We were noticing that this was a post that a lot of people have been looking at recently so we thought let’s just put it up at the top of the blog again! Picking out a coffee table is something that you think you just instinctually know how to do… until it’s time to find one. That’s why we made this post so you don’t have to guess what size, shape, or type you need to make the perfect sofa match. Enjoy this little republishing with updated shippable choices. xx
The coffee table. It is a great piece of furniture, but it is not always given the attention it deserves. The sofas are the stars of our living rooms, and they do keep us comfortable. The coffee table is the backbone of any living room. It’s where we keep our drinks, remotes, favorite tech devices, trinkets that are treasured, and even our take-out at the end. It occasionally doubles as a stool (which we’re not endorsing, for legal reasons, but we won’t deny having done on occasion), a desk, or a craft table. With such a big, diverse job, you’d surmise that it would be one of the first furniture pieces you thought about when moving into a new place and/or re-decorating… except it’s usually not.
How many hours do we put into choosing the perfect sofa, the perfect rug, the perfect chairs for our living room…only to throw in a hand-me-down coffee table that used to belong to Aunt Susan? (bless the girl’s heart). Okay, we don’t all go down the who-cares-about-a-coffee-table route. Plenty of you have definitely belabored the choice of a table, we’re sure, but regardless of what side of those scenarios you find yourself, you might need some guidance or inspiration in the coffee table shopping department. What size and form goes with what size and form of sofa? It might feel like a shot in the dark, but fear not, we’re here to help. We’ve put together a shopping guide with all the best coffee tables we could find—round, square, rectangular, oval!—and a few rules to keep in mind (with a diagram!) Choose a coffee-table that suits your style.
First up: rules. Here are some guidelines to help you create the perfect relationship between your sofa and coffee table: Minimum half the length of your sofa (but no more than roughly ⅔ the length) and should sit at about the same height as the seat, give or take 4 inches (i.e., if your sofa is 90-inches long and 20-inches tall, you should look for something, no matter the shape, that’s around 45 to 54 inches wide and 16 to 24 inches tall). If you have a sectional sofa with a chaise and the table will be placed within the L-shaped open space created by the shape of the sofa, the guideline of 1/2 to 2/3 should only apply to the length of your horizontal seat. Here’s a quick graphic to show you what we mean, as well as a breakdown of ideal shapes by sofa configuration:
For more living room-specific tips, see this post where we broke down tons of super helpful tips like how much space you need around a table, rug size rules, lighting guidelines and more.
Once you figure out the right size and shape, after that, it’s more about making the right design choice for your space. Rectangular and oval-shaped coffee tables can almost be interchanged, depending on what kind of flow you’re looking for—same goes with round and square. Let’s break it down a bit further (with the bonus of our favorite shopping picks):
If you have an extra-long couch with chaise or a standard-sized sofa, consider a rectangle (or oval, but we’ll talk more about this shape later) to allow everyone easy access to their favorite coffee, cocktail, and late-night snack. If you have a small space, this is a good option. If you’re a household with more remotes or tech cords than you can count, think about getting a table with some functional but still sleek drawers like #1, #4, #18, or #21. It’s hard to see in the photo, but the table at #2 has a shadow box top (that’s great for putting in your favorite curiosities and trinkets but still having plenty of surface area for you know…real life stuff. Oh, and if you regularly eat in front of your TV (whether by choice or because you don’t actually have a formal dining area), a lift-top coffee table is super useful for not having to hunch over your plate (#10 and #20).
1. Shaw Walnut Coffee Table | 2. Shadow Box Coffee Table | 3. Pedestal Wood Coffee Table | 4. Tvilum Diana Coffee Table | 5. Logan Industrial Coffee Table | 6. Marisol Coffee Table | 7. Mabel Coffee Table | 8. Grey and White Marble Coffee Table | 9. Savi Striped Inlay Coffee Table| 10. Naya Pop-Up Coffee Table | 11. Blake Raffia Coffee Table | 12. Corbyn Coffee Table | 13. Elemental Layers Coffee Table | 14. Turned Leg Wood Coffee Table | 15. Nordcasa Coffee Table | 16. 17.| 17. 18.| 18. Bios | 19. Leon Burl Wood Coffee Table | 20. Mid-Century Pop-Up Storage Coffee Table | 21. Rosamonde Coffee Table
If you have a large comfy sectional or the traditional conversational set up with a sofa and a couple of chairs (kind of like Ginny’s living room above), a square table is a great choice. The square table fits perfectly into the L-shaped nook in your sectional, or in the large space in the center of your conversation zone. What is the best thing about a square-shaped table? This is the best way to maximize your styling space. Who doesn’t love a well-styled coffee table vignette? For a fun play on shapes, we love the combination of the round base and square top of table #18 or #1. Similar to the shadow box table we talked about in the previous section, #2 from IKEA has a drawer with four sections, and the glass top lets you see all the pretty things you decide to store (definitely not the best option if you know you’ll just end up junking up that drawer with remotes and catalogs, though).
1. Square Flash Table | 2. Liatorp | 3. Profile Square Coffee Table | 4. Plywood Grid Cocktail Table | 5. Blake Rafia Square Coffee Table Indigo | 6. Vena | 7. Vaneri Wood Corner Table | 8. River Heights Square Wooden Coffee Table | 9. Streamline Square Coffee Table | 10. Rebar Coffee Table | 11. Gridiron Stainless Steel Coffee Table | 12. Chadwick Mid Century Square Coffee Table | 13. Cabot Square Coffee Table | 14. 15.| 15. Square Metal/Glass Open Shelf Cocktail Table | 16. Handmade Cube Low Square Coffee Table | 17. Lisabo | 18. Culver Square Table
Think about going round if you’re living in a smaller space. It’s also a good choice to pair with a sectional or sofa with chaise since it’s a good “nook” shape, i.e. it fits into a little nook of space nicely like in my (Arlyn’s) living room. A glass top, like the one in #9, is another great option if you are limited on space or if there is a lot of furniture in your room. This helps things appear more visually open—if you don’t see it, is it really even there? In a small space, storage is always welcomed. That’s why we love #10 and #11 for their hidden storage. They are perfect for storing hobby items, toys and more. The round coffee tables are also more playful (the blondes in the world of table?).So why not go for something more sculptural such as #4, #16, #20, or #21? But also look at those rattan stunners – #2, #7, and #15 (does this one ring a “trend bell”??)
1. 3.| 2. Rosie Coffee Table | 3. 4.| 4. 5.| 5. Shaker Coffee Table | 6. Spoke Marble Coffee Table 7.| 7. | 8. Cap Ivory Cement Coffee Table| 9. Round Glass And Metal Ilene Coffee Table | 10. 11.| 11. Burl Rotating coffee table | 12. Cala Hammered Coffee Tables | 13. BORGEBY | 14. Milking Table LAX Series | 15. Cyrus Natural Ribbed Rattan Round Coffee Table | 16. Betania Petite Coffee Table | 17. 18.| 18. 19.| 19. Annabel Mango Wood Coffee Round Table | 20. Anya Travertine Coffee Table | 21. Santoro White Quartz Table
If you have small children running around, oval is the best choice. Round is also good. If you live in a room that is heavily trafficked (do you need to cross it to access another room like the dining area or kitchen?A more sinuous form also helps to create a better visual flow. It gives a similar look to a rectangle, but softens up a modern or angular couch. The classic mixed marble and wood design (#1) is a favorite around here (check it out in Emily’s living room here). The thin legs are light and floaty. This balances the heavier wood in the bottom. Of course, the Platner table (#5) and the brass table from Brady’s living room (#7) are perfect if you love a modern design classic. However, if you’re into making a bit more of a statement, check out the table from West Elm at #11; it has a postmodern-inspired vibe that could add a serious cool factor to a simple, stripped-back living space.
1. 2.| 2. 3.| 3. Bordeaux Coffee Table | 4. Palais Ovale Coffee Table | 5. Platner Table Coffee | 6. Wood Coffee Table | 7. 8.| 8. KÅSEBERGA | 9. Mid-century Modern Coffee Tables | 10. Nova Oval Black Table | 11. 12.| 12. Olivia Storage Coffee Table | 13. Stockholm Oval Coffee Table| 14. 15.| 15. Clairemont Oval Ebonized Table
So…what else do you wish you had guidelines for? We’ve done a handful of posts with tons of rules by room, but how would you want us to drill down deeper? What is it that you find yourself struggling with every time you decorate and you would like to see some EHD-style how-tos? Please let us know what you think in the comments.
Since you’re already riding high on design guidelines, here are some more posts that might be helpful:
From the article: How to add style to a neutral living room| From: How to Add Style to a Neutral Living Room