Draenert Adler

Light, sound and 180 million-year-old fossils are just some of the adventurous concepts furniture maker and designer Peter Draenert played with across his career. He creatively expanded the definition of a table beyond form and function, while including many different materials, ranging from marble and glass to granite, wood and travertine. 

In 1968, Draenert and his wife Karin started the Draenert Company in Friedrichshafen, Germany. During the 1970s, the company made tables from oil slate with help from the state and research teams in Holzmaden, Germany. Using other materials like steel and natural stone, Draenert emphasized the artistic qualities of his furniture while adding functional aspects like drawers and hidden compartments. 

Each of his dining tables included easy-to-use extensions, while his coffee tables featured a swivel plate or multiple levels for extra storage and display. In the 2000s, he experimented with light. Some of his tables doubled as alternative light sources, while others, like those made with German artist Walter Giers, used changing lights and patterns.

While best remembered for his tables, a range of furniture manufactured by his company has been collected by museums, including an armchair at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and a cabinet at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Peter Draenert seating and tables.

Antique and vintage dining room tables have long been the anchor of the home's most social room. The round pedestal and long banquet forms most collected today trace back to the 18th and 19th centuries, when the dining room itself first came into fashion.

Styles to Know

Round and oval tables suit smaller or open-plan rooms, while rectangular pedestal and trestle tables remain the standard for larger, more formal spaces. A credenza adds extra serving storage nearby, and a vintage wall mirror overhead opens up the room. For layout ideas, browse 20 dining rooms arranged for entertaining.

How to Choose the Right Vintage Dining Table

A dining table is usually the largest piece in the room, which makes delivery details worth confirming: White Glove service, disassembly options, and the table's full length, leaves included, measured against the space you have. Every table comes from a vetted 1stDibs seller, with era, designer and condition detailed, backed by the 1stDibs Promise.