How To Choose Different Types of Coffee Tables For Living Room

A coffee table is the heart of the living room. Even though it may be the landing spot for your magazines, remotes, phones, or other items, it remains the one spot where you can bring your personal style to life in terms of decorating your living room. Occasionally, you can add flowers, aesthetic trays, or other objects to make the table a center of interest.

Picking a table that matches your living room furniture can be daunting, especially if decorating a living space is not your interest. But the tips below will help you choose a table that complements your style.

Functionality

Before you decide on any table, make sure it complements your needs. Pick a coffee table that is practical and usable. If you constantly find yourself with items on the table like keys, and children's toys, consider a coffee table with a bit of storage space.

If your main priority is design and display, you can choose one with open shelving at the bottom. The shelving space will allow you to display your magazines, trinkets, or baskets.

The coffee table rim is also a determining factor for functionality. It will tell you whether you can use the table from any angle, whether the kids can access it, or whether it's off-limits for them. A higher table can mean you can't play games like drawing or puzzles with your young ones.

Size Of the Table

When choosing modern coffee table sets, your family size, the size of your living room, and the sofa pieces and chairs in the room will guide you in choosing the table size. If your living room is tiny, select a table that will not overcrowd the entire space, making movement around the living room hard. Choose a smaller piece that complements your furniture and takes up a smaller space.

But if you have a vast living room, it allows you to add a table or two without taking up so much space. Sometimes you may even be tempted to add a pair of ottomans alongside. If you add ottomans, make sure it's a pair, not just one, because a single one looks misplaced.

Shape

Gone are the days when every table had to have a rectangular shape. Nowadays, you can get a table in oval, round, square, or even customized shapes. Your choice of shape will depend on your personal preference. For example, a rectangular shape may be ideal for a mid-century modern house.

The shape should also be practical. Make sure it's in tandem with your sofa arrangement and will not distort your arrangement or change the whole living room setup. It should also be accessible to everyone from any angle.

Material

Once you have your desired shape, size, and type of coffee table, the next step is deciding on the material for your table. The functionality of the table will influence the material you will choose.

Some table materials like glass are fragile, while wood like oak, teak, and mahogany are hardy and can last for decades. Wood may be ideal for a home with pets or kids because it can withstand everyday wear and tear. Wood is also great for Scandinavian, coastal, mid-century, and classic-themed living rooms.

Another material that is commonly used for coffee tables is glass. The top can be glass paired with metal legs and a metal base. Glass gives the illusion of mid-century modern style. They look stunning but may not be functional for some homes, even though they are easy to clean.

Style

While some people argue that a rug ties the room together with the existing furniture, it underestimates the power of a stylish coffee table. Your coffee table gives the room a visual interest and provides the space with some depth. Although we all have individual styles, here are a few furniture styles you can explore as you shop for a table that will reinforce the room aesthetically.

• Scandinavian Style: Scandi themes comprise simple, minimalistic, and light concepts. Tables that fall under this category are mainly stark and maintain straight lines, have no major details, and are made of light wood.

• Classic Traditional: The first impression that should come to mind when you hear classical traditional is that it is strong, clean, and timeless. They are mostly brown, cream, or white. The wood should be medium-toned, with minimal accents and simple yet chic accents that are timeless.

• Hamptons Style: The Hamptons coffee table will give you the feel of being by the beach. For this reason, you will find that most of them come in white and shades of white. They are relatively heavily built and square or rectangular with drawers and classical accents.

• Modern Contemporary Style: The contemporary style incorporates various unique materials like concrete or stone. The secret is to toy around with neutral colors like grey, gold, silver, or black. You can choose from glass and metal and stick to dark tones. With the modern contemporary style, you can choose from round, oval, or even custom-made shapes, but circular shapes are popular with this theme.

• French Provincial Style: This style is the exact opposite of the modern-contemporary style. It is more detailed, ornate, and heavily built. The corners and the legs may be intricately built to give the table a specific character and bring that character to life. The corners may follow the same style as well. Tables in this category will have mixed tones with mixtures of greys, browns, and cream blended.

Now that you know how to choose your coffee table, some rules apply to whatever table, style, or finish you pick for your living room. Some of these guidelines include:

• Your coffee table should not exceed ⅔ your sofa length.
• The standard height should be 18 inches to correlate with your cushion height.
• Keep your leg room, the space between your table and your feet, at 1.5 feet minimum.
• Keep enough space that allows movement between the table and the rest of the furniture, but you should maintain the table in a position you can easily reach.

Conclusion

Whether you buy your coffee accent table chair online or from your favorite home furniture store next door, make sure you balance your taste, functionality, durability, and pricing. Use your coffee table to create a focal point in your living room that is stylish, relaxing, and has a distinct decor style. Use the home furniture online platforms to shop for any pieces that interest you. With the tips above, you should be able to pick a great piece to match your style.