Retail store owners of living room furniture in South San Francisco and other areas will tell you that coffee tables come in various sizes. This is why homeowners and interior decorators often question, “How big should a coffee table be?”
Considering the versatility of a coffee table, there is no standard rule about sizing. It all depends on your space, the uses you intend to put it to, and how well it aligns with your remaining furniture.
In this article, we will guide you on the appropriate sizing to help you decide how big should a coffee table be to find the perfect one for your home.
If you plan to prop your coffee table in your living room as the focal piece, you must ensure it stands at the correct height with your sofa. Hence, a coffee table for the living room should ideally be an inch or two shorter than the height of the seat cushions on your sofa.
There are several reasons for this height requirement. First, since the living room is where you’ll be hosting guests, the coffee table must be comfortable for guests to reach for snacks. You wouldn’t want your guests struggling to grab their coffee or tea mugs and refreshments from the table while visiting you.
Secondly, when you’re alone at home and want to laze away for a while, you’d naturally want to prop your feet up to relax. Now, as embarrassed as we may be to admit it, the fact is that we all secretly have a habit of propping our legs on the coffee table.
Hence, ensure that the coffee table is at least two inches below the sofa cushions to create an unobstructed eye-line and access.
When weighing factors in deciding how big a coffee table should be, you’d naturally want one that is not just the perfect height but the perfect width. Hence, when deciding the correct height, also take time to measure the maximum width your coffee table must-have.
Just like you’d measure the height against the sofa cushions, we recommend aligning its width with the sofa again. Our experts recommend settling for a coffee table that is two-thirds of your sofa lengthwise. Some of you might have chaise lounges or sectional sofas instead of traditional sofas.
In such a case, you’d want a coffee table that would be two-thirds of the sofa portion only of your furniture unit. According to experts, this measurement is perfect for visually creating the balanced proportions you want in your room.
For those who own sectional sofas with a chaise, the best coffee table would be one that does not protrude further out into the living room than the chaise. When we say picking a coffee table that extends further than your sectional’s chaise will look unflattering visually.
As a general rule, you’d do great to remember that the size of your room should ultimately define the size of the coffee table you should pick. Narrow living rooms look perfect would sleek coffee tables, while square or larger coffee tables complement bigger rooms.
We have noted customers fretting about how big a coffee table should be, only to end up incorrectly positioning it in their room. You see, it is not only the correct size as per the proportions of your room that matters but also the correct placement.
If you want your coffee table to create an utterly WOW impact in your living, you will have to position it most strategically. Our experts suggest leaving at least 12 to 18 inches of space between your seating arrangement and the coffee table in the living room.
This will ensure the table is close enough to be functional for the occupants but not too crowded to obstruct easy movement. The space mentioned above would leave a comfortable space for people to navigate around the furniture and not collide with anything.
Plus, it would be easy to bend forward and get their snacks and cups from the table when seated.
Ideally, your coffee table should stand in a position where at least thirty inches of space between it and your next furniture item. For instance, if your fireplace or TV stand is next to your coffee table, the distance between the table’s outer edge and the barrier should measure thirty inches.
However, this distance can be even greater in a living room, especially if you have more space. If there’s another seating arrangement on the opposite side of the table, you only need to ensure ample moving space for adults between the table edge and the seating furniture.
If you have a small living room, though, here’s how to measure for the ideal depth. Measure the distance from your sofa’s edge to the fireplace, TV stand, or whatever is after it. Then deduct 30 from the total measurement.
Next, subtract the space you feel is necessary for easy movement between the table’s edge and the seating plan. Your new total will be the ideal depth of your coffee table. You can simply stick to the 30-inches rule in between for the larger living rooms.
Determining how big should a coffee table be to suit the dimensions of your living room doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple math, a calculator, and measuring tape can help you accurately determine the total amount of space you have.
Even if you don’t have any measuring tools on hand, you can simply find the perfect coffee table for your living room. You must sit on the sofa and assess the space between your legs and the table edge.
If you don’t bump into the table while sitting, there is enough space in between. If your knees do touch the table, the space is too narrow. Even if you have to strain to reach for things on the table, you’d know it’s too large.
Choosing the right size for a coffee table is crucial for creating a balanced proportion and flow in your living room.
Proudly serving Menlo Park, Los Gatos, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, Oakland, San Jose, San Mateo, Redwood City, Alameda, San Ramon, and the surrounding areas.