We pay tribute to the versatility of nesting tables with our nine favourite examples for the living room.
The nesting table can be traced back to the 18th Century, when English cabinetmaker Thomas Sheraton designed a group of tables that packed neatly away into the size of one, to use for needlepoint and checkers. Notably, German artist Josef Albers also designed nesting tables while teaching at Bauhaus alongside fellow teacher Marcel Breuer. In this Nine to Know edit, we explore the widely appreciated nesting table’s place in the modern-day living room, through nine old favourites and contemporary classics.
The Rose House by Watts Studio | Photography by Brooke Holm
The Muuto Around Coffee Table in the Mcnamara House by Tom Robertson Architects | Photography by Derek Swalwell
The Maru Coffee Table designed by London-based duo Nipa Doshi and Johnathan Levien for B&B Italia balances a thick top across three slim legs, available in two sizes to create the nesting formation.
The Louisa tables by Vincent Van Duysen for Molteni&C combine wood and cement in a collection of round and oval shapes supported by a playful off-centre base.
Melbourne-based architect Clare Cousins designed the Ivy Coffee Table for Grazia & Co in 2014. Designed and made in Melbourne, the Ivy Coffee Table comes in different heights and features a natural stone top, making way for a layered, tactile collection of nesting tables.
The Jove Coffee Table by Italian designers Draga & Aurel for Baxter features a textured finish of grain mixture or concrete. The table’s contemporary exploration of material and shape reflects the multi-disciplinary studio’s artistic approach to design.
The Møbel Copenhagen Pair Side Tables by David Thulstrup are a dynamic duo in how they balance weight and elegance. The smaller table is inspired by ceramic potting, which is accompanied by a taller, slimmer iteration.
The Artisan Bloop Coffee Table by Regular Company is a German Design Award winner. As nesting tables, it defies gravity through its unique, lightweight appearance.
The Ivy Coffee Table by Grazia&Co in the Brae House by Georgina Jeffries | Photography by Christine Francis
The Asplund tati Sofa Table by renowned Scandanavian architecture and design studio Broberg & Ridderstråle is available in two sizes that slide together seamlessly, letting you mix and match surfaces of glass and marble.
The Muuto Around Coffee Table by Danish designer Thomas Bentzen reflects Scandinavian design in material and craftmanship – and is a firm nesting tables favourite among Australian designers in the living room.
With its powder-coated steel frame and removable tray table-top, The HAY Tray Table forms a minimalist, silhouette-like collection of nesting tables in the living room.
Blairgowrie Residence by Webster Architecture and Interiors features the Teardrop Nesting Coffee Tables by Trit House | Photography by Dave Kuelsza
