If You Entertain Often
Another time to consider a coffee table thats higher than your couch is if you have people over often. A taller coffee table is easier to reach, so if people are using it to place food and drinks, its better to have those closer with a higher coffee table.
This also applies if you use your coffee table to eat off of since you want to have your food easily accessible. You dont want to have to keep stretching and bending down for every bite.
Measuring And Determining The Right Coffee Table Size
‘The wrong size coffee table has the potential to make the proportions of your furniture look off. To measure for success, grab your measuring tape and follow these steps,’ says Mike Vermillion, senior buyer at Hayneedle company).
- Measure from the floor to the top of the sofa or chair cushion.
- Measure the length of the sofa, chair, or seating grouping.
- Choose a coffee table with a height thats no more than two inches lower than the top of the chair or sofa cushion. The coffee tables length should be roughly two-thirds of the length of the sofa.
‘A coffee table should be among the last major pieces of furniture you choose for your living area as this will make figuring out what size coffee table you need for your space much easier. While youre shopping for a coffee table, keep height and length in mind along with the overall size of your room to avoid overcrowding, overwhelming, or underwhelming your space,’
‘Coffee tables come in an endless number of sizes, from small, apartment-sized coffee tables to double-decker, multi-functional masterpieces. Its important to consider the size of your room, as well as the sizes of surrounding items when shopping for a new coffee table.’
What Size Should My Coffee Table Be Versus My Sofa
Your new coffee table deserves to be shown off in the very best light and ensuring it is the correct size, shape and height for your living room will do just that.
When choosing a new coffee table, one of your main considerations should be its size in relation to the height, width and length of your sofa.
If your coffee table size is nothing more than afterthought, it will be glaringly obvious, and you run the risk of it either dwarfing your sofa or rendering your coffee table unnoticeable.
Coffee Table Size Guide
Although there is no standard sofa size, depending on how many your new sofa is going to seat, common sofa sizes range from around six to eight feet.
Likewise, there is no standard coffee table size, but the general school of thought from designers is that your new coffee table should be roughly half to two thirds of the length of the sofa.
Although this is a good guide, you also need to take into account the size of the room a small living room might look great with an oversized sofa, but could be better suited to a pair of side tables rather than a central coffee table.
If you have two sofas or a large living room with lots of seating, a pair of matching coffee tables can work better visually than one large coffee table.
Coffee Table Height
Coffee Table Positioning
Aim to leave at least 16-18 inches all around the coffee table for ease of manoeuvring around it. In smaller spaces, a coffee table on wheels is a good flexible option.
Coffee Table Shape
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Is Coffee Table Height Important
This answer is all dependent on how often you use the coffee table, what you use it for, as well as the type of fashion statement that you want to make. The truth is that most people dont want to have a coffee table thats awkwardly tall or awkwardly short.
Having a coffee table thats too tall or too short can cause guests to feel a strain on their backs due to the need to bend down to reach their coffee. Of course, if your coffee table is almost never used, the height wont matter too much.
Selecting A Coffee Table
When selecting a coffee table, I think we can pretty much always err on the side of bigger is better. Of course, there are many exceptions to this, for example if you live in a very small apartment and have apartment sized furniture. Or if you have a tight space and need a small coffee table to fit.
When we are sourcing a coffee table for a client, or for our own homes we start with an assumption of a 40×60 coffee table during the floor planning process before weve made any selections. Sometimes a little smaller or a little larger depending on the size of the room.
An important note: If your room is smaller, and you have a smaller sofa, a smaller coffee table will be the best fit. Keep in mind the importance of scale.
A coffee table that is about 2/3 the size of your sofa is a great starting point!
So why are there so many too small coffee tables for sale online? Shipping! Its so much more cost effective to transport a 40 coffee table than it is a 60 coffee table! At the end of the day, a company analyzes market demand and factors in the cost of the items + shipping. Meanwhile, theyre really not factoring in design or scale.
So what does this mean for you? Just keep in mind that most coffee tables you see online are too small. So use a websites filtering tool to narrow down search results from the start!
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The Best Coffee Table Height
What is the best coffee table height?
If theres one thing that tends to be a bit of a debate among home improvement gurus, its the right height for a coffee table. Some people swear by having them be exceptionally low to the ground. Others want them to be only slightly lower than a typical dining table. Still more want them in between.
Ask any interior designer, and theyll tell you that finding the best coffee table heights can be a challengeeven for seasoned pros. Choosing the right height for your particular needs can help you make your living room just a little bit more inviting.
Why Coffee Tables Are Lower Than Sofas
Before we jump into the rest of the article, lets take a quick look at the history of coffee tables to discuss why theyre lower than sofas.
As their name implies, coffee tables were originally designed to be used for coffee. Their use emerged during the Victorian Era when sofas became popular. The first coffee tables were actually placed behind couches and much higher so they could be accessed by the people sitting on them.
When styles changed and the tables were placed in the center of the room, they became shorter. This style change may have been influenced by Japanese tables that were extremely short because they sat on the floor to eat.
Here is a modern example of a Japanese coffee table that shows exactly how these would have been used:
One of the other reasons coffee tables are kept short is so that you can see over them. This is particularly important if you have a group of people gathered around them. A tall coffee table that then has decorations on top will make it difficult to see everyone.
Finally, designers have used lower coffee tables because the other furniture in the room is generally the focus. They want your eyes to be drawn to the couch, chairs, and other design elements. The coffee table should simply compliment the room rather than drawing all the focus.
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How Big Should A Coffee Table Be Compared To The Sofa
Now that we have rounded up the different dimensions of coffee tables, how do you decide on which size of the coffee table to match your couch? It all starts with the golden ratio.
The golden ratio or the 2:3 rule indicates that your largest furniture should measure two-thirds of your area. This golden rule helps attain proportionality when choosing pieces of furniture and rugs.
If your sofa is 70 inches long, the maximum length of your coffee table should be 47 inches. The shortest length you can go for should be at least half of your sofa length.
The clearance between your furniture is also an enormous factor in your living room as it maintains the flow of space. As a guide, allow at least a 14 to 18 inches gap between your coffee table and your sofa. If you have a TV stand, a sideboard, or a fireplace across your couch, keep a distance of at least 24 to 30 inches from your coffee table.
Mixing different sizes and shapes of coffee tables can make your interior layout more dynamic and multifunctional. But if youre not a fan of coffee tables, you can also opt for ottomans.
As always, interior design is all about maintaining a balance between form and function. See more related content at our article about sofa dimensions here.
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Where To Shop For Coffee Tables:
- Restoration Hardware: I honestly really like RHs coffee tables. I think theyre beautiful, the right size, and I love their wood finishes. For what they are, I also think theyre pretty affordable. If you have an outlet near you, you can find great coffee tables at a great price!
- Big Box Stores: You can find beautiful coffee tables from big box stores by using their filtering systems. Just select 48+ to browse through the larger options.
- Utilize your favorite interior designers shops! Its like free design advice! Theyre essentially telling you: this is the good stuff. Read More: How to Shop for Furniture Like an Interior Designer
- Search Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist
- Browse local antique stores .
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Coffee Table Dimensions: What Is The Average Size Of A Coffee Table
Coffee Table Dimensions A coffee table is one of the most important furniture items for our living area. It should be among the beautiful addition to any living area or office. Everyone knows that the living room isnt complete without a beautiful coffee table but choosing the right coffee table dimensions is important.
Coffee table dimensions can play a vital role in showcasing your attractive collections of books as well as it is the right way to entertain your guest etc.
On the other hand, it can be considered as the place for your foot to taking rest in a relaxed manner.
Now there are plenty of collections available when it comes to choosing a coffee table but choosing the coffee table dimensions plays a crucial role.
With the proper knowledge, you can easily find the best one to get a complete look and it is the right choice to enhance the appearance of your living area.
If you wonder about selecting a coffee table you must take the online reviews. Guidelines also available that can be useful in choosing the best pieces.
Before going to buy a table you should ask some questions like what style of coffee table is perfect for your living area. What is the budget?
What is the average size and dimension of a coffee table? Etc. Now you can get a complete idea about the product by visiting online sites.
With the proper analysis, you should make figuring out what size is perfect for you.
Contents
Can A Coffee Table Be Higher Than The Couch
The key thing to remember for this question is that a coffee table should not be too short since it will compel you to bend every time you have to get something from the table and not too high that it will look more of a countertop than a coffee table.
To get the best coffee table height in relation to the height of your couch, your coffee table should not be 4 inches lower or higher than the couchs cushion.
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Additional Considerations To Take Into Account
As we know, not all coffee tables are equal. Some handy features may mean that we throw the ‘rule book’ in the bin and go off-piste from what some of the pros have mentioned above.
For example: if a coffee table doubles up as a storage unit or desk you might be persuaded to invest in something larger. Similarly, McCowan-Hill shares other features which may influence your purchasing decision:
How High Should A Coffee Table Be
Quite recently I found myself in the position where I had to specify how tall I want my coffee table to be. Until then I didnt even think about it.the height of the coffee table was just standard and I took it for granted. Right then I realized just how important this detail was not just for the table but for the entire living room and everything in it. So what is the right height for a coffee table? Wellit depends.
Its very important for the overall proportions of a coffee table to be right. If the table is too large or too small, the whole room will feel off. If the furniture is out of proportions the ambiance is simply not right and you cant achieve the desired look or feel. So you see, the height of the table is closely linked to a series of other details like the length or the placement.
In general, the proper height of a coffee table is one that matches the height of the sofa cushions. If the cushions are extra think, the table can be 1 or 2 inches lower than that. This usually means that the coffee table is somewhere around 40 to 45 cm tall. When determining the height you should take into consideration not only the proportions of the sofa but also the design of the table. For example, if theres a storage shelf underneath, consider that as well.
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What More Should Be Considered Before Buying A Coffee Table
Height is an important, but not the only factor that makes your preferred coffee table perfect. There are multiple aspects that should be considered before taking that final call. And now that you have a fair idea about deciding on the ideal height, lets have a look at some of the other points to take into account.
Length
Homeowners generally follow the two-thirds rule while determining the length of the coffee table. In that sense, the tables length should be about two-thirds the length of the sofa. So, for an average three-seat sofa thats 84-inch long, the length of the coffee table should be at least 54-inch.
This guideline ensures that the coffee table is in proportion to the seating around it and doesnt look disproportionately big or small. While long coffee tables can hinder movement, small tables dont provide adequate access to everyone sitting on the sofa.
This brings us to another crucial aspect-the placement. Make sure that you leave a minimum of 12 to 18-inch space between the coffee table and the surrounding seating. By doing so, you allow an averagely tall person to effortlessly get on and off the sofa.
Additionally, this gives him sufficient room to stretch the legs fully. And there are fewer risks of people bumping into the table while walking around.
Shape
Coffee tables come in various shapes, and each one has a role to play in enhancing the overall setup.
Color
Change The Look Of Your Room With Perfectly Measured Coffee Table
With the right choice for the coffee table, you can easily change the complete look of your room but you need to put some effort into finding the right couches, décor items, lighting, etc. in addition to this coffee table plays a vital role in changing the rooms look.
We know that the coffee table is one of the flexible pieces of furniture which is important for getting additional benefits. However, this also provides practical uses in a living area.
When it comes to finding the coffee table you should keep the perfect measurements.
With the right choice, you will feel more comfortable. Even it can also appreciate additional storage space so have a preference for selecting styles of coffee tables toad elegance to your room.
Now you can easily find your favorite piece of coffee table with the right coffee table dimensions.
Selecting the right piece of furniture will add elegance, value, and style to your home. Even it is the right choice for entertaining your guest on a hassle freeway.
Hence keep the above-mentioned points in your mind to find the right type of coffee table to style your room.
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If You Dine In Living Room:
Many people prefer dining in their cozy relaxing living room rather than dining in the dining room.If you or your family member does that, then it would be a great idea to buy a tall coffee table. Having a meal on a coffee table that sits higher than the couch will be much more comfortable than having one on a short one.Moreover, you wont have to bend over and stretch your body to reach for drinks and beverages if you have tall tables.
What Shape Of Coffee Table Should You Have
The simplest and most common type of coffee table is a low, rectangular one. Of course, the size varies depending on the needs of the room and other furniture, and even then, rectangular coffee tables are by no means the only option!
Many times the sofa isnt the only other furniture in the room. While this may sound like it complicates things, it actually opens up your options! With the sofa being the main feature, its standard to opt for a rectangular coffee table. But if you have other items like armchairs, shelving, or even plants or artwork, its easier to play around with coffee tables of different sizes and shapes.
For example, you could opt for a large round table in the center of the room, or a small, oblong table between two armchairs. Other shapes of coffee tables can complement some spaces better than a classic rectangular table. Shapes like square and round coffee tables add a strong sense of style, while oblong and free-form tables can bring in a real touch of creativity and openness without compromising on surface space.
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