Mid-Century Conference Table: How to Get the Look

The short answer: a mid-century conference table is the look you can see from the doorway. A warm brown wood grain such as walnut or teak. A soft, rounded top. Slim legs that angle out, so the top seems to float. At OfficeSimpli you build that look from four choices: a walnut-look finish such as California Walnut or Straight Noce, a racetrack, boat or round top, angled metal legs, and a thin-looking edge. It is a walnut-look laminate on a made-to-order table, not a vintage piece or a copy of a designer original. Below: what makes the style, the finish, shape, legs and edge that get you there, and three builds you can open and change.

What makes a conference table look mid-century?

Mid-century modern is the design style of roughly 1945 to 1970. It is known for clean, simple lines and very little decoration. Three things carry the look on a mid-century modern conference table: warm wood grain, soft curved shapes and light, slim legs. Get those three right and the room reads mid-century, even with modern chairs.

What you do not need is an old table. A made-to-order table gives you the look at the size your room needs, with power built into the top if you want it.

Which finish gives a mid-century look?

A warm brown wood grain sets the tone. The builder has four that fit the style:

• California Walnut: a dark walnut brown with a straight grain. A Premium finish, so it costs more, and the builder shows how much.
• Vienna Coffee: a deep espresso brown, the darkest of the four. Also a Premium finish.
• Straight Noce: a medium warm brown with a straight grain. A standard finish, and to our eye the closest standard choice to walnut.
• Carmelo Mist: a warm honey brown with a figured grain. A standard finish with a lighter, more golden look than the two walnut tones.

One name to read with care: Portico Teak is a gray-brown, not the orange-brown many people picture when they hear teak. If you want the warm teak look, Carmelo Mist is closer. Our laminate colors page shows every finish large, and our walnut post looks at California Walnut up close and at what goes with it.

Then let the legs contrast with the top. Black or a soft color under a walnut-look top makes the top read as a slab resting on a light frame, which is the effect you are after.

Which shape looks mid-century?

Curves. Three shapes in the builder give you the soft outline, and our conference table shapes guide compares them all:

• Racetrack. Straight sides with fully rounded ends, like a running track seen from above. It is the closest shape in the builder to an oval, and we think the easiest way to get the mid-century look.
• Boat shape. Wider in the middle and narrower at both ends. It softens a long table and gives people on your own side an easier view of each other.
• Round. One soft circle for a small meeting room or an office corner.

To our eye, square corners pull the table back toward a plain office look. If your room needs a rectangle, the builder offers rounded corners on rectangular and square tops, which keeps some of the softness.

For how long the table should be for your group, our conference table size guide and the room size calculator do the math for your room. The builder also shows an estimated seat count for every size as you choose it.

Which legs give the mid-century look?

We think the legs matter more than anything else. Thick panels or boxy pedestals hide the floor and make a table look heavy. Slim legs that angle out are the signature of the style. The builder has three good choices:

• Angled corner legs. One slim metal leg at each corner, set at an angle so it leans out from under the top. To our eye this is the most mid-century base in the builder. It fits racetrack, boat, bow-end, rectangular, round and square tops up to 8 ft long and 30 to 48 inches deep. It comes in four standard colors, Midnight (near black), Asphalt (dark gray), Heather Grey and Fresh Snow (white), plus eight bolder colors that cost more, such as Blood Orange, Lemon Yellow and Hunter (a deep green).
• Metal A-frame legs. Two slim legs at each support, angled into an A. They carry long tables from 6 to 20 ft, so they are the choice for a big boardroom. Silver is standard. Black and white cost more, and the builder shows the difference as you click.
• A single disc base, for a round table. One slim column standing on a round metal disc. It suits a round top from 30 to 48 inches across and keeps the floor clear around the table. A larger round, up to 60 inches, stands on other bases in the builder.

What edge makes the top look thin?

Mid-century tables look light partly because the top looks thin. The standard top in the builder is 1-1/8 inches thick, and that is the one to pick here, or the 1 inch top that comes with the exposed plywood edge, rather than the thicker 1-7/8 inch top. Two edges go further. Both need an HPL top (a thicker, harder laminate than the standard TFL), so choose HPL before you choose the edge:

• Knife edge. The edge is beveled to a thin PVC-banded lip, so from a seat the table reads as a thin line.
• Exposed plywood edge. A 1 inch top with the plywood core left showing at the edge and clear-finished. You see thin layers all the way around, a detail that suits the style.

You can also add a 1/2 inch reveal, a small shadow gap between the top and the base. It makes the top seem to hover over the legs. The reveal is an option on the Options and power step.

Three mid-century builds to start from

Each link below opens the builder with the table already set up. Change the size, the finish or the leg color, and the price updates as you go. Our guide to designing a custom conference table walks through every step of the builder.

To our eye the 8 ft racetrack is the classic. A dark walnut-look top with rounded ends on dark angled legs is the simplest version of the look. The builder estimates it seats 8 with laptop room. To take it further, switch the top to HPL with the knife edge on the Size and construction step, and add the 1/2 inch reveal on the Options and power step.

The 12 ft boat shape is the boardroom version. The boat outline keeps a long table from looking heavy, the plywood edge adds the layered detail, and the A-frame legs carry the length. A 12 ft top arrives in two pieces that join underneath with connector hardware.

The 48 inch round is for a small meeting room or an office corner. One stem on a round disc leaves room for knees and chairs all the way around.

Worth knowing: the angled corner legs stop at 8 ft. For a longer table you move to A-frame legs, which are slim but do not lean out at the corners the same way. And every build here has metal legs, so plan on the longer lead time: “Made to order. Ships in 2 to 3 weeks (tables with metal legs can take around 4 weeks).”

Questions about mid-century conference tables, answered

Can I get an oval conference table?

The builder does not make a true oval, but the racetrack is the closest shape: straight sides with fully rounded ends. A boat shape is the other soft option, wider in the middle and narrower at the ends. Both come in lengths from 6 to 20 ft.

What legs look mid-century on a conference table?

Slim legs that angle out from under the top: in the builder, the angled corner legs on tables up to 8 ft. On a longer table, slim metal A-frame legs keep the base light, though they do not lean out at the corners. For a round table, a single slim column on a round disc keeps the look light.

Can the table legs be a color?

Yes, on the angled corner legs. Beyond the four standard colors (near black, dark gray, light gray and white), eight bolder colors such as Blood Orange and Lemon Yellow cost more. A colored leg under a walnut-look top is a strong accent, so keep the rest of the room calm. The A-frame legs come in silver, and black or white cost more.

What finish looks like walnut?

California Walnut, a dark walnut brown with a straight grain, is the closest. It is a Premium finish. Straight Noce, a medium warm brown, is the standard-price alternative. Our walnut post shows California Walnut up close.

Do the tables come with chairs?

No. We sell the table only. Mid-century style chairs with molded seats or slim metal legs pair well with any of the builds above.

How long does a mid-century conference table take?

Made to order. Ships in 2 to 3 weeks (tables with metal legs can take around 4 weeks). Every leg style in this post is metal, so plan on the longer of the two. Our shipping page explains freight and inside delivery.

Written by Jeremy M., who built OfficeSimpli's Build Your Own Conference Table, and checked against the live builder.