A living room without a coffee table is a lot like a living room without a TV cabinet. Just as the TV cabinet completes a look and provides a function, so too does the right coffee table. From adding style and displaying books to storage, this humble hard worker does so much more than just hold mugs, glasses, food, vases and magazines – it’s an important piece of every living room puzzle. Although coffee tables may not be a big-ticket purchase, they add personality and style to any living room space, which is why this is one piece of furniture that you really need to get right. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the right coffee table for your living room.
#1 Blend Your Style and Pair Your Furniture
Got your eye on a gorgeous coffee table with an oval glass top and thick, square chrome legs? Or, are you looking at a gorgeous round wooden coffee table with long thin pointed legs? From traditional wooden round tables to Italian-inspired geometric works of art that come fashioned in stainless steel, chrome, Perspex, glass, leather and other modern textiles – the market is flooded with an endless array of coffee table styles, which is why if you want to get this right, then you need to choose the one that complements your personal style and decor the most.
Keeping in mind that coffee tables should only complement and not steal the show, you want to blend your coffee table with the art, colours, textures and pieces of furniture around you. Pairing furniture is also very important. Keeping style and symmetry in mind, while a traditional leather Chesterfield paired with a thick wooden chunky coffee table would look amazing, pairing a crisp mid-century white leather or vinyl sofa with a contemporary chrome and glass coffee table would also work well, making a dramatic impact.
#2 Size and Height Matter
People often leave too much or not enough room in a living room, often making the space feel quite awkward. An extremely influential table that can make or break a space, you don’t want your coffee table to overcrowd your space. Using the 18-inch rule, consider the space of your living room by measuring to see how much legroom you’ll need to move between your sofa, TV cabinet and coffee table. While a coffee table should be approximately two-thirds the length of your sofa, the ideal distance from the edge of the sofa to the edge of the table should be 18 inches – close enough to reach, but far enough to stretch out your legs. A coffee table’s height is also very important. Whereas standard tables are 16 to 18 inches in height, the surface should be about one or two inches lower than your sofa seat. However, in circumstances where your sofa or couch is quite high, you would do well to consider a 20- or 21-inch coffee table.
South Africa’s Top Modern Furniture Trendsetters
If it’s sophistication, functionality and comfort that you’re looking to bring into your home, then look no further than our extensive range of traditional and contemporary coffee tables at JOY Furniture. Innovatively crafted to perfection and described as Current, Modern, Urban and Original, our coffee tables deliver a style statement that has achieved remarkable success with South African modern lifestyle living.
