EVERYTHING you need to know about choosing the best coffee table for your home. Lots of info, ideas, and inspiration. And coffee table sources too.
Let’s talk about choosing the best coffee table for your home! A coffee table plays a very important role in a living room or family room! It’s a workhorse! Today we are chatting about what to look for in a coffee table and some great coffee table sources!
This post contains affiliate links. That means when you click on some of the links in this post and you make a purchase I earn a small commission at no cost to you. All my opinions are my own.
A COFFEE TABLE STORY
I have a history with coffee tables. I am very very finicky! The impetuous for this post is my on and off relationship with the coffee tables that come and go in my living room!
Since we moved into the Tanglewood House I’ve had a problem with the coffee table we brought from StoneGable for our great room. I knew right away that the coffee table was too big for the space.
But I loved that coffee table! And it was quite expensive! So I really tried to convince myself it worked.
When I got our current great room rug the coffee table wood looked terrible with it. So then I started to hunt for a new coffee table.
Three coffee tables later I found the right one for the great room!
So let’s chat about how to choose the best coffee table for your home too!
A coffee table is a piece of furniture that can change the look of a room! So choosing the best coffee table is a must!
Here are some things to think about when considering the right coffee table for your home…
BEST COFFEE TABLES ARE FUNCTIONAL
As a decorator, I love pretty things! And everything I put in our home must add to its beauty! But I also am concerned with how anything I choose for our home will add comfort and be useful!
So the first thing to think about before even looking for a coffee table is what is its purpose in a room.
Here are some questions to ask yourself…
- will the coffee table get a lot of use
- is it mostly decorative
- are you going to put drinks and food on the coffee table
- will people put their feet up on the coffee table
- is it going to be decorated with things like a vignette, or books or candles
- do I need storage
- are there any specific size or other concerns
When considering a new coffee table think about how you will use it!
Answering these questions will help you choose a coffee table that is perfect for you and your family.
WHAT ARE STANDARD COFFEE TABLE SIZES I SHOULD KEEP IN MIND
Not all coffee tables are the same size and not everyone is looking for a standard size coffee table. But knowing some standard measurements for a coffee table is very helpful!
Here are some tried and true measurements to keep in mind when choosing the best coffee table for your room.
- Most standard coffee tables are 16-18 inches high and most sofa cushions are 17 to 19 inches high. For ease of use keep the height of a coffee table just a bit lower than your sofa cushion.
- For a balanced look, a coffee table should be about two-thirds as long as the sofa next to it. A longer table will overwhelm the space and a shorter one will be noticeable.
- For ease of movement, a coffee table should be placed 14-18 inches from a sofa. It’s easy enough to grab a cup of coffee but far enough away to have legroom when you sit down.
A coffee table should fit well into the space in front of a sofa and not crowd a room. It also needs to be proportional to the other furniture around it!
Choose a coffee table with these proportions in mind and your table will fit comfortably and be functional in most living rooms, great rooms, or sunrooms.
STYLE AND DECOR OPTIONS
Style is a very big consideration when choosing a coffee table! There are so so so many styles to choose from.
A coffee table can update an entire room!
COFFEE TABLE SHAPES
There are five main coffee table shapes. Rectangle, oval, round, and asymmetrical.
Let’s look at the advantages of all four…
Rectangle
The most common shape for a coffee table is a rectangle. It is a great choice for smaller spaces. And it mimics the shape of a sofa.
Square
A square table makes a big impression! Best used in a big room! This coffee table has lots of space for big decor!
Round
A round coffee table will work nicely in a larger room with larger furniture like a sectional. And it is kid-friendly as it has no sharp corners.
Any other type of round shape like an octagon fits into the round category.
Oval
An oval coffee table is a combination of rectangle and round. Its tapered ends work great when space is tight and also has no sharp ends.
Asymmetrical
An asymmetrical coffee table is one whose shape does not fit into the rectangle, square, round, and oval category.
Think about mid-century modern shapes like a kidney bean, a banana leaf, or biomorphic shapes.
COFFEE TABLE MATERIALS TO CONSIDER
When thinking about the best coffee table for you, think about the many different materials they are made of.
This is a function and style process! You will want to choose a coffee table material that works with your needs and the style of your home.
Often coffee tables are a mix of materials making them more versatile and interesting!
Here are the most common types of coffee table materials.
- wood
- metal
- glass
- marble
- concrete
- man-made materials
- upholstery fabric
- leather, real or faux
- weathered wood
Also, think about the finish you might want a coffee table. Here’s a rule of thumb…
The more textural a table is (like rougher wood) the more relaxed the style. And the more smooth the texture is (like glass) the more formal.
Something else to consider when choosing the perfect coffee table for your home is the color of the wood. Are you looking for a coffee table that is wood stained? Or weathered? Or painted?
Do you like an upholstered table with fabric that is durable so you can sit on it or put your feet up?
Wow! There really is so much to consider when choosing the perfect coffee table, right?
THINK ABOUT THE PRICE POINT…
Consider how much you are willing to spend on a piece of furniture and how long you are willing to keep it!
This is so important.
And think about durability! A coffee table in a family room will get a lot more use than a coffee table in a living room.
CHOOSE WHAT YOU LOVE
After you consider the function and style of a coffee table, here’s the bottom line…
Always, always, always furnish your home with things you LOVE! And that includes coffee tables!
What do you think? Would a little fun table freshen up your room?
Here are some pretty, practical and so stylish coffee tables I love and you might too!
Here are some coffee tables you might like…
You might like to read this decorating posts…
HOW TO REDECORATE A ROOM STEP-BY-STEP
HOW TO USE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DECORATE YOUR HOME
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR CHOOSING THE PERFECT WHITE PAINT
Thank you for this post and the links to so many options! I have been looking for a new coffee table for myself and my daughters home and this helps so much!!
Yay! You are so welcome!
Perfect timing .
Your coffee table information is the best. I tend to over think and so purchasing a coffee table with your information has helped simplify my choices.
You cannot believe how helpful you have been.
Thanks so much and enjoy a lovely Easter.
Vicki
So glad this post was helpful, Vicki! Happy Easter to you too!
I was sad when I first started reading your article because I adored your old coffee table. However I should have known better everything you do is beautiful and your new coffee table is stunning. I recently replaced my coffee table because the other one my husband purchased and it was way too big for the space. I too was very picky I knew what I wanted and found the perfect table at a consignment shop. What a difference it made in the room the scale is so much better and the fact that it has drawers and a shelf on the bottom makes it highly useful.
I loved that coffee table too. I have not gotten rid of it and may reprise it someday.
Thanks so much for all the info. I also think it would have been very helpful if you had included all the previous tables you had tried and why they didn’t work and specifically why this one did.
Hi Vathy, I did.
Oh, I much prefer this table to the other. It seemed too rustic for the new space. Glass tables take less visual space, as well. đź‘Ź
Thanks!
I love your new metal and glass table! Where did you get it? Please share! Happy Easter!
Here it is Laurie:https://rstyle.me/+-mLFesVil5b0FyerlW073Q
Hi Laurie, You can find my glass table here:https://rstyle.me/+-mLFesVil5b0FyerlW073Q
This is super helpful. We live in a 400 year old lovely brick house in England (we are Americans stationed here overseas) and as soon as I saw the picture above with the green couch and the red/teal rug and round table – I was like “that’s what I want”….it’s modern looking yet would fit the “bones” of this house. Do you have the links available to those three piece or either the picture source?
Thank you so much! Love your blog 🙂 Cindy
I’m thrilled you are finding what you like and need Cindy. I don’t have a source but check Wayfair.