The picture that the phrase”coffee table” conjures up for me is of a warm, inviting piece around which family members and friends gather. There’s a mystery in progress. Perhaps there are real mugs of steaming coffee. It’s a beautiful vision. Though as a mommy, my mental image of this quickly devolves into a horrific one where children are slamming into the battered table and knocking that steaming coffee all over the mystery. Meanwhile, the adults are looking forward for a person to find the TV remote and turn down the sound.

If we rename the exact same piece of furniture, calling it instead the cocktail table, it evokes a very different mindset — a mature one. Though you may not be able to change any behaviour within your home, you can alter the point of view of the means by which the table is respected, so too the space it inhabits. If you’re ready to improve your living room with a more complicated table, have a look at these beauties for inspiration.

Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab

In case the Little Drummer Boy were real, he’d probably grow up into a man who would appreciate this vintage drum coated with glass. Project designer Rebekah Zaveloff discovered it at Marco Polo Antiques.

Porcelanosa

This table, made of driftwood topped with glassmay appear delicate, but a herd of wild children on the search for snacks could not knock it over. Just be sure to hold on to those precious wine-filled goblets.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

This customized piece offers a different take on the wood table. Portland, Oregon, designer Pangaea sourced it in a local seller, who matched the slab to the base. Left untreated the raw table will take on a patina over time that will only increase its attractiveness.

Lizette Marie Interior Design

This table also celebrates wood in its natural state, though with an entirely different feel. Project designer Lizette Marie struck a stylish tone in this living area with a section of a teak tree she discovered and had ebonized.

Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

This table never ceases to amaze guests. Designer Tineke Triggs commissioned the piece from an artist in Nyc. It’s made from motorcycle engines and topped with glass.

Though this riveted metal table has a customized appearance, Triggs discovered it at ABC Carpet & Home. The business offers a plethora of tables which have ardently attained cocktail status.

Downstairs in the area shown in the preceding photo, the cellar continues the family’s refined aesthetic in a completely different way. This Black Hawk Coffee Table includes a spitfire complete that takes its cue in the historical Spitfire jet fighters of World War II.

Triggs discovered the bit at Homes of Elegance. Aluminum panels are interlocked with curved edges to get a shape reminiscent of the renowned Black Hawk helicopter.

Watch more rooms from this project

Valerie Wills Interiors

Project designer Valerie Wills outfitted this living room with the Zanzibar table from Z Gallerie. As when its exterior weren’t enough, antique maps lining the drawers increase the piece’s intrigue. It’s like a treasure hunt for adults. A tray helps to ensure that drink spills don’t indicate any place.

Lizette Marie Interior Design

This cushioned ottoman doubles as a cocktail resting area with the assistance of a trays to match the beverages being served. The wood base is coated in just two fabrics that designer Lizette Marie decided to match the environment.

Your turn: Please show us your cocktail table post a photo in the Opinions.

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