The Coffee Table Size Guide: How to Pick the Right Coffee Table
Referred to by designer Kristina Phillips as the “workhorse of a room,” coffee tables are everything from a place to put your feet up to a much-needed, lazy spot to eat a meal— and everything in between. Heck, there’s even a book genre dedicated to this beloved piece of furniture.
Key Things to Consider When Choosing a Coffee Table
Placement
While shopping for a new coffee table, knowing where in your home you’ll be placing it is helpful. 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 roughly two-thirds of your sofa's length, which will accommodate comfortable reach from all seats. After all, no one likes 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, ensuring enough space for people to get in and out quickly is also crucial. Leduc recommends keeping between 16 and 18 inches of space between the table and sofa to let friends and family walk around comfortably without creating too much space between the couch and table.
Size
As out-of-proportion tables are a common mistake designers see, make coffee table size a priority while selecting your new piece.
Kathy Kuo recommends first measuring your space and the seat arrangement surrounding 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 a standard 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 height, length, and width, it’s time to consider the home decor motif of your family room and which coffee table design details best complement it.
Function
After considering placement and the right 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 searching for a kid-friendly table that lacks sharp edges or 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 tables will give you some idea of the features available. If you see something you like, add it to your list of criteria!
Cost
Last but certainly not least, consider your budget. When shopping for any other furniture piece, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the variety. Knowing the amount 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 more manageable.
While coffee tables can cost from a few hundred dollars to thousands, depending on material, size, brand, and quality, there are ways to accommodate any budget. Getting specific about how much you want will make your search more accessible from the start.
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 will 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, traditional coffee tables are often low to the ground and stand on four legs.
- Storage: Coffee tables with storage options provide a little extra space to stash your stuff, whether it’s pull-out drawers on the side of the table or a surface that opens to reveal hidden cavities.
- Lift Top: The lift-top coffee table has garnered much attention in the work-from-home era. These tables are usually sturdy, rectangular, and constructed from wood, with a top that lifts to become a workspace. As a bonus, these tables are known to offer storage space under the surface– perfect for those needing 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 and an opportunity to add elements such as color or texture through the 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 coffee table shape for your space, consider the furniture that will surround the table. According to Doreen Amico-Sorell, an L-shaped or U-shaped sectional works well paired with a round table. “Conversely, a rectangular coffee table is preferred for a sofa because of the complementary geometry,” says Amico-Sorell.
Heather Mastrangeli agrees and suggests selecting a coffee table after other seating in the room so you can see what you’re working with. “The furniture arrangement should dictate the table shape,” Mastrangeli says. “If you have a sectional sofa with a chaise, a round coffee table is a great option that makes it easier to walk around it. But standard sofas pair nicely with coffee tables that feature a square or rectangular shape.
Consider Who Will be Using the Space
While shopping for your coffee table, consider who, what, and how it will be used. Does it need to be kid-friendly? Ideal for entertaining a large group? Or will you be placing food and drinks on it?
These questions often provide valuable insights into the durability and safety of the products, along with their materials, shape and size.
Which Materials are Right for Your Room
Functionality is important to keep in mind when making decisions regarding materials. For example, as parents of small children already know, avoiding tables with glass tops will prevent the future frustration that comes with cleaning smudges from the surface.
Kristina Phillips recommends factoring in usage before anything else. “If you’re primarily using the table to rest your feet, consider an upholstered coffee table,” Phillips says. “But a solid surface will serve your needs better if you plan to display books, board games, or decorative trays for loose items (think: remote controls or coasters).”
The coffee table material also depends on what style you’re looking for. If the rest of your furniture follows the mid-century aesthetic, you’ll likely want a mid-century coffee table. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a table that will match the industrial vibe you love, consider a metal table. The same goes for contemporary materials such as tile, glass, wicker, or lucite.
For those with dark sofas or chairs, Phillips recommends opting for a lighter or even transparent table to avoid having too many bulky-looking pieces in a space.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Picking a Coffee Table
Measure first
As with any larger piece of furniture, it’s always risky to buy without taking measurements first—especially if you’re working with a smaller space. Remember, measuring tape is your friend, and the minute it takes to measure your space will likely save you time (and frustration!).
Many people create an outline with masking tape before purchasing a coffee table to see how it will fit in their living space. This makes it easier to visualize how the piece will work with the seating they already have. Trust us, there’s nothing worse than bumping your shin on a table that’s too large for your space.
Prioritize proportion
A common mistake when choosing a coffee table is using incorrect proportions. Melissa Read says that creating a balance is vital, as she’s “seen coffee tables that are either too small, which can only accommodate half the seating configuration or pieces that are far too dominating and heavy looking in a space.”
While sticking to your budget is important, Read advises those working with smaller budgets to pay close attention to the height of the table. “More often than not, inexpensive coffee tables are extremely low, creating an unbalanced look,” says Read.
Choose materials carefully
While it may be easy to choose a coffee table you love and be done with it, it may not fit in stylistically with the rest of your furniture. While shopping for a good coffee table, choose a material that matches the vibe of your space. For example, if your living room is filled with classic leather sofas, throwing a contemporary wavy coffee table into the mix may not be the right opportunity.
There’s much more material than the traditional wood coffee table. Adding a wooden table might be too much if you already have hardwood floors or other wood furniture. Consider different materials like marble or concrete to add light colors to the space.
Meet the experts
At Living Cozy, we produce content alongside interior design and home decor experts. In this guide, you’ll find advice from:
- Michelle Leduc, Co-Owner and Design Consultant at Decorating Den Interiors - LEDUC DESIGNS
- Kathy Kuo, Founder and CEO of Kathy Kuo Home
- Doreen Amico-Sorell, Founder of Sorell Interiors
- Heather Mastrangeli, Founder of Innovatus Design
- Melissa Read, Founder of Studio Burntwood
- Kristina Phillips, Founder of Kristina Phillips Interior Design
