While I want my Coffee Table Guide to provide real practical advice and information, I also want to blend in some more interesting commentary on the art of furniture-making and some greater appreciation for these simple little coffee tables we place before our sofas or couches.
A favorite coffee table designer of mine is George Nakashima. George Nakashima was a Japanese American Architect, Woodworker and Furniture Designer who pioneered 20th century furniture design as the father of the American Craft movement. His work infused an organic primal energy with a clean, Asian aesthetic which grows more and more appealing with each passing year.
While of Japanese descent, he was born in Spokane, Washington, and had an immense influence on American furniture and architecture during his lifetime. The George Nakashima House, Studio and Workshop in Pennsylvania is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
This video features an exhibition of his beautiful, rustic coffee tables. Enjoy:
While you may have simply come here to find a simple, utilitarian coffee table for your television room or something similar, I hope this coffee table video helps you appreciate the great artistry that has gone into evolving the coffee table as we know it today through the work of one of the great masters, George Nakashima.