Find the Perfect Coffee Table in TWO Easy Steps

Sara Tramp Photography Cory Tran and Freida Pinto Living Room

Photo by Sarah Tramp | design by Bobby Berk

I love finding the showpiece for a room - the bed, the sofa, the dining table - but, I seem to get a bit lost when shopping for their companions. The perfect example - a coffee table.

Why is it so hard? Well, first of all, there are SOOOO MANY options when you consider style, size, shape, material, and finish...it's overwhelming.

Second, while the coffee table may not be the most important piece in your living or family room, it's still an important piece for both design and fuction. The apprehension is real. If you buy a table that’s too big it could make the space feel crowded and unbalanced. If you buy one too small, it can cheapen everything around it.

The good news? In just two easy steps, you can determine the ideal shape and size for your space and start shopping for a coffee table with clear intention.

Step 1 | Determine the ideal SHAPE for your space

The goal here is all about accessibility relative to the primary seating in the room. No matter where you are sitting, you want to be able to easily reach items off the tabletop or comfortably pop your feet up and relax.

In a living room with a loveseat, standard sofa, or a sofa with a chaise, a rectangle or oval coffee table will likely work best. A coffee table with an extended length will better serve a longer sofa.

In a living space with an L-shaped or U-shaped sectional, a square or round coffee table will likely work best. Nestled, quite literally, in the center of conversation, a symmetrical table will provide easy access from all seating positions.

Coffee Table Size & Shape Guide

In the living room below, an oversized rectangular coffee table works perfectly centered between two extra-long sofas.

Amber Interiors Client Canyon Cool Living Room with Rectangle Coffee Table

Source: Amber Interior Design | photo by Tessa Neustadt

The coffee table is large enough so that no matter where you're seated you can easily reach it and small enough to maintain adequate space to move around the table comfortably.

Oval coffee tables also work great with a standard- or wider-width sofa.

Source: Style by Emily Henderson | photo by Tessa Neustadt

They provide adequate surface space along the length of the sofa and the curved design helps to soften a space and improve visual flow in a long, narrow room.

A square coffee table works well in a living space with a sectional or a traditional conversational setup like the one below.

Source: Amber Interior Design | photo by Tessa Neustadt

Nesting perfectly in the open L-shape or U-shape a sectional creates, a square table is easy to access from seating along all sides when put (quite literally) in the center of the conversation.

Round tables are another great option with an L-shaped or U-shaped sectional and in smaller spaces where you need to preserve every inch of floor space. You get to eliminate sharp corners and can add some really cool design elements to your room with different tabletop materials and base options.

One Kings Lane Gen Ben Sohr Living Room with Round Coffee Table

Source: One Kings Lane | photo by Leslee Mitchell | styled by Gen Sohr

Step 2 | Determine the ideal SIZE for your space

a) Length is almost always the most important dimension to help you find a coffee table that is the right scale for your space. You’ll want a table that is approximately 60% the length of your sofa.

If you have a sectional and your table is going within the open L-shape or U-shape that sofa shape creates, the 60% guideline applies to just the length of the horizontal seat, rather than the full length of the sofa.

b) Width: You will want to maintain 16-18 inches of space between the table and the seating around it so you can comfortably move around the room.

c) Height: Coffee tables are typically 16-18" high and will work just fine with most seating heights. I wouldn't worry too much about height until you are ready to make a purchase. At that point, just make sure the top of the table is roughly the same height as the top of your sofa cushions (give or take about 3 inches). At that height, it will be easy to reach anything on your coffee table or comfortably kick up your feet when you want to relax.

Still feeling lost or uninspired?

Keep scrolling. I'm sharing some of my favorite, drool-worthy looks and favorite finds in different shapes, sizes. Under each shape, the coffee tables are grouped into low/mid/high price tiers to help get you find the perfect coffee table for your space.

Rectangle Coffee Tables

Amber Interior Design Project Are We There Yet

Source: Amber Interior Design | photo by Shade Degges

Rectangle Coffee Tables Under $400

Cost Plus World Market Pascal Rustic Brown Acacia Wood Rectangle Coffee Table World Market Pascal Coffee Table

West Elm Profile Rectangle Coffee Table West Elm Profile Coffee Table

Ashley Furniture Watson Dark Brown Rectangle Coffee Table (56.25 inch) Ashley Furniture Watson Coffee Table

Ashley Furniture Johnelle Rectangle Coffee Table Ashley Furniture Johnelle Coffee Table

Cost Plus World Market Everett Weathered Natural Wood Rectangle Coffee Table World Market Everett Coffee Table

Cost Plus World Market Sansur Rustic Pecan Live Edge Wood Rectangle Coffee Table

World Market Sansur Coffee Table

Rectangle Coffee Tables $600-$1,000

shown in Glazed Pine; also available in White Wash finish Pottery Barn Folsom Solid Pine Rectangular Coffee Table in Desert Pine (58 inch)

Pottery Barn Folsom Coffee Table

Pottery Barn Malcolm Rectangle Coffee Table Pottery Barn Malcolm Rectangular Coffee Table Glazed Pine (60 inch)

Pottery Barn Malcolm Coffee Table

Pottery Barn Thorndale Rectangular Reclaimed Rectangle Wood Coffee Table

Pottery Barn Thorndale Coffee Table

Rectangle Coffee Tables $1,200+

Lulu and Georgia Remwald Oak Rectangle Coffee Table (60 inch) product image

Lulu and Georgia Remwald Coffee Table

Amber Interiors Lilibet Coffee Table

Restoration Hardware French Contemporary Coffee Table in Black Oak

RH French Contemporary Coffee Table

McGee and Co. Harlow Leather Rectangle Coffee Table Bench

McGee & Co. Harlow Leather Bench

Oval Coffee Tables

Amber Interior Design Project Farm In The Front Lake In The Back

Source: Amber Interior Design | photo by Shade Degges

Oval Coffee Tables Under $400

Cost Plus World Market Sansur Rustic Pecan Live Edge Wood Rectangle Coffee Table Cost Plus World Market Zeke Oval Brushed Oatmeal Coffee Table (56 inch)