I don't know much about the history of coffee tables but I I have a rustic pine bench that I have used in the past. It was perfect in a small room in front of a small sofa. I used it this year for extra company seating at Christmas time.

Here you go:

history of coffeetables

What style is your decor? How high is the seat on the furniture where the table will be used?

You can use almost anything stacked, like books or boxes or suitcases, topped with glass. I have seen wagons, canoes, old wooden pull carts, etc. You can cut down taller tables to the right height. Wicker, stone-topped table, iron, all from outdoors, can be used. Ottomans, bunching tables, etc. are another alternative.

In the US you're looking at something around the turn of the 19th-20th century, although they weren't all that common in ordinary homes until a couple of decades later. A console table behind the couch along with end/side tables was a more common combination. However, if one is decorating a home in period style, unless one is being "slave to period" there is no reason why one should not furnish in a way that is most functional and usable, which in our era often means a coffee table.

Our current coffee table is a late-19th-century English oak bench that was repurposed into a coffee table by a previous owner, who wrapped the top in copper sheeting to hide a bad crack and subsequent repair - benches are common items to press into service in that way. Ottomans with trays on top are popular these days as alternatives to the usual coffee table. Low cabinets like some of the Japanese tansu cabinets (which come in quite a few different shapes/sizes besides the "stepped" type most of us know) are useful as well. I actually like my coffee tables a little bit on the high side when possible, I just find them more comfortable to use that way.

mimi, I love the bench! The double-duty is just what I'm looking for.

les, thank you so much for the link! My style is not where I want it-- trying to convert my room to a cottage look (not sure what kind). Going for the vintage feel with florals, needlepoint rugs, 30s/40's, but not frills and lace.

johnmari, your table sounds great! We have a small house, so there is no room for a table behind the sofa. Like you said, a coffee table would be much more usable for us.

Thanks, everyone!

anele, if you have a small house, consider a trunk -- it's great hidden storage. I find a trunk coffee table to be very useful to hold throws and envelopes of photos not in albums. I see vintage steamer trunks on craigslist quite often.

We have an old child's wooden wagon which we use. We have removed the pull-handle in front and had a glass top made. Under the glass top we have child's wooden alphabet blocks. This is not ours, but ours is very similar: