By: Sofia Larosa
The coffee table is often the centerpiece of a living room that lives up to style. The perfect mix of both form and function can transform any room to a cozy and relaxing space. Whether it be used for accessorizing, placing down your book or drink, or propping up your feet, the coffee table has many uses.
Despite the coffee table doing a lot of this work, more often, it is the last piece chosen compared to other pieces of furniture in the living room. Homeowners and even home designers have a difficult time choosing the perfect one because the options seem endless. Drawers or no drawers? Wood or glass top? Tapered or round legs?
If you want to have a coffee table in your living room or any room for that matter, here are some tips on how to choose a perfect coffee table.
Do You Need It? Ask this Question to Yourself
Well, as in any other furniture decisions, you must consider first if buying a coffee table is a need or a want. A wide difference is inherent between these two choices. Perhaps you will not really need it if you already have a cramped living room. Not only that it will ruin the room’s aesthetic, but it will also sound plain impractical.
Think about The Space of the Room
If you want to make your perfect coffee table fit your living room without looking too cramped, follow the 18-inch rule. The ideal distance of the edge of your coffee table to the edge of your couch or sofa is 18 inches. This distance is just enough to reach for a drink, and far enough to have a relaxing stretch for your legs.
You must also leave some space for you to freely move around the room. For example, have a space allowance of at least 30 inches from the edge of the coffee table to the media cabinet or TV stand. If you have a small room, you can go for a lesser measurement than 30 inches. When all these considerations are done, you can now buy your coffee table. There are high-quality and stylish coffee tables in sites like Black Mango.
Consider the Height of Your Coffee Table
Your coffee table should achieve a similar height with the surrounding seating arrangement, with 18 inches as the standard (although it will still depend on your furniture). If you choose a coffee table with a lip, keep in mind that the lip should not go higher than the adjacent seating, or else you will hit your drink against the lip when you put it down.
Strike a Balance Between Styles
Balance is essential to an interior design. If you are planning to have a coffee table in your living room, for example, make sure to strike a balance between the style of the coffee table and the sofa.
A sofa or couch that has a plush, solid-color is the perfect match for a glass coffee table with a chrome frame. For a slim and a more streamlined sofa, a chunkier table with thick wood top and solid base is the ideal match.
Choose a Child-Friendly Coffee Table
Do not choose pointed-edge coffee table if you have children who love to play and run around the living room. It will be safer if you choose an oval or round one, since sharp corners and kids are not a good match. It is also a perfect choice if your coffee table has an extra storage with one drawer or a shelf underneath.
Think about the Color
Lacquered coffee tables will provide you with every color imaginable but you need to choose the right color that can complement to other pieces of furniture. For example, if you love tangerine, make sure that the chairs and the sofas have a neutral color to make the table stand out. You can then add up a few accessories in the room with the color red or orange.
Takeaway
Coffee tables are must-haves to save up space in any room. For example, It gives us a space for our magazines, newspapers, and other things. It also provides us a feeling of being home when having our coffee break, snacks, and family chit-chats. It is the reason why choosing the ideal coffee table for your home is a thing to be kept in mind for your planned home improvement.
