Coffee tables only first appeared in their current form during the mid-nineteenth century. But nowadays a coffee table is nearly as indispensable to a sitting room as a sofa. Whether or not you actually plan to use yours to hold coffee isn’t important. They are trendy, all-purpose surfaces to build a room around.
Style and Substance
My first apartment had a large living room. But I didn’t have anything to put in it but an overstuffed chair and a slightly dented lamp. Still, I needed some sort of surface, so an overturned cardboard box became my coffee table. It sagged on one end from the weight of my textbooks. Hopefully you are at a better stage of life than I was back then; just about anything is a sturdier, more stylish upgrade! Because a good coffee table is more than just a surface. There are countless designs to choose from; whether you are going heavy and baroque or sleek and modern, large or small, wide or narrow. Glass-topped or two-tiered, sturdy or spindly.
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Be Mindful of Practicality
Although the choices are basically endless, when choosing a coffee table, it’s important to think about how you’ll actually be using it. Just for drinks? Maybe drinks and a couple of books? A whole pile of books? These make great surfaces to set knick-knacks or photo frames or even small plants. There is even a whole line of books nicknamed “coffee table” books; big tomes of art or anatomy, or anything else guests might be interested in.
Make Sure Your Coffee Table Matches Your Furniture
Another thing to keep in mind is size and spacing. Generally, coffee tables should be about the same height as the rest of your furniture, especially if they’ll hold food and drinks. You don’t want your guests having to reach too far. If you have low furniture, consider a lower table. On the other hand, if the room you are working with is small or cramped? You might want to consider a taller, cafe-style table. It takes up less space and would be a trendy accent to an otherwise standard set-up.
Shop Fine Mod Imports Coffee Tables:Flexible Sectional Coffee Tables
I don’t know about you, but my living room has always been more of a multipurpose room than anything else. It goes from study room, to tv room, to entertaining room, to installing-overflow-relatives-on-the-couch room. Not sure what kind of set-up you are going to need? Consider a sectional coffee table, a nesting coffee table, or several small tables. Push them together when you need a large surface, or split them up to make the room more navigable.
Coffee Table Alternatives
A coffee table can really be anything you need it to be, including not even a table at all. The above photo is an increasingly popular trend–substituting a large ottoman with some sort of stable surface set on top, a tray or a wood or marble panel. Probably not as stable as a table or as easy to clean in the event of spills. But it’s creative and unique and could be repurposed into another seat or footrest if the need arises. Coffee tables are the basic of the basic, honestly, you wouldn’t know to look at them. There are countless ways to incorporate them into your decor usefully and creatively. Whether you use them to hold stacks of mail, cups of coffee, or just to make a statement, you can find one that fits your style.
Coffee tables are the basic of the basic, honestly, you wouldn’t know to look at them. There are countless ways to incorporate them into your decor usefully and creatively. Whether you use them to hold stacks of mail, cups of coffee, or just to make a statement, you can find one that fits your style.
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