 1980s lighting? We're not gonna lie, you need high ceilings for these bad boys. An Edwardian property would be sufficient - basically anything with ceiling height exceeding 2.5 metres so that they remain in proportion with their surroundings and you get sufficient uplighting. Alternatively they'd be perfect in spaces with 2 storey heights. Because they're a very neutral tone, with very chunky, simplistic design traits, they could probably fit in most interior styles which already have mid century or modern elements. Our wall colours at home are similar to this and we find that warm wood tones such as teak go really well. As you can see, natural materials like exposed brick also work well, as would pretty much any colour wall apart from bright white. We could imagine them styled with wooden floors and a bohemian rug to help them settle into a more domestic setting. MMM OK, WHERE CAN I BUY ONE? They're available to buy at urbnnest.com for £180 each. Tap here to shop! They have been PAT tested, ready for use. WHERE CAN I BROWSE MORE MID CENTURY DESIGNS LIKE THIS? urbnnest.com - the home of vintage and mid century - stocks a wide range of vintage and mid century style furniture and decor, from the past to the present. We hand pick only the most stylish pieces to make your interior special. Tap here to start shopping. If there’s something particular you’re looking for, email us and we’ll source it for you mail.urbnnest@gmail.com ABOUT URBNNEST.COM At urbnnest.com, we only stock amazing, sustainable mid century designs from the past and present, marketing them at competitive prices. Helping you save money when styling your dream interior, while also helping to save the planet. Start shopping now and complete your dream look.

A lot of people don’t think of IKEA when they think of vintage furniture and decor. But vintage IKEA products are becoming increasingly sought after due to their unique designs. urbn nest explores some of their most stylish products from the past 40 years, including some well known and lesser known models. Tap here to read our guide to Vintage IKEA. WHAT ARE IKEA SAX LAMPS? Like a lot of IKEA products, the SAX wall lamps are based on well-established design classics, often originating from Scandinavia. The original Sax lamp is better known as the Le Klint model 224, designed by chief engineer Erik Hansen in the early 1950s. It has a scissor action, allowing it to be wall mounted and then pivoted and angled next to a sofa or bed. In the mid 1980s, IKEA decided to pay homage to this design by releasing their very own SAX wall light, made of pine. Evidence shows this was retailed from the mid 80s until around 1995 when IKEA's interior lighting range was overhauled. WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT IKEA SAX LAMPS? Like the original, IKEA's version is very flexible and can be angled in different ways. This is ideal for people like us, who get all comfy in bed, only to find that the lamp needs turning off, meaning that you have to leave the warmth of the covers to turn the switch off *shudders*. Instead with the SAX lamp, you just bring it to you, turn the switch off (which is located high on the cord for ease of access), then just move it out of the way. Aside from practicality, it's also really stylish. While the original 1950s design was made in oak, IKEA's pine version is quintessentially 80s and actually looks very Scandi. They're a rare and unusual design which would instantly animate any space. Not only that, they're also designed to take a shade which is unusual for a wall lamp. We think the shades which suit it best are white shallow cones, as demonstrated in the catalogue extract above. WHERE CAN I BUY IKEA SAX LAMPS? They're fairly rare these days. However, at the time of writing we have 2 in stock. They're available individually or as a pair (just imagine these as matching bedside lamps...). They have both been cleaned and PAT tested, ready for safe use. Tap here to shop. WHERE CAN I BUY MORE VINTAGE IKEA PRODUCTS LIKE THIS? urbnnest.com - the home of vintage and mid century - regularly sells vintage and discontinued IKEA furniture and decor from the 1980s to the 2010s. We stock only the most stylish vintage IKEA chairs, lamps, tables, candle holders, vases and more… Tap here to see our Vintage IKEA collection. If there’s something particular you’re looking for, email us and we’ll source it for you mail.urbnnest@gmail.com ABOUT URBNNEST.COM At urbnnest.com, we only stock amazing, sustainable mid century designs from the past and present, marketing them at competitive prices. Helping you save money when styling your dream interior, while also helping to save the planet. Start shopping now and complete your dream look.

We love sharing the details behind the design icons at urbnnest.com. Stories are a huge part of the products we sell. It gives them so much more depth and character, and gives customers like you a real connection to the pieces you buy. We regularly try and source some of the best quality, most iconic mid century designs possible. WHAT IS PIEFF? One of the best names in British furniture in the 1970s was Pieff. Like many others probably did, we just assumed that Pieff was an exotic furniture brand, especially given that they used high quality materials like chrome and rosewood with sleek, minimal lines, reminiscent of the designs coming out of parts of France and Italy. Turns out, it's about as Italian as the Mini. Pieff was literally just a rebrand - the company was originally called Production Facilities Limited. Production Facilities...P-F...P-eff...Pieff... Clever, eh? Anyway, Pieff's designs, often by Tim Bates, often found fame on global TV in the 1970s and 1980s, perhaps using their corporate connections from the 1960s. Their products looked high end, and were very much at the top end of the market, being retailed in shops like Harrods and Heals alongside rivals Merrow Associates. Sadly the recessions of the early 80s, as well as fashion gradually moving away from this look towards other styles such as postmodernism meant the end for high end brands like Merrow and Pieff. However, the rights to the name were bought out and the name lives on today. At the time of writing we have two Pieff "Lisse" chairs in stock. When we got them, the chairs looked really tired. When we get chairs, it's pretty normal that we have to reupholster them prior to resale. This means choosing fabric, which is a bold design decision can completely transform the look of the chair. In this case, the original fabric was a pale pattern. While this was an unappealing colour, the lines followed the "L shape" of the chair which was one of the main design features. We wanted to make sure any fabric had a strong linear emphasis to even further emphasise this shape and the "floating" design of the seat. We also wanted to make sure that the colour respected the chrome frame, which is probably the standout part of the seat. Too strong, and the seat becomes dominant. We wanted both elements to balance. The last thing was making sure the fabric is hard wearing. As they're cantilevered, they're designed to take some degree of movement over time and we wanted to make sure the fabric could stand up to that. We opted for this durable monochrome fabric. It both tonally reflects the chrome, while also providing strong contrast and visual interest. There is a strong linear emphasis following the lines of the floating cantilvered seat as we wanted. Once we polished the chrome up, they look like brand new chairs! We think they're bold, yet neutral seats. Because they're cantilvered, they're surprisingly comfortable and supportive for long periods of time. They're also compact, easily stored under a desk or dressing table. They could easily be used as dining chairs in a compact dining setup too as they complement most colours, including whites, greys and blacks. They're available to buy at urbnnest.com for £120 each. Tap here to shop! As we love them so much, we're keeping the 3rd and final chair as a desk / dressing table chair! WHERE CAN I BROWSE MORE MID CENTURY DESIGNS LIKE THIS? urbnnest.com - the home of vintage and mid century - stocks a wide range of vintage and mid century style furniture and decor, from the past to the present. We hand pick only the most stylish pieces to make your interior special. Tap here to start shopping. If there’s something particular you’re looking for, email us and we’ll source it for you mail.urbnnest@gmail.com ABOUT URBNNEST.COM At urbnnest.com, we only stock amazing, sustainable mid century designs from the past and present, marketing them at competitive prices. Helping you save money when styling your dream interior, while also helping to save the planet. Start shopping now and complete your dream look.

We love sharing the details behind the design icons at urbnnest.com. Stories are a huge part of the products we sell. It gives them so much more depth and character, and gives customers like you a real connection to the pieces you buy. WHO'S NATHAN? Nathan furniture was set up in the early 1900s and manufactured furniture from their British base. Nathan really started to become a major player in the UK furniture market from the 1960s onwards, when they really embraced the very fresh style of mid century modernism. Their products were very well built, towards the top end of the middle of the British furniture market. They mainly used teak which was ever popular at the time, and created some really iconic modern designs such as the sought after Circles sideboard. THE CATALOGUE This 1974 catalogue is full of Nathan's classic 1970s teak furniture. Even if you're not familiar with the exact model names and numbers, you'll have definitely seen these around, and you might even own one! WHERE CAN I BROWSE MORE MID CENTURY DESIGNS LIKE THIS? urbnnest.com - the home of vintage and mid century - stocks a wide range of vintage and mid century style furniture and decor, from the past to the present. We hand pick only the most stylish pieces to make your interior special. Tap here to start shopping. If there’s something particular you’re looking for, email us and we’ll source it for you mail.urbnnest@gmail.com ABOUT URBNNEST.COM At urbnnest.com, we only stock amazing, sustainable mid century designs from the past and present, marketing them at competitive prices. Helping you save money when styling your dream interior, while also helping to save the planet. Start shopping now and complete your dream look.

We love sharing the details behind the design icons on urbnnest.com. Stories are a huge part of the products we sell. It gives them so much more depth and character, and gives customers like you a real connection to the pieces you buy. WHO ARE THE "CROWN SUPPLIERS"? The Crown Suppliers, as seen stamped on this chair, are not actually a manufacturer. Our understanding is that it’s a seal of approval (a bit like you find on the back of Fairy liquid!), demonstrating that it has been supplied for “The Crown” by another supplier. What is “The Crown”? No, it’s not for use by the royal family. It’s simply for use in establishments which were / are part of the Crown Estate. In the past, this could have been anything from civil service offices, to schools and armed forces buildings. It’s quite hard to find concrete information on this as the products weren’t designed or marketed for domestic use. They often found their way into the hands of others when they were replaced. Details naturally weren’t published or widespread, and products weren’t routinely stamped by manufacturers. One of the companies that we know made furniture for the Crown Estate was Staverton, who made a lot of utilitarian furniture for military and educational settings. We know this as one of our prized possessions is a 1968 Staverton teak cabinet - it’s an absolute tank and is so beautifully understated and functional. We have fond memories of squeezing this into the backseat of a Corsa so we didn’t miss out on it (years before the days of urbn nest!) WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT THEIR FURNITURE? Furniture made for the Crown Estate had to be seen to be modern, especially in the post war era, in a time where innovation was fast paced and the UK Government would have wanted to be seen as keeping pace with other countries. Often pieces reflect the clean lines of modernism and use period materials such as teak and steel. Furniture also had to be bulletproof. OK, not literally. But it had to be very well built to withstand heavy duty use and require minimal maintenance. So it was often over-engineered for today’s standards, very much built to last so they didn’t have to spend budgets on replacing or fixing it. They were incredibly strong and well built, and making them with solid teak elements also helped. As a result, they often have a very minimal, chunky look which kind of accidentally looks very mid-century modern by default, a look which is very desirable today! We’d recommend getting former Crown Estate mid century furniture where you can - you won’t find better made furniture anywhere and it always manages to look great too. Our teak easy chairs were originally made for the Crown Suppliers and are naturally stylish. Their simple teak frames and clean lines suit loads of different fabrics. You can buy them from urbnnest.com upholstered in this cool retro themed fabric or you can choose your own fabric and let us do the rest! Whatever you choose, you’ll end up with an amazing aesthetic and an indestructible chair! WHERE CAN I BROWSE MORE MID CENTURY DESIGNS LIKE THIS? urbnnest.com - the home of vintage and mid century - stocks a wide range of vintage and mid century style furniture and decor, from the past to the present. We hand pick only the most stylish pieces to make your interior special. Tap here to start shopping. If there’s something particular you’re looking for, email us and we’ll source it for you mail.urbnnest@gmail.com ABOUT URBNNEST.COM At urbnnest.com, we only stock amazing, sustainable mid century designs from the past and present, marketing them at competitive prices. Helping you save money when styling your dream interior, while also helping to save the planet. Start shopping now and complete your dream look.

We love sharing the details behind the design icons at urbnnest.com. Stories are a huge part of the products we sell. It gives them so much more depth and character, and gives customers like you a real connection to the pieces you buy. WHO'S NATHAN? Nathan furniture was set up in the early 1900s and manufactured furniture from their British base. Nathan really started to become a major player in the UK furniture market from the 1960s onwards, when they really embraced the very fresh style of mid century modernism. Their products were very well built, towards the top end of the middle of the British furniture market. They mainly used teak which was ever popular at the time, and created some really iconic modern designs such as the sought after Circles sideboard. WHAT IS NATHAN SQUARES? In the early 1970s, styles were becoming slightly more conservative again as UK buyers opted for more traditional forms. Firms who were to survive this decade had to start producing designs to match the demand. Fortunately for Nathan, they were able to find a middle ground. The Jacobean inspired “Squares” range is a 1970s icon and was a huge hit. So huge that you could still buy it new well into the 2000s from their successor, Parker Knoll. It combined more traditional wood panelling with the clean lines of modernism and still popular teak wood, with afromosia detailing as was popular at the time. The result was a range of statesmanlike pieces which ooze quality and presence. Having had the pleasure of working on several of these pieces, they're some of the best built British furniture from this era. WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THE SHELVING UNIT? We love the imposing wall units Nathan produced. We decided that we could remix the design for the 2020s, as a more lightweight open shelving unit. This has two benefits. Firstly, it allows light and snippets of wall to pass through the shelves, breaking up the mass of dominant teak and allowing it to blend into its surroundings. This look is a lot more reflective of modern living, given how popular open shelving is. Love this design? Tap here to shop! The other benefit is that, if the rear is finished like we did for this one, then it can be used as a room divider. Purpose built room dividers are difficult to source, and Nathan units like this one are much more plentiful, which also helps to keep the cost down for everyone. This one has really useful storage with 4 drawers and a cupboard. We also have a variant without the drawers which has EVEN MORE shelf space! These units fulfil the role of a sideboard and open shelving, for no more money than a sideboard and without the hassle / mess of installing separate shelving. They’re really practical pieces of furniture with all the style of the evergreen Squares design. As we're living in increasingly small homes and with multi-generational households owing to increasing care costs, multi-purpose "lifetime" furniture is a great way of making sure your homes are flexible for all life's needs. WHERE CAN I BROWSE MORE MID CENTURY DESIGNS LIKE THIS? urbnnest.com - the home of vintage and mid century - stocks a wide range of vintage and mid century style furniture and decor, from the past to the present. We hand pick only the most stylish pieces to make your interior special. Tap here to start shopping. If there’s something particular you’re looking for, email us and we’ll source it for you mail.urbnnest@gmail.com ABOUT URBNNEST.COM At urbnnest.com, we only stock amazing, sustainable mid century designs from the past and present, marketing them at competitive prices. Helping you save money when styling your dream interior, while also helping to save the planet. Start shopping now and complete your dream look.