5 Things to Consider When Picking the Perfect Coffee Table

We asked Eleni, who blogs over at the inspirational My Paradissi, to share her thoughts on picking the perfect coffee table for your living space…

I often say to my clients that the coffee table is the heart of the living room. And, quite literally, it is the focal point of the room, with the sofas, chairs, floor lamps and accent tables to be gathered around it. It is, nonetheless, one of the hardest pieces of furniture to pick as it usually is the last one to buy and has the undoubted role to complement and balance the rest of the décor.

Here are 5 things to take into consideration before making your final choice regarding the coffee table.

1. The size of the room and furniture

A coffee table should be large enough to have an ample surface to put things on, like your cup, magazine or feet but shouldn’t outcast the rest of the pieces due to its disproportionate size.

2. The distances

A good rule of thumb is that a coffee table should be placed about 45cm away from each seating and 65­75cm from other furniture, like media centres or cabinets to leave room for passing.

3. The height

A coffee table should be the same height or lower that your sofa seat. There are some exceptions to this rule, however, like when you use this table for entertaining or eating, or in smaller rooms, where the coffee table is lacking in width, the extra height adds that missing prestige to it.

4. The use

Do you need storage to put away personal stuff or hide the remote controls? Try one with drawers. Do you have children? Then, by all means, avoid a sharp edged or glass coffee table. Take a good look at your needs prior deciding what the best piece of furniture is for you.

5. The style

Apparently, the coffee table you pick should be coherent to the style of the interior design you have. There are endless choices to play with, so things might be a bit overwhelming for the new comer. In the above moodboard you can see my coffee table picks for 4 different interior design styles to guide you through the decision process.

Find the links to these coffee tables here:

Mondrian Black Glass & Steel Rectangular Coffee Table

Carl Oak Coffee Table with Slatted Storage Shelf

Albion Solid Recycled  Elm Wooden  Coffee Table

Xeon Clear Glass Coffee Table With Angled Sides

What do you think of Eleni’s choices? Feel free to share your thoughts below, or take a look at our thoughts on choosing the perfect sofa.