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Found: Mid Century Brasilia Style Tables

May 23, 2013 by Brynne 4 Comments

If you aren’t familiar with the Broyhill Brasilia line of furniture, check out some examples here. These tables are not part of that line, but are very reminiscent of its famous design!

mid century brasilia style tables

This is actually a before picture, but the lighting was so sweet, I think it’s my favorite shot!
Here’s why these are before shots:

mid century brasilia style tables 2

You can see that the black honeycomb textured base/shelf inside each table is a bit worse for wear.  That was the first thing I needed to address.

table damage before & after

Please ignore the fact that the colors don’t match up in the before & after pictures above!  The main point is that the wear and tear on the black portion has magically disappeared! Hooray for sharpies:

fixing damage with a sharpie

That’s right, I spent several crooked-neck hours coloring in each and every scrape with a sharpie.  It reminded me of one of those kaleidoscope/geometric coloring books! The texture of the surface is still a bit rough, but they all look much better!

mid century brasilia style tables 4

mid century brasilia style tables 3

mid century brasilia style table tops

mid century brasilia style end table 3

mid century brasilia style end table 2

mid century brasilia style coffee table top

And a peek at the adorable brass feet on the end tables (the coffee table doesn’t have any brass feet – it either never did, or all were lost at some point in its past):

brass feet 3

You really can’t tell from the pictures, but the tables are actually a gorgeous walnut color wood-grained laminate/Formica.

Most people seem to have something against laminate, but I really don’t know why.  Mid-century modern laminate is super high quality, extremely realistic, and is almost always in better shape than a veneer or solid wood piece of a similar age.

It is not that Ikea paper coating, or the grainy-textured faux-wood countertop material.  Plus, to me, laminate reflects the spirit of the mid century age – back then it was an ultra modern, cutting edge choice for furniture, and actually extremely desirable!

Not to mention its practicality.

You know my gorgeous burl wood dining table?  I can’t set anything down on it without protecting the surface with a towel and a prayer.  So it’s absolutely fabulously beautiful, but it’s high maintenance.

We have this laminate mid century dining table in our kitchen at the moment, and it’s indestructible and in just as pristine condition as when it was made in the 50’s or 60’s!  For a coffee table, laminate is an awesome choice, so you’re not always anxiously barking at your guests to remember to use their coaster.  I LOVE that my burl coffee table is actually laminate!  I’m not afraid to use it as, you know, a coffee table.

So that’s my little essay in defense of mid century laminate.  It’s durable, good-looking, and reminds me of a charming bygone era of history!

How do you feel about laminate vs. real wood?  Can faux finishes be classy?  What do you think about these tables?  You will NEVER guess how much I paid for them!

Brynne
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Filed Under: Craigslist, Found Tagged With: Restore/Refinish, Vintage Furniture

Comments

  1. Scribbler says

    May 25, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    Thanks so much for visiting and liking my efforts! I used to live in Dallas, and loved and miss the shopping there. I guess that was before Craig's list, but I used to find many great things in all areas of the vast sprawl.

    These Brasilia tables are interesting — and I have never seen them before. I would be willing to bet that the coffee table did at one time have those brass feet, too.

    I don't share your enthusiasm for mid-century furniture, though. I have always had an absolute fetish for French style, and just seem to prefer the curvy lines of the Louis and the related European styles. I look forward to keeping up with your blog!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      May 26, 2013 at 12:43 am

      Hi Scribbler! I'm so glad you stopped by 🙂 I LOVE curvy French styles of furniture as well! I am an ecclectic through and through, so I mix it up with whatever finds I can get my hands on. I've found that mid-century furniture just sells especially well, haha.

      Reply
  2. Juan Vasquez says

    April 15, 2015 at 2:43 am

    Hi Brynne-

    These tables are amazing! I am in the midst of designing a beautiful space in Williamsburg Brooklyn and one of these tables would be a fantastic fit. Would you be interested in selling one?

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      April 16, 2015 at 5:34 pm

      Hi Juan – I hope this response reaches you! I'm so sorry – these tables have already been sold. Wishing you good luck in finding the perfect piece for your design project!

      Reply

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I believe the best kind of home is a gathered one, full of treasures with a story to tell. Join me in celebrating a lifestyle of finding and making beautiful things, right where you are. Read more...

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