The coffee table. So functional, so often an afterthought. It holds our drinks, remote controls, beloved tech devices, treasured trinkets, and, for better or worse, our take-out dinners at the end of a long day. With such a big, diverse job, you’d surmise that it would be one of the first furniture pieces you thought about when moving into a new place and/or re-decorating…except it’s usually not.
How many hours do we put into choosing the perfect sofa, the perfect rug, the perfect chairs for our living room…only to throw in a hand-me-down coffee table that used to belong to Aunt Susan? (bless her heart). Okay, we don’t all go down the who-cares-about-a-coffee-table route. Plenty of you have definitely belabored the choice of a table, we’re sure, but regardless of what side of those scenarios you find yourself, you might need some guidance or inspiration in the coffee table shopping department. What size and shape go with what sofa size and shape? It might feel like a shot in the dark, but fear not, we’re here to help. We’ve put together a shopping guide jam-packed with options—round, square, rectangular, oval!—and a few rules to keep in mind (with a diagram!) when choosing a coffee table.
First up: rules. While you can, of course, go with whatever shape and size you like, to have an ideal relationship between your coffee table and sofa, here are some general things to keep in mind: Your coffee table should be at least half the length of your sofa (but no more than roughly ⅔ the length) and should sit at about the same height as the seat, give or take 4 inches (i.e., if your sofa is 90-inches long and 20-inches tall, you should look for something, no matter the shape, that’s around 45 to 54 inches wide and 16 to 24 inches tall). However, if you have a sectional with a chaise, and your table is going within the open L-shape that sofa shape creates, that 1/2 to 2/3 guideline applies better to just the length of the horizontal seat, rather than the full length of the sofa. Here’s a quick graphic to show you what we mean, as well as a breakdown of ideal shapes by sofa configuration:
For more living room-specific tips, see this post where we broke down tons of super helpful tips like how much space you need around a table, rug size rules, lighting guidelines and more.
Once you figure out the right size and shape, after that, it’s more about making the right design choice for your space. Rectangular and oval-shaped coffee tables can almost be interchanged, depending on what kind of flow you’re looking for—same goes with round and square. Let’s break it down a bit further (with the bonus of our favorite shopping picks):
Rectangular
Consider rectangle (or oval but more on this shape next) if you have a standard sofa (or an extra-long sofa with chaise) so everyone can have easy access to their coffee, cocktail or late-night snack of choice. This is also a great choice if you have a narrow space with minimal walk-around clearance. If you’re a household with more remotes or tech cords than you can count, think about getting a table with some functional but still sleek drawers like #1, #21, #23 and #30. If you have a pretty deep living room, a nesting rectangular coffee table like #7 is a great option to balance the space. It’s hard to see in the photo, but the table at #2 has a shadow box top (that’s great for putting in your favorite curiosities and trinkets but still having plenty of surface area for you know…real life stuff. Oh, and if you regularly eat in front of your TV (whether by choice or because you don’t actually have a formal dining area), a lift-top coffee table is super useful for not having to hunch over your plate (#15 and #29).
Shaw Walnut Coffee Table - $1599
Shadow Box Coffee Table - $1049
Shadow Box Coffee Table - $1199
Mateer Coffee Table - $172
Brass and Wood Coffee Table - $699
Waterfall Inlay Coffee Table - $1298
Mango Wood Lara Nesting Coffee Tables - $449
Grey and White Marble Coffee Table - $749
Travertine Top Coffee Table - $975
Mokara Coffee Table Brown - $130
Blake Raffia Coffee Table - $998
Burnished Wood Coffee Table - $498
Geo-Marquetry Rectangular Coffee Table - $398
Burton Metal Coffee Table - $349
Naya Pop-Up Coffee Table - $399
Lakin Recycled Teak Coffee Table - $799
Polished Marble Coffee Table - $798
Rustic Pine Coffee Table - $600
Nordcasa Coffee Table - From $2295
Glasgow Metal Coffee Table - $80
Padre Coffee Table - $329
Hafley Coffee Table - $160
Knox Storage Coffee Table - $799
Janelle Coffee Table - $185
Bios - $599
Sayer Coffee Table White - $120
Marshal Coffee Table - $297
Trivia Coffee Table - $199
Mid-Century Pop-Up Storage Coffee Table - $699
Framed Brass Coffee Table - $998
1. Shaw Walnut Coffee Table | 2. Shadow Box Coffee Table | 3. Shadow Box Coffee Table | 4. Mateer Coffee Table | 5. Brass and Wood Coffee Table | 6. Waterfall Inlay Coffee Table | 7. Mango Wood Lara Nesting Coffee Tables | 8. Grey and White Marble Coffee Table | 9. Travertine Top Coffee Table | 10. Mokara Coffee Table Brown | 11. Blake Raffia Coffee Table | 12. Burnished Wood Coffee Table | 13. Geo-Marquetry Rectangular Coffee Table | 14. Burton Metal Coffee Table | 15. Naya Pop-Up Coffee Table | 16. Lakin Recycled Teak Coffee Table | 17. Polished Marble Coffee Table | 18. Rustic Pine Coffee Table | 19. Nordcasa Coffee Table | 20. Glasgow Metal Coffee Table | 21. Padre Coffee Table | 22. Hafley Coffee Table | 23. Knox Storage Coffee Table | 24. Janelle Coffee Table | 25. Bios | 26. Sayer Coffee Table White | 27. Marshal Coffee Table | 28. Trivia Coffee Table | 29. Mid-Century Pop-Up Storage Coffee Table | 30. Framed Brass Coffee Table
Square
If you have a large comfy sectional or the traditional conversational set up with a sofa and a couple of chairs (kind of like Ginny’s living room above), a square table is a great choice. It fits perfectly in the L-shape nook of your sectional or the big space in the middle of your chat zone. The best part of a square table? You get the most styling space bang for you buck. Who doesn’t love a good styled coffee table vignette? If you’re really into the terrazzo trend that popped up late last year, check out #9 from West Elm. We also really like the mix of the square top and round base of table #1 for a play on shapes. Similar to the shadow box table we talked about in the previous section, #2 from IKEA has a draw with four sections, and the glass top lets you see all the pretty things you decide to store (definitely not the best option if you know you’ll just end up junking up that drawer with remotes and catalogs, though).
Square Flash Table - $1055
Liatorp - $299
Starmore Square Cocktail Table - $220
Brown Jordan Rattan Bamboo Glass Tables - $495
Strut Coffee Table - $599
Vena - $349
Sally Glass Coffee Table - $593
Aubrey Coffee Table - $249
Pieces Square Coffee Table - From $1100
Parsons Walnut Top/ Dark Steel Base - $1009
Gridiron Stainless Steel Coffee Table - $719
Quarry Coffee Table - $1000
Glass And Metal Square Lorea Coffee Table - $299
Reclaimed English Beam Square Coffee Table - $4595
Helix Marble Square Coffee Table - $664
Jamie Coffee Table - $139
Cabot Square Coffee Table - $1598
Thaddeus Forged Iron and Glass Coffee Table - $2795
Solano Square Coffee Table - $221
Marble Plinth Coffee Table - $2895
Lisabo - $99
Square Metal/Glass Open Shelf Cocktail Table - $135
Weaver Square Cocktail Table - $470
Kaitlin Square Coffee Table - $299
Reclaimed Russian Oak Parquet Coffee Table - $1250
Plywood Grid Cocktail Table - $1800
Lallerod - $60
1. Square Flash Table | 2. Liatorp | 3. Starmore Square Cocktail Table | 4. Brown Jordan Rattan Bamboo Glass Tables | 5. Strut Coffee Table | 6. Vena | 7. Sally Glass Coffee Table | 8. Aubrey Coffee Table | 9. Pieces Square Coffee Table | 10. Parsons Walnut Top/ Dark Steel Base | 11. Gridiron Stainless Steel Coffee Table | 12. Quarry Coffee Table | 13. Glass And Metal Square Lorea Coffee Table | 14. Reclaimed English Beam Square Coffee Table | 15. Helix Marble Square Coffee Table | 16. Jamie Coffee Table | 17. Cabot Square Coffee Table | 18. Thaddeus Forged Iron and Glass Coffee Table | 19. Solano Square Coffee Table | 20. Marble Plinth Coffee Table | 21. Lisabo | 22. Square Metal/Glass Open Shelf Cocktail Table | 23. Weaver Square Cocktail Table | 24. Kaitlin Square Coffee Table | 25. Reclaimed Russian Oak Parquet Coffee Table | 26. Plywood Grid Cocktail Table | 27. Lallerod
Round
For anyone living in a small space where every piece of furniture counts, think about cutting corners (literally) and going with something round. It’s also a good choice to pair with a sectional or sofa with chaise since it’s a good “nook” shape, i.e. it fits into a little nook of space nicely like in the family room of Jaime Derringer from Design Milk above. Another hot tip if space is at a premium or if your room is already busy is to consider a glass top like #9 and #24. This helps things appear more visually open—if you don’t see it, is it really even there? Speaking of smaller spaces, storage is NEVER unwelcomed in a tight room, which is why we really love #10, #22 and #25 for their deep, hidden-away storage (great for stashing hobby items, toys and more). Round coffee tables also seem to have a bit more fun (the blondes of the table world??), so why not cash in on the availability of options for something more sculptural like #4, #6, #16, #20 and #27?
Noir Tiered Coffee Table - $498
Jewel Round Coffee & Side Table Set - $200
Zorina Cocktail Table - $1920
Turn Coffee Table - $699
Tiered Quartz Coffee Table - $599
Spoke Marble Coffee Table - $399
Thyme Round Coffee Table - $211
Shroom Coffee Table - $499
Round Glass And Metal Ilene Coffee Table - $300
Drum Storage Coffee Table - $599
Riehl Metal Round Coffee Table - $120
Marte Ottoman - $299
Mid Century Modern Round Coffee Table - $400
Milking Table LAX Series - $900
Berta Coffee Table - $1050
Betania Coffee Table - $1798
Brass Tray Coffee Table - $150
Victory Round Coffee Table - $466
Driftwood Coffee Table with Round Glass Top - $720
Eren Cocktail Table - $1632
Round White Granite Topped Metal Coffee Table - $499
Turning Table - $600
Swirled Drum Coffee Table - $1298
Charlottenborg Table - $945
Cala Hammered Coffee Table - $330
Sage Round Coffee Table - $284
Darbuka Black Coffee Table - $699
1. Noir Tiered Coffee Table | 2. Jewel Round Coffee & Side Table Set | 3. Zorina Cocktail Table | 4. Turn Coffee Table | 5. Tiered Quartz Coffee Table | 6. Spoke Marble Coffee Table | 7. Thyme Round Coffee Table | 8. Shroom Coffee Table | 9. Round Glass And Metal Ilene Coffee Table | 10. Drum Storage Coffee Table | 11. Riehl Metal Round Coffee Table | 12. Marte Ottoman | 13. Mid Century Modern Round Coffee Table | 14. Milking Table LAX Series | 15. Berta Coffee Table | 16. Betania Coffee Table | 17. Brass Tray Coffee Table | 18. Victory Round Coffee Table | 19. Driftwood Coffee Table with Round Glass Top | 20. Eren Cocktail Table | 21. Round White Granite Topped Metal Coffee Table | 22. Turning Table | 23. Swirled Drum Coffee Table | 24. Charlottenborg Table | 25. Cala Hammered Coffee Table | 26. Sage Round Coffee Table | 27. Darbuka Black Coffee Table
Oval
Oval is a good call if you have some small humans running around and want to attempt to avoid any face-to-table sharp edge encounters (round is also good for this). If your living room is a high-traffic area (like, do you have to walk through it to get to another space like the kitchen or dining room?), a more sinuous shape helps with visual flow, as well. It accomplishes the same look as a rectangle but softens a really angular or modern sofa. The classic mixed marble and wood design (#1) is a favorite around here (check it out in Emily’s living room here). The thin legs keep it light and floaty (which balances the heavier wood at the bottom). Of course, the Platner table (#5) is a modern design classic, and while the brass table above from Brady’s living room is no longer available, we found a similar one in a silver tone (#7) if you love the silhouette but are flexible on the metal finish. If you’re into making a bit more of a statement, check out the cobalt blue table from Urban Outfitters at #19; it has a retro, ’80s inspired vibe that could add a serious cool factor to a simple, stripped back living space.
Thomas Bina Olivia Coffee Table - $1573
No No Table - $450
Bordeaux Coffee Table - $570
Vintage SnoCraft Coffee Table - $595
Platner Coffee Table - $1679
Wood Coffee Table - $840
Roseman Coffee Table with Tray Top - $680
Leigh Coffee Table - $699
Brown Oval Coffee Table - $153
Superellipse Glass Top Coffee Table - $399
Oval Tribal Carved Wood Coffee Table - $400
Bridge Marble Coffee Table - $999
Stockholm Oval Coffee Table - $249
Nero White Marble Oval Coffee Table - $899
Modern Concrete Dark Grey Coffee Table - $459
Versailles Marbled Coffee Table - $820
Whisler Coffee Table - $260
Vintage Brass Oval Platter Table - $890
Mura Coffee Table - $229
Reeve Mid-Century Oval Coffee Table - $799
Bridging Ellipse Coffee Table - $599
1. Thomas Bina Olivia Coffee Table | 2. No No Table | 3. Bordeaux Coffee Table | 4. Vintage SnoCraft Coffee Table | 5. Platner Coffee Table | 6. Wood Coffee Table | 7. Roseman Coffee Table with Tray Top | 8. Leigh Coffee Table | 9. Brown Oval Coffee Table | 10. Superellipse Glass Top Coffee Table | 11. Oval Tribal Carved Wood Coffee Table | 12. Bridge Marble Coffee Table | 13. Stockholm Oval Coffee Table | 14. Nero White Marble Oval Coffee Table | 15. Modern Concrete Dark Grey Coffee Table | 16. Versailles Marbled Coffee Table | 17. Whisler Coffee Table | 18.Vintage Brass Oval Platter Table | 19. Mura Coffee Table | 20. Reeve Mid-Century Oval Coffee Table | 21. Bridging Ellipse Coffee Table
So…what else do you wish you had guidelines for? We’ve done a handful of posts with tons of rules by room, but how would you want us to drill down deeper? What do you struggle with regularly while decorating that you want some signature EHD how-to post action on? As always, let us know in the comments.
Since you’re already riding high on design guidelines, here are some more posts that might be helpful:
- Design Mistakes: Hanging Curtains All Wrong
- Living Rules to Know
- Dining Room Rules
- Bedroom Design Rules
- My Top 3 Design Rules. Ever.
