FURNISHINGS : Designers Lay Their Cards on Coffee Table

No longer a mere slab of wood with four legs, coffee tables now come in all shapes and sizes.

Ranging from glass to marble to inlaid woods, coffee tables have come a long way from being mere repositories for oversized books and family knickknacks. Indeed, some of the tables could almost be considered works of art.

“Coffee tables have always been of interest to designers because they often become the focal point of a room,” said designer Mary Swift of Swift Interiors in Laguna Hills.

“Designers tend to go for more custom work to get a look that’s more individualized and personal,” she said. “That way we can tailor the look for a certain person or room.”

One of the trends she sees in coffee tables is a move toward polished steel and metals.

“There’s a lot we can do with metals,” she said. “New technologies and metal finishes give us more options. Much of the metal is textured, and then it can be painted, as well.”

Paint colors range from bright to metal-toned, such as golds and silvers. According to Swift, a pewter finish is becoming a popular look, as are antique finishes. Colors can also be adjusted to match colors used in the fabrics of sofas or chairs.

For those with larger budgets, motifs can also be hammered into the metal to match the designs of fabrics (such as flowers) or to match the “period” of a room by incorporating the look of tapestries or more Greco-Roman features.

“Metals can be expensive because the work and preparation is so time intensive,” Swift said. “One table I’m having made now has required over 30 hours to polishing the metal. Once that’s accomplished, then a clear lacquer is applied to protect it. A designer can do a great deal with metals, but it does take time and tends to be expensive.”

Canyon Tropical Fish in Anaheim Hills sells 3-foot-by-3-foot, plexiglass coffee tables that serve as 40-gallon aquariums for about $450, including filters, pumps and decorative items, such as gravel and plants.

“Everybody who comes in here loves it,” store owner Ansary Aboubakare said of his unusual coffee tables. “When you look down into it, you see everything. It’s quite a conversation piece.”

This unusual table can be used for either salt or fresh water fish and is relatively simple to set up, according to Aboubakare.

“I saw the tables demonstrated at a trade show, so I decided to sell them too,” he said. “It’s well made, so you don’t have to worry about leaks or problems. We’ve been selling them for about six months and haven’t had any complaints. They are fairly easy to maintain, as well.

“I think most people like them more for their decorative appeal rather than because they enjoy fish that much,” he said. “People can talk and have fun and still see the fish swimming by.”

Game lovers might want to inspect coffee tables that feature inlaid-wood game boards on the surface. The Giftmine in Brea has imported tables, complete with hand-carved chess figures.

“Our tables sell for about $680, and they’re all hand-carved,” owner Stanley Wyrembak said. “The base of the table is maple, and the top is walnut. The chess pieces are hand-carved ash wood.”

The tables are made in Poland and imported to America. Drawers on each side of the table hold the chess pieces when they’re not in use.

“Game tables like this are common in Europe, but you don’t see them as much in America,” Wyrembak said. “But I think that’s starting to change. People like the idea of sitting down to play a game, and the pieces themselves are quite beautiful.”

Once a game is completed, or if owners do not want the chess figures on display, they can adopt another European custom: simply cover the table with an embroidered doily or lace or a linen runner.

“In Europe, tables are frequently covered,” Wyrembak said. “Then there are smaller, matching doilies that are used for coasters or napkins that are embroidered with the same patterns as the runners.”

Wyrembak can also custom-order the game tables if a particular type of wood is required.

Antique tables continue to be used as coffee tables.

“Antiques have always been popular and will continue to be popular,” Swift said. “They provide an attachment to people’s histories and roots, and so we see quite a few antique tables serving as coffee tables. There’s something comforting about antiques.”

Works of art, such as sculptures and columns, can also be bases for coffee tables when paired with a glass top.

“People often come up with very creative ideas for coffee tables, using such items as old trunks or wicker baskets,” Swift said. “I’ve even seen old lobster traps turned into tables.”

Old chests and tables are often updated with a faux finish (such as flowers or scrollwork that are actually painted onto the table) to provide interest. According to Swift, Italian flourishes often provide the inspiration for many of these pieces. Again, the pieces tend to cost a little more because they are so labor intensive.

“I have some clients who have traveled around the world and have turned antique doors or gates into tabletops,” she said. “Some of them have found an old dining room table with the big claw-foot base that they loved and simply cut it down to serve as a coffee table.”

There are also curio tables that often substitute as coffee tables. These provide a horizontal shadowbox to display anything from a shell or coin collection to military ribbons and decorations or miniature ceramics or thimbles.

“The sky’s the limit when it comes to coffee tables,” Swift said. “That’s part of what makes them so appealing.”