apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

my first impression is that it doesn't look that expensive, but the easiest way i find to tell is to look closely at how it is made, flip the table over and see how it's joined together [dove tailing etc] and look at the outside to see how perfectly all of the edges meet etc...

as for dates, someone i'm sure will give you better info. [is it veneer or solid?]

The glass in the middle of the coffee table makes me suspect it's from the early/mid 90s. If there's no indication of the maker on the bottom of the piece it was probably mass produced.

My guess would have been 1990's, as well.

The style's a pastiche (sorta Chinese-Mediterranean), could have been made by any of hundreds of furniture companies.

What a secondhand piece of furniture is "worth" is highly subjective-- it's not as if there's a "blue book" value for used furniture. If you have a shop, it's "worth" X. If you're selling it on Craig's List it's worth X-50%. If you're selling it at a garage sale it's worth X-75%. It all depends.

It's obviously well-kept, and I can't see any close detail from here (i.e. good construction, dove-tailing, name or location of production), but my first impression was that it looked like the kind of shiny, "fancy"-style furniture they stack up at Ross and Marshall's. Kinda reminds me of something that would've sold at The Bombay Company in the early '90s.

I'm pretty sure it's from the living room of my Great Aunt Helen's retirement home/condo.

This is what Great Aunt Helen would say: if you haven't any thing nice to say, say nothing at all. The table's not my taste either, to be sure, but Susan's husband inherited it, ok!!! We've all been there.

errr...Susan's fiance!

kinda looks like the type of thing you'd see in a department store in the early 90's...that "inlay" around the glass doesn't seem real.

I think it's department store furniture. It may have been expensive, but I don't think it's particularly valuable in the way that a design classic is.

She really has one just like it- wasn't saying any thing mean.

I must admit I bust out laughing at the Great Aunt Helen comment. There are days I feel like that. There is no love from me for that table.

The fiance doesn't have the greatest fashion or design sense and, unfortunately, instead of choosing the really nice mid century looking bedroom furniture from his grandfather's house, he chose this huge monstrosity of a coffee table to bring home with home, amongst other pieces. It's not evident from the pictures but the table takes up pretty much half the room and just overwhelms the place.

We're moving in together with a living room just as big and won't have room for it. We wanted to see if it was an heirloom piece worth keeping. We'll check underneath tonight to see if it's branded in any way (doubt it) and decide what to do next. Luckily the fiance isn't attached to this piece.

Thanks for all your comments so far!

-Susan

Late 80's.
My ex has one just like it at his cabin on Mayne Island, BC. An extra piece from his parents' house in Sidney retired to the rustic life. Beautiful curves.

Thanks hiccup.

We just flipped it over and found out who made it. Gordon's from Johnson City, TN. Looking for more info now. Quality of wood looks amazing from the inside, and while not dovetailed, the framework looks very solid. I don't know if this is a dept store purchase after all...

Don't know a thing about the value or maker, but I'd classify the style as Chinese, sorta.

I am from Japan. This coffee table looks very familiar for me, but I have never seen glass top. I guess it should be from China or Korea....

these types of tables are common in hong kong or china furniture shops. usually made from rosewood.