Five of the Best Vintage Italian Marble Coffee Tables
If you’ve spent any time in our east London vintage furniture store recently, you’ll know that we like ourselves an affordable marble coffee table.
While we’re not prescriptive, our favourites tend to come from Italy.
Since many of our customers also seem to be getting a kick out of marble, we figured we’d put together a list of five cool coffee tables by Italian designers.
We’ve included a guide to what you might expect to pay on the likes of Vinterior, Pamono and 1st Dibs.
We recommend you cross reference this against what we charge so you’ll see for yourself that we’re serious when we say we want our Italian marble coffee tables to be attainable.
Massimo and Lella Vignelli – Metaphora, 1970’s
We were lucky enough to find an original Serenissimo dining table on a Belgian buying trip and ever since then we’ve been head over heels for the Vignellis.
Although more famous for their graphic work, this power couple designed some outrageously good furniture.
The Metaphora cocktail table is right up there with the very best.
We love it because it’s where you can see the gap between modernism and postmodernism close.
It’s also just amazing to look at and we’d take one any day of the week.
Dealer prices start at: around £3,000. However, there are several varieties so prices may vary.
Mario Bellini - Il Colonnato, 1970’s
We love a bit of Bellini and this is one of our favourites.
Although designed in the late 70’s, this piece could not be more on-trend right now.
Bulbous forms are combined with the opulence of the stone finish to make this the perfect addition to any design-conscious home.
You’ll find a Colonnato dining table faster than a cocktail table but they’re out there
Dealer prices start at: around £1,500 for travertine but expect to pay more for marble.
Ettore Sottsass - Park Lane, 1980’s
We’d forgive anybody who dismissed this as ugly (we don’t often swoon over anything with a glitter finish) but there is something about Sottsass that is getting to us at the minute.
Yes, his designs can be difficult to incorporate into a theme that you actually live in but, well, they’re just so much fun that we can’t help but want to try.
If this one is too much for you, but you like the idea, check out Sottsass’s Central Park coffee table. It would be much easier to slot into a functioning home.
We’ve never seen one in the flesh so don’t expect to stumble across one every time you go to a flea market.
Dealer prices start at: around £5,000. Rarity means you’re at the mercy of the sellers on this one.
Gae Aulenti - Jumbo, 1960’s
While not necessarily as ostentatious as some of the other shapes on this list, we would recommend this vintage marble side table to everyone.
It’s got enough going on that it is both timeless and à la mode, classic and playful, stark yet organic. To put it another way, it’s going to work in any theme.
The good news for buyers is that this table can still be purchased from Knoll.
This weakens the seconds market a bit and also means there should be plenty out there.
Just don’t expect somebody to gift you one.
Dealer prices start at: £7,000 but there seems to be a broad spectrum of prices here.
Angelo Mangiarotti - Eros, 1970's
Mangiarotti is, to us at least, the godfather of marble coffee tables. This is due mainly to the fact that it was his work that ignited our passion for these pieces.
The Eros collection is extensive and features an array of colours and shapes. This means there should be something for everyone.
The defining feature–conical legs that insert into the tabletop—remain omnipresent. We think that’s a good thing because it’s what we like most.
Some Mangiarotti shapes are still in production by a company called Agapecasa.
While it would be logical to think this might turn the market in your favour, our research suggests you’ll still have to dig deep.
Dealer prices start at: £5,000 but we think you’d be doing well at that price.
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