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Contemporary TV Tables are Trending—And Even Designers Are On-Board with This Retro Resurgence

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We’ve all learned flexibility during extended stay-at-home periods, finding new ways to give family members their own space to work, study and eat a healthy meal. Which might explain why searches for “TV tables” and “TV dinner tables” are up 110 percent on Google Trends.

Mikayla Keating, a Boise-based designer at Decorist, has a few ideas why collapsible TV trays are seeing a resurgence. “People working from home are trying to find creative ways to quickly set up a laptop work area,” she tells us. “I’ve seen people using them as mini-desks in their apartments, or next to their sofa, right there in the living room.”

Los Angeles designer Lindsay Pennington notes that the trend might even be alluring to Gen-Z: “Kids at home are used to changing classrooms frequently, and periodically need a new environment to stay stimulated and motivated.” And while TV trays are being tasked with supporting working, studying and crafting, let’s not forget these little tables’ perfect design that gave them their name: eating dinner in front of the TV. “People can't go out to eat or to the movies, and so they’re trying out different locations in their home so mealtime isn't so monotonous,” Pennington says. Here, shop seven of our favorite TV tables.

12 Random But Useful Items That Will Spruce Up Your Home Office


tv tables c table
Overstock

1. soho C Table With Charging Station In Espresso

The C-Table is the ideal option for modern décor enthusiasts. And this one manages to warm up those severe right angles with a warm veneer and extra functionality—two power ports, two USB ports and a four-foot long cord.

tv trays danish modern
Finnish Design Shop

2. normann Copenhagen Block Table Trolley, White

The versatility of this Scandi design beauty is off the charts, since the wheels make it handy for transferring an entire morning’s worth of craft supplies into another room, or a table full of snacks from the kitchen to the family room for TV time. If adults want to use it as a bar cart when cocktail hour calls, that works, too.

tv trays wide1
Wayfair

3. inbox Zero Household Tray Table

Perhaps you need more than the traditional single-serving TV tray table? Womanspread your laptop, papers, plates of snacks and more with this number, which is more than 30 inches wide and features a table top that folds down, so it fits nearly flat against a wall.

tv trays white top
Amazon

4. zoopolyn Bamboo Laptop Tray Table

The L-shaped design and white laminate top looks like an expensive imported design piece, but comes in at a fraction of the price. We like how the straightforward lines pair well with children’s furnishings in addition to sophisticated, mid-century flourishes.

tv table cement
Wayfair

5. edgecliff Couch C Tray Table

The cement-look laminate is anti-scratch, which is handy because no one wants to be too dainty when you’re putting down the remote control.

tv tables fording wood
Bed, Bath & Beyond

6. single Stand Snack Table In Neutral

Keating recommends this affordable version for its slim profile and go-with-anything styling. And since it folds, you can pop it in a closet or under the couch when your workday (or your dinner) is over.

tv tables hipster cabin
Amazon

7. hoobro Tv Trays, Set Of 4 Tv Tables With Storage Rack

We appreciate the rustic-modern wood grain look of this set of tables. Not to mention, the slender frame and the silicone coating on the bottom of the legs for stability and to protect floors.


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dana dickey

Senior Editor

  • Writes about fashion, wellness, relationships and travel
  • Oversees all LA/California content and is the go-to source for where to eat, stay and unwind on the west coast
  • Studied journalism at the University of Florida