The Essential Coffee Table Guide
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Living
The Essential Coffee Table Guide
September 9, 2022
Whether you’re curating a grander space destined for entertaining, a cozier room with family nights in mind, or something perfectly in between, there’s one element that every version of a living room is incomplete without: the coffee table. Often simple in form, its function cannot be understated, making the task of finding one perfectly suited to your interior a daunting one at that. From finding the right coffee table height to choosing the correct coffee table books, there are plenty of queries to fill a list. To assuage some, if not all, of the stress of the search, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to discovering the coffee table that’s destined for you—plus essential coffee table décor ideas and styling tips to get you inspired.
The Essential Coffee Table Guide
Let Your Lifestyle Guide The Way
The first rule of any design decision comes down to one element: your lifestyle. The living room is the focal point of any home, making the coffee table so much more than a simple piece of furniture.
When deciding which coffee table is right for you, it’s important to consider how you aim to use the space and the way in which you live. Do you want a tabletop to put your feet up on or a simple space to place a glass of wine? To display your favorite books? Or perhaps you’re keen on playing games with friends? Do you need a piece suitable for kids?
Choose with every factor of living in mind and let your decorative choice follow suit.
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Consider Material and Scale
Regardless of where you are in your design journey, choosing a coffee table that fits within the look and feel of your room is key—and more times than not, this comes down to material and weight.
Let’s start with weight: you don’t want a coffee table with a weighty look to sit alongside a sofa that features the same sensibility. If your sofa and chairs have a leggy look, opt for a coffee table that brings some bulk.
For material, you again want to consider how you live. Wood coffee tables are equally timeless and versatile, but opt for a dynamic variety like white oak or walnut if you’re prone to a spill or two. For outdoor furniture, teak is your best bet for durability and ease.
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Mind the Gap
Our coffee table guide wouldn’t be complete without a mention of scale and shape. As a general rule of thumb, our designer experts suggest choosing a coffee table that’s around two-thirds the length of your sofa and one that sits between 12-16 inches away from your sofa.
What to do about the TV stand or fireplace, you ask? The safe number there is 24-30 inches. Lastly, you want to ensure the coffee table isn’t lower than 3 inches below or 1 inch above the seat.
With height and length accounted for, then comes the shape. Whether it’s a round Bay Coffee Table, a square Sur Coffee Table, or a rectangle Malibu Coffee Table, the shape you choose is usually ruled by the measurements of your space (see above—and grab a tape measure, too).
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Photos by Angi Welsch Michael Clifford and Nicki Sebastian