Unusual Coffeetables That Will Make Your Living Room Look Special

It’s a piece that no living room should do without: The coffee table. A sofa, no matter how beautiful, feels too exposed and unfinished when there’s no coffee table in front of it. Besides, that modestly sized table is one of the most functional pieces of furniture in the room. It’s a place for decor, a spot to put down your coffee cup, to serve snacks when entertaining and possibly to prop up your feet after a long day. In addition to a wide range of shapes and sizes, the array of design options for stylish coffee tables includes some really imaginative ones. In fact, you can pick one that is really out of the ordinary for a true statement-making focal point. Check these out.

Unusual Materials

Like a well-coiffed crown of fringe, this round coffee table by Fernando Laposse for AGO Projects Studio is colorful and truly different. The base of the table is made from pinewood covered with a naturally tinted sisal that looks like horsehair. The glass top shows off the pink material, highlighting the shine and dimension as it curves over the base and into the center hole. Laposse uses humble natural materials that he transforms into stunning and unique design pieces like this one, driven by the concept of sustainability and the rescue of materials often considered waste products.

Handcrafted and Natural

Natural materials are finding great favor these days and stone-topped tables have great, unique appeal. This collection of tables by Lawson-Fenning has marvelously patterned tops that exude a natural feel. Used in a grouping to replace a single coffee table or positioned as a solo piece, these stone rounds have light, midcentury-style wooden legs keep the look fresh. In this case, it’s the pattern of the stone that is so different because it almost looks like the surface of the moon, with its shadows, craters and swirls.

Shape Meets Storage

Iconic Italian architect Osvaldo Borsani was known for Tecno, which became a world-leading manufacturer of office designs. Founded allowing with his brother Fulgencio, design for the office. This fabulous coffee table is one of his designs, crafted from brushed steel in a folded design that provides essential tablespace along with a spot for storing — and highlighting  — a few books. This is ideal for a bibliophile who always wants a book at hand. It’s amazing how a design from many decades ago can endure through so many trends and still appear fresh and compatible with today’s aesthetics.

Abstract Notions

Undulating and bright, the base of the FOSantoma coffee table is an abstract sculpture, holding up the glass top. Designed by FOS (born Thomas Poulsen), it is the product of a collaboration with Etage Projects of Denmark. It is sculpted from Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, which is a plastic that in its final form is like rubber, but is still very tough. Generally, this is considered to be a safe alternative to PVC materials. Works by FOS explore how interactions and perceptions are shaped by specific contexts. and has been known for his focus on communal public experiences. The blue and green are eye-catching shades while the shape is organic and alluring.

Expansive and Organic

Some of the most outstanding coffee table designs ignore conventions and have an organic shape that can’t be categorized, like this one presented by the Friedman Benda Gallery. Three supports instead of the typical four legs are a prominent design feature of this white table. The rounds that support the surface also project upward, almost giving the impression of wheels being attached. Along with the indescribable shape, the entire piece has an otherworldly smoothness.

Graphically Oriented

Carrara and Marquinia marble feature in this coffee table by rockstar Spanish designer Jamie Hayon. His signature style motif is inlaid in the top, adding a contemporary flair to the dark, veined marble. Hayon is known for many things, including his position at the forefront of the artistic wave that washes away the lines between art, decor and design. This table combines a storied material like marble with his fresh new graphic designs. This is a fun coffee table that adds a bit of levity to the basic round shape. It is presented by Galerie Kreo.

Sectional Table

We’re used to sectional seating, but how about a sectional coffee table?  William Coggin’s Pseudopodia Coffee Table from Galerie Scene Ouvert is a great example, with a biologically inspired name. noun Biology. The glazed ceramic stoneware table is made of three separate pieces and has random protrusions on the top and sides, much like the temporary protrusions of a protoplasm that are usually serving used for locomotion. The design infers some movement, which is an interesting concept for such a table.

Textured Wood

Artists and craftsmen Paul Benson and Paul Davis — better known as PAUL & PAUL — created this masterful wooden coffee table whose surface is covered by divots that show off the layers within the piece. Made from stack-laminated walnut, the indentations expose the colors and layers of wood grain in a way that begs you to run your fingers across them. The tactile surface of the table was inspired by a previous collection of bronze knobs that they created in the silhouette of morel mushrooms. This is definitely a look and touch design piece.

Fantastical

A fantastical piece by Nicholas Weddell looks like it might have been inspired by the old Nickelodeon cartoon “Real Monsters” thanks to its many eyeballs and sense of animation. Ok, so the artist says this is an ottoman, but it’s definitely big enough – and bold enough — to serve as a coffee table. Created from stoneware, porcelain, and foaming white glaze, “Kitty” is a focal point for every weird and wonderful detail. The artist, who works with clay to create his cultures of all sizes, says that his explorations result “in a marriage of surface, form, and color that defies expectation and familiarity.”

An Industrial Bent

Like the curving tip of a rolling wave, the industrial steel of this coffee table base glows with an unexpected sheen. Created by Kin and Company, the multicolored surface of the metal was achieved using a special heat treatment that realigns the surface molecules for a vibrantly reflective finish. While this table is industrial in nature, its overall look is one that would work in many contemporary and modern spaces thanks to the spare design.

Colorful Wheels

Like a pie chart come to life, these mosaic-topped coffee tables not only have an interesting tile configuration, but also a cheery color palette. The out-of-the-ordinary tables are a nice pop of color for a modern or eclectic space, sure to be a focal point in the room. We love not only the radiant pattern but also how the color on the side does not necessarily match the divisions on the top, as the green table lip extends past the confines of the white wedge on the top.

Modular and Moveable

Typically, once furniture is arranged in place, that’s where it stays. Sometimes, however, portability — or even the ability to hide the piece away — is a desirable feature. These are both possible with this coffee table from Molo, which can also act as an ottoman. Made from paper, Molo’s products are designed to fold away and be stashed out of sight. Separate rounds are also available to sit on top of the table if a more traditional tabletop is desired. Molo’s collection aims to be a sustainable alternative to traditional, rigid building materials, expanding the flexibility of the pieces for more functions and configurations.

A Colorful Splash

Whether you see an inkblot or something else in these coffee tables, they are definitely a splash of color. Designed by Odile Decq for Philippe Gravier gallery, the lacquered wood pieces are bright and smooth, with totally organic shapes. Magnificent choices for a modern, minimalist room or a very eclectic art-focused space, these unique coffee tables are the definition of functional art.

Multilevel and multicolored, this coffee table takes lucite acrylic to a whole new level. Called the Bon Bon, it does indeed look like a pile of colorful candies. Designed by Marco Pettinari and produced by the lucite experts at Poliedrica in Italy, it is a stunner. Each of the table sections is a different hue and together they look like a sculpture more than a table but make no mistake, this is a totally functional coffee table. Modern, contemporary and eclectic spaces would all be a great place for this out-of-the-ordinary coffee piece.

Naturally Focused

Organic in form and materials, this coffee table by Rogan Gregory is very natural looking.  It’s a very textural, neutral piece that quietly attracts attention. Inspired by hu water, time and the elements shape the world the artist says that he “meditates on lines and proportion until he achieves a sense of balance, harmony and truth.” That driving force really emerges in this coffee table because of its very elemental, earthy vibe. It is presented by R and Company.

Mosaic Style

Customizable to your planting and design whims, the Royal Botanica Mozaix coffee table lets you decide how you want to configure the sections in the table. Add wooden or ceramic tile, insert a planter section, or leave a section of the grid open; the configuration is up to you. It can take in different looks depending on how you arrange the sections. Maybe you tile the sections closes to the sofa for function and leave those further away for plants, or put the planter inserts only in the corners. Each arrangement has a different look and they can be switched up whenever you desire.

Stone Scenario

Stone is a beautiful material and this coffee table lets the features of each different type speak for themselves. In fact, the Geology Table, designed by Chen Chen and Kai Williams is made by splitting stones in half and polishing the flat surface to a high shine. They, each of the stones is arranged like an abstract jigsaw puzzle that rests on a custom steel frame. We can’t think of a single living room where we wouldn’t want to see this coffee table, especially when it al.so casts such a beautiful shadow on the floor.

Works of Steel

Artist Stefan Rurak’s Concrete and Steel Low Table is a distinctive piece that offers up a range of colors and a host of textures. Crafted from steel, each one has a patina that was applied by hand, including splashes and stains that make them unique and immensely attractive. The one-of-a-kind coffee tables are durable and meant to become a family heirloom. The clash of textures and industrial look between the top and the base add new dimensions to the striking look.

Irregularly shaped, green and glittered, Brecht Wright Gander’s Ode to the Wrong Angle Table is everything you don’t expect in a coffee table.  Gander starts with found objects that he sculpts and manipulates into shape. These are then carved, cast in aluminum and powder-coated in jewel tones. The final touch is a coating of glitter that makes the table even bolder.  This is another example of a sculptural table that’s focused on form but is still quite functional.

YIELD Designs puts the focus on planes and angles with the Sundial coffee table. As light shines on the table, the shifting shadows cast from the colorful acrylic base add another dimension to the table. The clear glass top lets you appreciate and contemplate the interior construction. It’s a deceptively simple design that presents some very complex ideas. Viewed from the front, you experience the flat planes of acrylic but from the side, the top appears to be resting on wafer-thin verticals of color.

If you’re looking for a coffee table that’s out of the ordinary, there are countless options, no matter if you prefer a more traditional shape or one that’s totally sculptural and unorthodox. Any of them can be a statement and something special to really change up your space.