What is the purpose of a coffee table?

I have been redecorating my apartment and I have been trying to find a coffee table. I found a really interesting one on craigslist. It is an apothecary table with many drawers on both sides...very big. It got me to wondering, how did coffee tables originate and what exactly is the purpose of them? To put coffee on? Most of the time they end of collecting junk, but they do look nice in living rooms.What is the purpose of a coffee table?
Somewhere to put your feet up after a long day....



a place to put your cup so your dog doesnt knock it over...



a place to put books etc...



As far as where they originated? Im not sure but i believe it was about the round of the early-mid 1900's... I have a coffee table that use to be a kitchen table from the 1800's, i was told that coffee tables were non existent back then and that they cut the legs of the kitchen table to convert the new wave of the coffee table..What is the purpose of a coffee table?
The late Victorian Era is where the term ';coffee table'; was first used. And today's coffee tables are incredibly functional (i.e. not just for collecting junk).



http://www.perfect-coffee-tabl鈥?/a>

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They started out as cocktail tables, the days when folks had cocktail parties. Needed places to put all those glasses!
I have NO historical proof to support my theory, but I believe they probably originated in England with tea times. They had tea rooms, with those giant trays of tea, so they probably just came here and were named coffee tables since American's are more into coffee than tea.
For entertaining - a surface to set drinks, snacks and tea on.

We don't use them, we just have end tables. I don't like the living room obstructed by large tables.
I'm not sure where it originated from but your table sounds absolutely charming.