How to pick the perfect Coffee Table

Picking a Coffee Table sounds simple enough, it’s just a Coffee Table right? Yes, that’s true, but surely you want something that’s just perfect, a real head turner that grabs people’s attention when they walk into the room?

Not only that, you need something that complements your existing furniture and something that allows you to showcase unique and interesting ornaments and other decorative items. Something that can serve as a temporary desk, or even a craft table. Oh and let’s not forget, somewhere handy to place your coffee.

The coffee table needs to be the right size and proportion for its residing place. Too big and there won’t be enough space to walk around it without bumping into things and it would just look silly. Too small and it will end up looking underwhelming. It won’t have the wow factor and won’t provide the practicality it was designed for.

Measure the floor space in the living room, taking note of how big the gap would be between any sofas and chairs. Choose something that takes up just the right amount of floor space and isn’t too far away from the sofa so that you can’t just reach over to place your drinks.

Make sure the height is just right too. Anything that is too tall will dominate the space and won’t be comfortable or practical enough to put your feet upon. Make sure that it’s roughly the same height as the seat cushions on the sofa or chair it will be situated near.

Further to the above, ensure that the coffee table is no more than two thirds of the total length of your sofa. This is just another tip to ensure that the proportions are just right.

Available in square, rectangular and round. Rectangular works best in most cases, they can work particularly well in small rooms, as the narrow edges allow some room between itself and any sofas or chairs.

This shape works well because it fits in with the shape of most everyday furniture such as sofas and chairs with long straight edges.

Upholstered coffee tables are ideal in homes where there are children and pets running around. This basically means there are no sharp corners for them to bump into. This shape is ideal in homes where space is at a premium.

If you want to create the illusion of extra space then opt for one with a glass top. This allows you to see the floor space underneath and the more floor space that is visible, the bigger the room appears. However, these might take more cleaning because of finger marks and dust etc. 

Depending on what use you have in mind depends on the level of functionality it requires. Most of them feature a flat surface support on a base that is fairly robust. Others have additional features that may be required by different users.

If you live in a house that is fairly busy and cluttered, then opting for something with storage such as perhaps a ottoman which can be used as a coffee table.

This not only serves as a coffee table for somewhere to place coffee and cocktails, it provides somewhere comfy for extra seating and a landing spot for tired feet. A lift up lid attached with hinges creates the perfect hiding spot for game controllers, TV Remotes, magazines and any other items that would otherwise be sprawled across the room.

Another option would be to choose one that has additional shelves or drawers built in. This allows quick access to small handy items that need to be kept close by. Some coffee tables even feature “nesting” whereby smaller separate tables are placed underneath and can be pulled out and used separately in different spots around the room.