Key Things to Consider When Choosing a Coffee Table
Placement
While shopping for a coffee table, it’s helpful to know where in your home you’ll be placing it. Placement affects factors such as size, scale, and to some degree, style.
For Michelle Leduc, the key to placing a coffee table is to use the rest of your living room furniture as a guideline. She says, “a good rule of thumb is to center [the coffee table] with the largest seating pieces, usually the sofa.” Leduc recommends choosing a table that is roughly two-thirds of the length of your sofa, which will accommodate comfortable reach from all seats. After all, no one likes to have to get up to pick up and put down their glass of wine!
However, while placing the coffee table close enough to your sofa is important, making sure there’s enough space for people to easily get in and out is also key. Leduc recommends keeping between 16 and 18 inches of space between the table and sofa to let friends and family walk around comfortably, while not creating too much space between sofa and table.
Size
As out-of-proportion tables are a common mistake seen by designers, make coffee table size a priority while selecting your new piece.
Kathy Kuo recommends first taking measurements of your space and of the seating options that will surround the coffee table, as “you want to be sure the height of the table works well with your sofa and armchairs.”
Michelle Leduc agrees, and recommends that the your coffee table height should be between one and two inches higher or lower than your sofa cushions and the furniture it serves to make it play well with the rest of the room.
Once you’ve determined size, it’s time to start thinking about the home decor motif of your family room, and consider which coffee table design details complement it best.
Function
After considering placement and size, it’s time for the fun part (design), right? Not quite. Before getting to design, Michelle Leduc suggests prioritizing function, as “although design is important, the perfect coffee table for you needs to work with your lifestyle.”
“Although design is important, the perfect coffee table for you needs to work with your lifestyle.”
Whether you’re in search of a kid-friendly table that lacks sharp edges or one that provides extra storage, coffee tables are available in countless configurations to meet needs you might not even know you have. Scrolling through the latest styles of table will give you some idea of features available. If you see something you like, add it to your list of criteria!
Cost
Last, but certainly not least, consider your budget. Just like when you’re shopping for any other furniture piece, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by variety. Knowing the amount that you’re willing and able to spend on a coffee table will weed out the pieces that won’t work for you, making the selection a bit more manageable.
While coffee tables can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands based on material, size, brand, and quality, there are ways to accommodate any budget. Getting specific on how spendy you’re looking to get will make your search much easier from the getgo.
How to Choose the Right Style and Shape of Coffee Table
Once you’ve determined your needs regarding size, function, and cost, it’s time to get to the fun part– style. According to Kathy Kuo, “there are no hard and fast rules about shape and style.” Kuo recommends trusting your instincts about what is going to look best with your existing living room furniture, as “the ultimate goal is for you to love the table you choose.”
We put together the below list for more information on the most common types of coffee tables available.
- Traditional: Usually rectangular in shape, traditional coffee tables are often low to the ground and stand on four legs.
- Storage: Whether it’s pull-out drawers on the side of the table, or a surface that opens to reveal hidden cavities, storage coffee tables provide a little extra space to stash your stuff.
- Lift Top: In the work from home era, the lift top coffee table has garnered a lot of attention. These tables are usually sturdy, rectangular, and constructed from wood, with a top that lifts up to become a workspace. As a bonus, these tables are known to offer storage under the surface– perfect for those in need of extra space.
- Nesting: Two smaller tables– one that slides under the other– are called nesting coffee tables. With their differing heights, nesting tables are often a focal point in the room while serving as a practical way for multiple people to put up their books, drinks, or feet in a small space.
- Ottoman: Ottoman coffee tables provide extra surface area for those looking to put their feet up– as well as an opportunity to add elements such as color or texture through fabric.
- Round: Round coffee tables are available in a variety of materials and configurations, and are favored by parents due to their absence of sharp corners.
Think About the Rest of the Room
When deciding on the shape of the right coffee table for your space, consider the furniture that will surround the table. According to Doreen Amico-Sorell, an L-shaped sectional or a U-shaped sectional does well paired with a round table. “Conversely, for a sofa, a rectangular coffee table is preferred because of the complementary geometry,” says Amico-Sorell.
Heather Mastrangeli agrees, and suggests selecting a coffee table after other seating in the room so that you can see what you’re working with. “The table shape should be dictated by the furniture arrangement,” Mastrangeli says. “If you have a sectional sofa with chaise, a round coffee table will make it easier to walk around it. But standard sofas lend themselves well to rectangular or square coffee tables.”
Consider Who Will be Using the Space
While shopping for your coffee table, think about who, what, and how the table will be used. Does the table need to be kid-friendly? Ideal for entertaining a large group? Or, will you be placing food and drinks on the table?
The above questions usually provide answers when considering style, shape, and material.