Mid-Century Modern Dining Table Guide: Teak, Walnut, and Iconic Designs
A full guide to mid-century modern dining tables — Saarinen Tulip, Danish draw-leaf teak, Nakashima, and more. What to pay, what to avoid, where to buy.
Posted on:
Apr 15, 2026
8 min read
The dining table is the piece that gets photographed, sits at dinner parties, and shows its age faster than any other. Buy a good MCM dining table once and it'll anchor your home for decades. Here's the guide to doing that.
The iconic designs
Saarinen Tulip Dining Table (1957). Eero Saarinen for Knoll. One-pedestal base, marble or laminate top, no leg clearance issues — the most elegant solution to the "too many legs" dining table problem. Authorized by Knoll.
New from Knoll: $3,500–$8,000+ depending on top. Vintage Knoll originals: $2,500–$6,000.
George Nakashima Conoid and Minguren Dining Tables. Studio-made, live-edge walnut. Signed by Nakashima. $15,000–$75,000+.
Hans Wegner for PP Møbler (PP58, PP75). Danish extending tables, solid oak or teak. $3,000–$8,000 for vintage; new PP Møbler reissues higher.
The Danish teak dining tables
Niels Otto Møller. Beautifully proportioned draw-leaf extending tables in teak. The match for his Model 77 and 78 chairs. $1,200–$3,500.
Hans Olsen Dining Tables (Frem Røjle, 1955). Includes the famous round table with integrated seats underneath — a cult favorite. $2,000–$5,000.
Erik Buch for O.D. Møbler. Round teak extending tables with drop-leaves. $1,500–$3,500.
Arne Vodder for Sibast. Sculpted teak with tapered legs, beautiful drawer-style extension mechanisms. $2,000–$6,000.
Generic Danish teak draw-leaf tables. Unsigned 1960s production — often the best value in MCM dining. $700–$2,000.
The American tables
Paul McCobb Planner Group and Directional. Birch or walnut with iron or brass legs. $1,000–$2,500.
Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin. Chrome base, glass or rosewood top. $1,200–$3,500.
Harvey Probber. Walnut, refined American MCM. $1,500–$4,000.
Broyhill Brasilia and Premier. Walnut extension tables, mass-market quality. $500–$1,100.
Lane First Edition. Oak or walnut dining tables. $400–$900.
Extension mechanisms — what to check
Draw-leaf (Danish style). Two hidden leaves that slide out from under the top. The gold standard: the table stays aligned and looks right at every size.
Butterfly leaf (American). Folding leaf that sits under the center. Common on Lane and Broyhill. Simple and sturdy.
Center-slide with removable leaf. Most flexible but the leaf has to be stored when not in use.
Pedestal with rotating/folding top. Saarinen Tulip and some Danish round tables. Elegant but harder to repair.
Open and close the mechanism three times before buying. A stuck extension on a vintage table can be fixed, but budget $200–$500 for a proper restoration.
What to look for
Top flatness. Run your hand across the top. Dips, warping, or cupping from humidity add up to real restoration cost.
Leaves match the main top. On veneer tables from the 1960s, leaves can fade differently from the center if stored separately. Check in natural light.
Leg attachment. On most MCM dining tables the legs are bolted to the apron with hanger bolts. Loose joints = wear, repairable.
Finish. Original oil or lacquer is ideal. Heavy refinishing is the biggest value killer.
Pricing at a glance (2026)
Category | Typical Range |
|---|---|
Entry-level American (Lane, Broyhill) | $400–$1,100 |
Mid-tier American (Probber, Paul McCobb) | $1,000–$2,500 |
Generic Danish teak | $700–$2,000 |
Signed Danish (Møller, Vodder, Olsen) | $1,500–$6,000 |
Saarinen Tulip (new, Knoll) | $3,500–$8,000+ |
Nakashima | $15,000+ |
Where to buy mid-century modern dining tables in the US
Mid Century Mobler — San Francisco, Danish
Danish Concepts International — San Francisco
Humboldt House — Chicago, mixed
Teak New York — Brooklyn
Fuchs Furniture — Boston
DWR Fulton Market — Chicago, Knoll and Herman Miller reissues
Amsterdam Modern — Los Angeles
Modern Hill Furniture Warehouse — Chicago
See all 232 MCM stores in our directory.
Related guides
Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs Guide
