Should I Have a Coffee Table in My Living Room?

Many customers who visit our showroom often ask, should I have a coffee table in my living room?

Coffee tables are usually the centre of action in your living room. They provide a surface for resting items while chatting with family and friends. They hold snacks, books and board games. They’re useful places to put your feet while watching TV shows.

Contemporary coffee tables come in an almost endless array of styles. Let’s take a closer look at why coffee tables are a must-have for modern living rooms.

What is a coffee table?

Coffee tables date back to the late 18th century during the Victorian Era. This was a time when a cup of tea was not only the drink of choice but also the height of fashion. Everyone drank it and had people over to drink it.

Coffee tables - or tea tables, if you like - were used for serving tea and placing cups down in between sips. These tea tables were generally taller than the low coffee tables of today, partly because the furniture style at the time was all high-backed settees with long, elaborate legs.

As time went on, these high settees fell out of fashion and low-backed sofas sashayed into style. At the same time, the high tea table transformed into what we now know as the coffee table. It’s safe to assume that along with the change in style, there was also in a change in the preferred beverage.

In modern homes today, coffee tables let you show off your personal style without having to decorate your entire living room. Your choice of the coffee table says a lot about you and the interior design trends that you love.

The benefits of having a coffee table in your living room

Even if you have a tiny space, if you can fit a coffee table in, we recommend that you have one.

For starters, it’s an obvious and simple storage solution for living room items that have nowhere else to go - things like photo albums, magazines, TV remotes and coasters.

But not only that - your choice of the coffee table helps define the space in your living room and gives it a distinct aesthetic that ties into the rest of your home design and makes it feel more like home!.

Examples of different types of coffee tables and how they can be used

Coffee tables can be a really important part of your living room and can help define the room's character. Here are some examples of different types of coffee tables and how they can be used.

1. Round table

A round coffee table like the Fan Coffee Table by Tom Dixon is perfect for making small spaces look larger than they are. It can also be used as an end table in addition to serving as a place to rest your feet.

2. Square table

A square coffee table like the Riva Coffee Table by XVL has more surface area than a round one, so it's great for holding plates and drinks while entertaining guests or displaying items like books and magazines.

Rectangular table

A rectangular table like the Hamilton Coffee Table by Longhi is ideal for families that have a lot of stuff lying around, as the storage underneath provides plenty of room for their belongings without looking too cluttered.

How to style your coffee table

Your coffee table is one of the most important pieces of furniture in your living room. It's often the first thing that visitors see when they walk into your living room and it can set the tone for the entire space.

We asked our interior designers for their best styling tips.

• It's all about balance: When styling your coffee table, it's important to keep in mind that you want to create a visual balance between the top and bottom halves of the table. This helps give the illusion that your room is larger than it really is and makes everything appear more cohesive.
• Make sure there are no items sticking out over the edge: When you have things sticking out over the edge, it creates an uneven surface across the entire area of your tabletop, which means that some areas will appear higher than others. This distracts from the beautiful lines of a well-designed coffee table.

  Avoid this by making sure all items are flush against their edges so they won't draw attention away from each other unnecessarily!

• Create interest by using ornaments of different heights and textures: Think vases filled with flowers in different heights, planter pots and artwork sculptures.

Take a look at our interior design project portfolio  for living room design inspiration. You can see the living rooms we have put together and get ideas for your own space.

Choosing the best coffee table

Our luxury coffee tables are available in a variety of materials and finishes so that you can find the perfect fit for your room.

We offer expert design advice to guide you through your options so that you get exactly what you want - no matter how specific or unique it may be!

If you’re looking for a new coffee table, here are some tips on how to choose one that will fit your space and style.

• Materials: Wood or metal? Glass or ceramic stone? There are so many different options when it comes to materials for coffee tables. It all depends on what you like and what fits in with your decor.
• Style: The style of your table should complement the rest of the furniture in your room. Mixing and matching furniture and design styles is all the rage, as long as your overall look is cohesive and pleasing to the eye.
• Size: Your coffee table should be big enough for people to be practical but small enough so that it doesn’t take up too much space in the room.

In conclusion

Having a coffee table in your living room is a matter of personal style, but we always recommend one if you have the space. We're here to help you choose the right style to add your own flair and make your living room feel 100% yours.

Our expert team will guide you through our wide range of coffee tables and help you choose one that accentuates the decor of your living room.

Chat with us for advice or book an appointment to visit our showroom with a qualified design expert.