Where to place a coffee table?

Coffee tables often become an integral part of interior design. They can successfully supplement the surrounding furniture and decorations. What's more, such items are very functional and allow making a room more comfortable. One of the important issues to consider is an area to place a coffee table. And today, we'll observe the best ideas for that.

Reasons to buy a coffee table

Many people doubt purchasing a coffee table. However, any good designer will tell you that any space you decorate should be functional. The thing is that why to create a nice design and not actually use the available room? Speaking about a coffee table, it has many useful functions, thus, making the space more usable. So, the first thing to consider when thinking about a table is how the room is planned to be used.

In most cases, coffee tables are selected for a drawing room. It's a place where the whole family can gather, relax, watch TV, host guests, read books, etc. With a pretty coffee table, the living room will become more comfortable. It might become a place for many items:

• Remote controls
• Drinks and food
• Books and magazines
• Vases and plants
• Mobile phones, etc.

Options for coffee table placement

The location of a coffee table might be various. Everything depends on the main aim it is used for, the style of an item, and the general design of a room. Let's consider the most successful ideas for placement:

• In front of the sofa. It's the most popular position. When a coffee table is located in this area, it allows creating a very inviting and cozy atmosphere. In this case, the item will be very functional for socializing and entertainment purposes. You can invite friends, drink tea with them, play various table games, etc. 14-18 inches away from your sofa is a perfect distance. As a result, there will be enough space for legs, so everyone will feel free to sit & move. It's vital to evenly place the table between the arms of a sofa. For such a placement, it's better to choose square or rectangular tables if you have a long sectional sofa. The height should be 1-2 inches below the seat of the sofa. Round tables might be an option for smaller sofas.





In front of the sofa placement



• Near the fireplace. Such a placement is also able to create a welcoming seating arrangement. It's a perfect choice for long and narrow coffee tables, which will underline the fireplace and make it a focal point of the room. It's better to locate an item between the sofa and the fireplace. The height might be various. Feel free to use a standard rule described above or choose a lower table to underline the beauty of your fireplace.



• In front of a TV set. It's a functional placement. In this case, you can put a remote control, newspapers, and various decorative elements. It's recommended to choose coffee tables, which match TV stands in terms of style, color, and height.



• Against the wall. This idea can work if the table is located at the end of the sofa. As a result, the area becomes more functional, while the space for legs becomes greater. It is better to choose higher multiplayer tables. If you just put a coffee table by the wall independent of the sofa, it will make the room crowded and strange. For wall placements a special category of table exists, that's usually called sofa or console tables.



• The very center of the room. This is a very bold solution, which sometimes can make the space more crowded and uncomfortable. However, in the case of quite big living rooms, tables in the middle might divide an area and create a harmonious image with other furniture units. Besides, such placement allows buying complex coffee tables supplemented with end tables.

Central placement in the middle of a room

General recommendations

There exist various kinds of coffee tables. And there're certain rules, which should be regarded in order to make the general interior decoration of the room comfortable and harmonious. Keep the following recommendation in mind to place all the furniture units correctly:

• A coffee table should also be located in front of the seating area (it doesn't matter really how far from it but it should never cross the room).
• Neither a sofa nor a coffee table should face away from the TV set. In this case, it will be very uncomfortable to watch TV.
• If a selected table has drawers, they should always face the sofa, not the fireplace or TV set for easy reach. If there're drawers on both sides, don't think about the issue at all. Besides, such units require more space to let you easily open the drawers when someone is sitting on a sofa.
• If you have a small drawing room, you can opt for a nesting coffee table and place it in front of your sofa.

Coffee tables are very functional. They can complement the decoration of the room and make it cozier and more pleasant. Choose suitable units and place them in a more suitable way with the help of our tips.