ROUND OR CIRCULAR, WOODEN, MARBLE OR GLASS – the variety of shapes and type of coffee table is as limitless as the numerous uses to which it might be put. Display area? Take-away table? Surrogate desk? Spare stool? Homework spot? It could be any of these things. And truth be told (and if you’re not working with an interior designer) by the time you come around to picking one, you’re exhausted by design decisions. So how do you ensure you make the right choice.
Well, the first thing is that you must love it. A coffee table purchased as a last resort, “it was the best thing I could find on Saturday”, is a coffee table that will never really have a home.
To set you on the right road, here are a few golden rules to getting the size right and some well-earned tips from the Falchi team.
Size matters
As a guideline, your coffee table should be between half and two-thirds of the length of your sofa. It should be the same height as the seat of the sofa with a 4 inch margin either way. If you have a sectional, L-shaped sofa these guidelines should be applied to the length of the shorter arm rather than the full length of the sofa. These are guidelines, if you find a coffee table that you love and you love how it sits in your space, enjoy!
What shape?
“Take a look around your room,” says Molly Gatcum, part of the interiors team at Falchi. “Is the room modern with lots of angular edges, or soft and rounded? This should give you a lead on what shape will work.”
Rectangular and oval coffee tables are almost interchangeable as are round and square. If your sofa is stand-alone a rectangular coffee table will give more access. This is also a good shape if you have minimal walk around space. If you have an L-shaped arrangement or some form of U-shaped seating a square might be preferable, and also gives you maximum space to exercise your styling skills. A round coffee table also works well in an L-shape arrangement or if you are short on space. And if your table has to be positioned in a high-traffic zone or if you have children around, curved edges, either oval or circular, are essential.
“Finally, think about how your coffee table works for you. Do you have a great rug beneath that you’d like to show off? Choose glass,” Molly advises. “Do you need additional storage – who doesn’t? – look for a table with drawers. Or maybe an Ottoman would be the right thing for you.”
With all this information to hand, it’s time to start looking for your coffee table, but please don’t leave it until last thing on a Saturday!!!
