The Eames DTW coffee table was released in 1950 and was an extension of the range of the Dining (D) Table (T) with Wood (W) base tables. This in itself was an anomaly in the abbreviation coding as the table was clearly not a dining table, but it retained the DTW acronym as the more logical CTW, OTW or even CTM were already being used for other models. There was only one square size and the official model number was the DTW-50.
The first DTW dining table (DTW-1 and DTW-2) was originally released in 1946 with a tapered leg also made from plywood. When Herman Miller took over the production of the tables in 1950, they changed the design of the table to have rounded de-mountable legs and a top as already used on the DTM. The Eames DTW coffee table was part of that new re-work and they lasted, along with its sister dining table (DTW-3 and DTW-4) until they were discontinued in 1957.
All Herman Miller catalogs between 1950 and 1955 offer the DTW-50 only with a white Micarta laminated top, yet natural veneer versions are known to exist. The reason is most likely because the tops are the exact same ones used on the square DTM and DTW dining versions therefore the possibility of custom order was quite likely.
The plywood furniture range that started in earnest in 1946 produced a number of coffee tables. The CTW and CTM were circular, the OTW was rectangular (or oblong) and the Eames DTW-50 was the only square one made.
| Height | 15" | 38.10 cm |
| Length | 34" | 86.36 cm |
| Width | 34" | 86.36 cm |
| Top | 5 layers of Birch core plywood veneer |
| Finish | Micarta laminated plastic in white, or Walnut & Birch veneer |
| Base | Natural or black painted birch |
The edge of the DTW-50, like all the plywood furniture, featured 5 layers of plywood in the build composition
The DTW-50 shown with a natural Walnut veneer top and Birch legs
The DTW-50 was half the height of dining tables such as the DTM, as seen on this 1952 image
The legs of all the DTW range were de-mountable and the model number was often scrawled on the underside of the table top
A Snipped from the 1952 Herman Miller catalog depicting the specifications of the DTW-50