The list of iconic coffee tables that every design buff already knows is well established. It includes your Eileen Grays, your Noguchis, your Marcel Breuers. They're the sort of coffee tables that coffee table books are written about, that are on show in galleries —even museums.
But there is a whole other generation of iconic furniture that is less well known, but that deserves icon status simply because it's less on the radar. They're by brands you might well have heard of (like Roche Bobois) or by designers you almost certainly have (like Yves Klein), but for whatever reason haven't made their way into the collective consciousness yet.
They're the iconic coffee tables chosen by interior designers we admire for their artistry, their ease of use, and for the way they elevate whatever is placed near them. 'Iconic' may be a very overused word, but these coffee tables are all — in their own way — just that. So go on, test yourself. How many do you know?
1. Ginkgo Sculptural Coffee Table by ROU Materiaal
Organically irregular shapes have dominated coffee table trends in recent years.
No shape has dominated design over the last five years more than rounded ones. And organically irregular coffee tables have become true centerpieces, used as focal points in the middle of conversation pits, a portable lamp (so there are no trailing wires) as common atop them as the cocktail glasses being used by guests.
Italian studio ROU Materiaal makes both tables and sculptures, and it's easy to see where the two intersect with this art piece of an iconic coffee table. Made from solid wood, it is treated by hand with resin, giving it a glossy shine that deserves icon status.
"We adore the irresistible tactility of this piece," says Ed O'Donnell, co-founder of the design studio Angel O'Donnell. "It's wany-edged, shaped like flint, and covered in resin and acrylic to create a liquid-like texture on top of the pronounced natural grain."
2. IKB Coffee Table by Yves Klein
The IKB Coffee Table is available in the iconic blue, but also red and yellow.
Yves Klein may be most famous for the shade of blue named after him — that cerulean hue has the vibrancy of a kingfisher — but the designer has so much more in his back catalogue.
Yes, it was he who created that specific pigment, which he heralded as the 'perfect' blue when he used it on his artworks, but he also used it as the base color of his IKB coffee table, a perspex case containing granules of the colour in its solid form. Designed in 1963, it is still being produced today, and is also available in a yellow or red.
"My coffee table of choice is the Yves Klein coffee table, a striking fusion of contemporary art and function," says Tori Young, interior design creative lead at HollandGreen. "His tables blur the line between everyday objects and artistic expression, standing as iconic examples of mid-20th-century innovation in design and art. The perfect backdrop for your collected objet and a savvy investment."
3. Caravel Low Table by Collector Group
This iconic coffee table is inspired by boats, the ridges on the leg reminiscent of waves.
Of course, marble coffee tables are one of the most popular interior design trends, continuing to be seen in both designer schemes and on the high street. They're a relatively inexpensive way to work with an expensive material, bringing marble's sense of luxury but on a smaller scale than, say, a whole kitchen island.
What makes a marble table more interesting is when it's asymmetrical, textured, or — like the Caravel Low Table — both. Designed by Portuguese craftsman Federico Peri, it's inspired by the materials used on boats (there are also rattan and walnut versions) — the ridges down its one leg like waves on the ocean.
"If you want to layer in multiple materials, look no further than this trio of rattan, walnut, and marble," says Ed O'Donnell. "The sharply fluted legs and smooth semi-circular joints are perfection."
4. Pure White Lines
Now you know the name of this marble coffee table, chances are you'll start seeing it everywhere.
More marble, this time in its purest form, as a big slab with large rectangular legs. Yet the amber veining that runs through the white and gray on this (should-be-more) iconic coffee table, and the air that flows between its feet, prevent the table from seeming hulking, and instead make it seem like a future classic. Designers revel in its simplicity, and the way it allows the material it's made from to be the true star of the show.
"A contemporary reinterpretation of Mario Morenco’s iconic coffee table, this piece celebrates a low, grounded profile paired with the quiet drama and natural beauty of solid marble," says Dhilnawaaz Khan Trotman, co-founder of Atelier Savoir Faire. "To me, a coffee table should act as a generous gathering point, a surface that effortlessly holds personal objects, welcomes guests, and accommodates life unfolding all at once."
5. Astro Coffee Table by G-Plan
It's no surprise that mid-century living room furniture is have a revival.
There are few more iconic mid-century brands than G-Plan. Made to be affordable, as a reaction to the heavily ornate and dark wood furniture that had come before it, the love for this post-war brand has lived on through the decades.
Its pieces still resonate, beacons of simplicity, so well made that many, many originals still exist in perfect condition today. And that's what makes its coffee tables iconic.
"The G-Plan Astro coffee table is a design classic," says Ed O'Donnell. "With its swooping curves and arrowhead feet, it rather pleasingly resembles a toffee-colored Maltese cross. It’s refreshingly affordable, too!"
6. Tear Drop Coffee Table by Roche Bobois
Designer Scott Maddux has styled Roche Bobois' vintage Tear Drop coffee table in many of his projects.
Travertine has been the stone trend competing with marble since 2021. It's a little softer, a lot subtler, and often just a touch less expensive. Designer Olga Ashby likes it on kitchen counters. Lee Broom has used it for limited edition candlesticks. And it arguably all stems back to French brand Roche Bobois' vintage Tear Drop coffee table.
Designed in 1970, this iconic coffee table is both angular and curved, its pointed tips bulging out to a widened middle. It means it can slot into awkward spaces, in the middle of an L-shaped sofa perhaps, or down the side of a sofa arm, or in a long, narrow living room.
"That shape is just so easy to use, I absolutely love it," says designer Scott Maddux.
7. Rocky Montage Coffee Table by Odditi
"I love how it grounds a room without overwhelming it," says Annahita Sameri. "The silhouette is bold, yet the neutral tones allow it to live effortlessly in both minimal and layered interiors.
Designed in 2024, Australian studio Odditi's Rocky Montage coffee table already deserves icon status. Made from petrified wood, it has a striking black-and-white design, looking both straight-from-nature and other-worldly, like it could have been found in a desert or on Mars. It is hauntingly beautiful, the bumps that cap its three legs forcing you to pause and appreciate its design.
"As an interior designer, I’m drawn to pieces that feel intentional and expressive, and this coffee table does exactly that," says Annahita Sameri, co-founder of Atelier Savoir Faire. "What makes it stand out is its sculptural presence. It reads as art first, furniture second, which immediately elevates a space. The form feels organic and fluid, almost as if it’s been shaped by nature rather than designed, giving it a sense of movement and softness despite its weight."
And she's just as impressed with its materiality. "The use of petrified wood adds depth and authenticity," Annalisa says. "There’s a quiet power in working with a material that carries history and variation. No two pieces are ever the same, which makes the table feel truly one of a kind."
These iconic coffee tables are not going to be the ones picked for every list you can find online, but they're the ones you ought to know about if you're putting together a curated and carefully thought-out living room. They don't necessarily follow coffee table trends, but in their own way, they set them. And for that, they deserve icon status.