There are some pieces of furniture that often go overlooked when creating a "complete" feeling space, and nothing speaks more to that idea than the ever-elegant coffee table. Whilst one can certainly have a living room without a coffee table, the added surface space and unique design elements of a coffee table do a lot to make a space feel cohesive, especially when paired well with matching armchairs and sofas.
However, that does beg the question: What does it mean to have a coffee table that matches your space? Unlike chairs which can be paired based on upholstery, a coffee table is often a singular item within a living room, and therefore, it needs to complement and emphasise the good in its surroundings whilst still blending in as its own piece.
At La Joie Living, we've had the pleasure of supporting Australian homes with a wide array of elegantly designed furniture options. So, to help you make choices about your living space, let's take a look at coffee tables, how to choose the right one, and what goes into a fantastic living room decor.
Coffee Table Height: Should It Be Higher or Lower Than Your Sofa?
The height of your coffee table may seem like a strange place to start, given that most coffee tables are relatively consistent in height, being around 36cm – 40cm tall. However, it's in these small details that a living room starts to come together, and if you get the wrong coffee table height, it can sometimes impact the feeling of a room in surprising ways.
To get specific on the coffee table rules of thumb, most interior decorators will say that a coffee table should be slightly shorter than the couch or sofa it accompanies. So, aiming for a coffee table that is around 2.5cm shorter than the sofa's seating cushion at resting position is a good way to stick to general best practices. With that said, this is not a firm rule and merely a way for those who are unsure to make a generally safe decision regarding their furnishings.
In other words, if you find a coffee table you really love that doesn't quite hit the mark for height, that doesn't mean it should be out of the cards to include it in your living room. Decor is often about breaking the rules in pursuit of personal taste, after all.
Form & Function: Understanding Your Needs
We all have our own way of using our spaces, and it's important to factor this in when it comes to choosing any furniture, especially a table. Coffee tables are taking up floor space like any other lifestyle furnishing, and therefore, you want to be sure that said space is being used effectively.
Do you need additional drawer space? If so, something like the Hamptons Coastal Two-Drawer Coffee Table might be the choice for you thanks to its impressive storage options. Need even more storage and surface space? The Hamptons Coastal Beach 4 Drawers Side Cross Coffee Table is a great place to start.
Remember that your coffee table primarily needs to work for you, so, if you have a lifestyle that requires particular elements over others, remember to work them into your decor.
Style & Substance: Making Your Coffee Table Work For Your Space
As much as we always want to say that furnishing is subjective, there are going to be designs that clash with one another. A 1920s antique armchair propped up against a plastic 1980s avant-garde piece may make a statement, but it's likely not the statement that you want to make with your comfortably stylish living room.
Matching design styles is a good way to ensure that the colours and shapes of your living areas work well, blending Hamptons style furniture with other Hamptons style furniture, or working with exclusively French Provincial pieces, for example. This is, after all, why these different design styles exist, providing a guidepost for those styling their space to know what they're working with.
With all that said, one doesn't have to be too rigid when choosing furnishings for their space. Rather, simply going for complementary colours and choosing matching wood styles is a good way to keep your furniture looking cohesive. At the same time, aiming for similar time periods of design will prevent your room from feeling too chaotic.
Work With the Specialists in Australian Furniture
Getting the right living room furniture can be a time-intensive and slightly draining experience when you're not sure what you're looking for. So, if you like what we've said above, feel free to check out our coffee table range for yourself. Or, if you're feeling adventurous with your space, try our entire living room furniture collection.
As a leading Australian online retailer of elegant furniture, we've curated our range based on the needs of Aussie homes. So, check out what we have to offer, and add a little extra dash of elegance to your interiors today. We're sure that you'll find the perfect place to enjoy a warm coffee in the morning.