A coffee table is a long, low table designed to go in front of a sofa for the purpose of providing a place to put a drink while sitting. They can make a design centrepiece or main focal point for your living room. A coffee table is also a useful piece of furniture as it provides a place to put your remote control, magazines, and drinks. When choosing a coffee table, it pays to consider what functions you want it to fulfill as well as how it will look in your room.
Often it seems with occasional furniture that we just fit it in around existing pieces, but to make sure the room flows well, it is best to start by taking measurements and working out what size table you are after. Work out which height and length will work well with your sofa and measure the distance between where the coffee table would be and the sofa to ensure there is enough room to walk. You should allow at least 45cm. Less than this will just cause frustration. A too big coffee table can make your room appear cluttered. If you can’t find just the right size, you could consider a pair of smaller tables.
You will have to establish a budget. Coffee tables can be inexpensive to high end designer prices, so work out how much of your decorating budget can go on one piece. This will depend on how much of a statement you want your table to make.
The next consideration is style. The options are virtually limitless in terms of style and shape at this point. Your choice might be something unique which expresses your personality or you may prefer something traditional and simple.
You also need to consider what your coffee table going to be used for. Is it going to be used for displaying decorative pieces? Do you prefer clear surfaces? Do you need it to provide storage in the form of shelves or drawers? Do you have children and pets to consider? If it is going to be in a high traffic area and is going to be used frequently, you need to consider sturdiness and whether it will be easy to keep clean. If it is ever going to be used for resting hot drinks on it, it is important to check there is no chance of it tipping. If it is for a more formal sitting room, design features may be more important. You may have a preference for materials, be it wood, glass, Lucite or metal. You may like to use an item such as a chest as a coffee table if it fits with your décor.
