A good coffee table can make a huge difference to your living room space, both as a visual design element and a practical surface. However, like all furniture pieces, you do not just want to buy the first coffee table you find – it is a good idea to slow down and look over your options first.
Whether you care about the look of your space or just want a table that can reliably hold a certain amount of household items, it is important to choose one that you feel happy with. The best way to do this is to explore your options properly.
Table Shape
Square or rectangular tables are more space-efficient in most cases, whereas rounded tables often look nicer. However, visually, there can be so much variety between the two across so many different styles that there is not necessarily the best option, especially if you start looking at the shapes of individual coffee tables.
Between round, oval, square, rectangle, and even triangular tables, it can be hard to decide which one suits your needs best. In general, you need to decide whether the style is more important than the amount of space the coffee table actually offers since you will generally have to put one ahead of the other.
Some coffee tables are designed as furniture first and foremost, while others are closer to being art pieces or decorative elements. A highly decorative coffee table might look great but offer less actual space than a simple flat surface, and you need to consider which matters to you more.
Size
The size of a table is a very important feature to consider. Obviously, a bigger table will hold more things and be easier for more people to use at once and will have more spare room to display things. However, they are also bulkier, harder to move, and generally cost more on average.
A smaller coffee table, on the other hand, is going to be cheaper and easier to move at the cost of being less practical. This can make it a slightly less useful coffee table for any given room and might even force you to get a second surface if you have a lot of people using the room at once.
Size is a very flexible thing, so there can be a lot of tables to explore between your limits of “too large” and “too small.” It is often a good idea to measure out the space where you want the table to go, just so you know whether or not it would fit properly in your living room (especially if you have very limited space to work with).
Aesthetics
A coffee table is meant to work well and look good. Aesthetics can be very subjective, though, so it is good to have a few factors you can use to decide whether a table appeals to you or not.
Firstly, you need to consider the general feeling that you want. A modern-looking coffee table is going to be very different from a retro or rustic one, even if the overall shape of the table is roughly the same. There are also many designs that would only really work with certain color schemes or if placed in certain ways.
The aesthetics of a coffee table can be important if you are wanting to build a nice-looking living room. While having a functional table is obviously not a bad thing, you still want to make sure that you are happy with your purchase, and you might come to resent an awful-looking coffee table that stands out from the rest of the room in a bad way.
Coffee Table Materials
When it comes to materials, what you will find on the market depends a lot on what you are willing to spend. A cheaper table can still look great and work very well as a coffee table, but you also need to remember that materials and design are linked – and some designs are simply better with higher-priced materials.
This also depends on how granular you get. If you just want a wooden coffee table using any wood you can find, then you can always track down cheap options. However, specific wood types using specific treatment methods can often be much more expensive, especially if you are getting a very exclusive design from a highly popular brand.
Remember that different materials also provide their own level of strength, ease of cleaning, and potential replacement costs. You should think about the chance of your table breaking or getting dirty before you commit. Otherwise, you might be spending a lot of time and money keeping it in good condition.
Coffee Table Colour
The most obvious part of the design of your table that you will want to think about carefully is its color. You do not just want to pick whatever looks best right now – you need to think about the aesthetics of the coffee table in combination with the rest of your living room space and how well it fits your preferred style.
You should also think about how the color fits in with other furniture. If you want a coffee table that has a different color than the rest of the furniture in the room, you want something that looks good and does not stand out as a garish addition to the rest of the room.
While you might be able to repaint the coffee table materials later on, most interior design work is easier if you choose something that fits right away. Like all furniture, a lot of coffee table ideas are quite general, and you can usually find variations on the same basic design in multiple colors.
Remember that interior design and home improvement work is not an exact science and that there are no right answers when choosing a coffee table for your home. You want to choose one that appeals to you and meets all of your personal criteria, rather than buying one just because it is popular, even if it doesn’t fit in with the rest of your living room.
In Conclusion
A good coffee table can transform your living room, blending aesthetics and functionality. As you explore various aspects like shape, size, aesthetics, materials, and color, remember that the perfect coffee table isn’t about trends; it’s about personal style. Much like the satisfaction of a DIY project done by your own hands, choosing the ideal coffee table for your space is an art. It’s an opportunity to curate a piece that reflects your tastes and serves your needs, ultimately contributing to the unique ambiance of your living room.
