GUIDE CHOOSING A COFFEE TABLE
WHICH COFFEE TABLE IS BEST FOR YOU?
Which coffee table is best for your particular needs and requirements? What about a set of nesting tables? Perhaps you need to add a side table? A new coffee table together with a few new cushions and a throw can also revitalise an old sofa and make it feel like new.
TIPS FOR CHOOSING A COFFEE TABLE
There a few important factors to consider before purchasing a new coffee table, to ensure you end up happy with your choice and buy something that will last for many years to come. What shape and what material do you like best? What height should the table be to go with your sofa? Is arranging several smaller nesting tables together possibly the best solution for you?
1. SHAPE
2. HEIGHT
3. MATERIAL
4. NESTING TABLES AS COFFEE TABLES
1. SHAPE
Round coffee tables are a common style. Moreover, if you have a fairly straight and formal chaise-longue-style sofa, the round outline will help to soften up the overall look of the room. If you have children, the rounded edges of a circular or oval table are a perfect safeguard, meaning you don’t have to worry about your children walking into a sharp table edge.
However, a round coffee table is not suited to every living room; sometimes rectangular is a more appropriate option. If you have two sofas opposite one another, a rectangular coffee table works best. A shelf underneath can be a practical spot for appealing books or other items you want to keep handy.
2. HEIGHT
It’s important to consider the height of your existing sofa or armchair, to be sure that the coffee table is not too high or too low. Low tables often create an elegant impression, but are not particularly practical if, for example, you want to eat at the table. The standard height of a coffee table is roughly 45 cm. As a general rule of thumb, buy a coffee table that is around the same height as the seating height of your sofa.
3. MATERIAL
What will you use your coffee table for? Or rather how much will you use it? Coffee tables made of high-pressure laminate are the best option if you want a practical table that is easy to wipe down. Glass is durable, but requires frequent wiping down, since it easily shows marks and dust. Marble table tops have become common and are durable but sensitive to liquid, since marble is a porous natural material.
Wooden coffee tables are sustainable, bring a harmonious look to your home and match most Nordic flooring. Think about whether you want a varnished or oiled coffee table. Varnished tables do not need the same level of care as oiled ones, which require a certain amount of maintenance to keep them looking nice. Find out more about how to care for your furniture in our care instructions.
4. NESTING TABLES AS COFFEE TABLES
It’s also common today to combine several smaller nesting tables of differing heights to form a coffee table. Nesting tables vary widely in design and look, but you generally have two tables of the same colour in differing sizes that you buy as a ready-made set. Naturally you can also put together your own set, combining two completely different tables.
The benefit of nesting tables is that they are light and flexible and can be used either collectively or separately. You may perhaps want to eat at your coffee table, in which case it’s easy to move one table and then put it back after. Nesting tables also make attractive occasional tables alongside a sofa.
MORE INSPIRATION
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GUIDE: CHOOSING A DINING TABLE
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR FURNITURE
SOFAS WITH MATCHING COFFEE TABLES