How to choose a coffee table for your living room

The coffee table is not the main piece of furniture, but it can have a bright attractive shade and become a highlight in your home interior. It is most important to put it in a living room, hall or office. A coffee table is not only a decorative item. It can be used as a stand for books, magazines, laptop or as a storage place for a variety of small things. Also at such a table you can chat and arrange tea-drinking with friends and guests.

Types of coffee tables

Classic coffee table

It is used for storing various presses, books, usually equipped with additional sections, shelves under the countertop and pull-out drawers.

Dining coffee table

A small replica of a traditional dining table. The round or square top design has a central support and multiple legs (one to four).

Coffee table

The table is in the form of an inverted letter – “P”. The support legs slide under the sofa or bed, and the table top is located above the seat or side.

Coffee table platform

It looks like a stand table with a central support. On such a table you can put a vase of sweets, a cup of tea, a telephone, a candelabrum with candles, a table lamp.

Decorative coffee table

This coffee table is an exclusive from famous designers, made of expensive super modern high quality materials. Usually such tables are not famous for their great functionality, but are bought for the purpose of contemplation and admiration, and will also become a wonderful decoration for the decoration of an apartment.

Coffee table matryoshka

A set of several tables (from 2 to 6), one smaller than the other. The original “set” of tables is perfect for a friendly company. Also, this “pairing” effect can be used in general in apartment design, in other interior elements.

Showcase coffee table

A coffee table with a glass top, under which there is a shelf with a variety of souvenirs, crafts, cute little things. There are “showcases” with an alcoholic bar or even equipped with a beautiful aquarium with lighting.

Coffee table-transformer

Folding coffee table, which combines several subtypes at once – dining, bedside, computer. With a little effort, your table is transformed.

Coffee table material

Manufacturing companies present coffee tables made of the following materials:

Glass coffee table. Coffee tables with a glass surface or completely made of glass increase the space of the room, amaze with their magnificent original appearance, strict laconic design and resistance to mechanical damage and scratches. Models with support in the form of snags or tree stumps, corals, animal horns, and various abstract designs are especially effective. Dust and fingerprints are “good” on the cold glass table, but at the same time it is simple and easy to clean. Those who have small children or pets need to be especially careful – after all, a glass coffee table is rather fragile. Some users have left reviews that when touching dishes with a glass top, a specific sound occurs, which can subsequently be annoying;
Wooden coffee table. This expensive, eco-friendly material will suit lovers of tradition, naturalness and durability. Classic coffee tables made of wood are unpretentious in maintenance, pleasant to touch and will harmoniously fit into any interior decoration of the home. It must be remembered that wooden furniture is not moisture resistant and traces can remain on it under significant mechanical pressure. Elite coffee tables are produced from expensive valuable tree species – rattan, wenge, dark walnut. Usually, trees of such species are used in everyday life – pine, birch, alder, oak, aspen, beech and others;
Chipboard coffee table. Inexpensive and toxic enough material. Chipboard coffee tables are not very beautiful, have a smell and are not resistant to humidity;
MDF coffee table. This material is more expensive than chipboard. It is considered durable, environmentally friendly and practical – it is a good combination of price and quality. Such a coffee table can be bought inexpensively. And as an option, chipboard / MDF (laminated) is a common practical choice of a table. Models that are prettier and more expensive are decorated with veneer, similar to solid wood;
Rattan coffee table. This wood is famous for its durability, moisture resistance, ease of maintenance. There is a large assortment of textures, colors, shapes of rattan coffee tables;
Stone coffee table. Stone tables are characterized by high quality, durability, original design, durability in use. The disadvantages of “stone” furniture include high cost, solid weight and careful regular maintenance. The stone can be natural or artificial. In the first case, a luxurious, expensive stone is taken, which requires certain labor costs in maintenance – stains may appear on the countertop, which are difficult to remove. The most commonly used natural stones are granite, onyx, marble. In the second, tables made of agglomerate with an artificial “roof” are outwardly the same as their granite and marble counterparts, but they are considered more accessible and practical;
Metal. Such a “heavy” table is suitable only for a certain style of interior, for example, high-tech or loft. The material is considered specific and rather unpleasant to touch. But in expensive shops of coffee tables, models are sold that have graceful forged metal elements – support legs, patterns, monograms and other decorative elements;
Leather coffee table. Leather furniture looks stylish and respectable, perfect for an expensive, and most often, office interior, for example, for a study. The disadvantage of a leather table is its high cost, difficult maintenance. Dishes and household items that are placed on such a table must certainly be clean and dry. And as an option – you can purchase a budget leatherette coffee table;
Plastic coffee table. Inexpensive material, light and plastic. Plastic coffee tables can be of various shapes. Minus – such tables are unstable to mechanical stress and short-lived;
Composite coffee table. This is a combination of several different texture materials. For example, metal and wood, glass and wood, leather and wood, and others.

Coffee table shape

According to the shape of the table top, there is such a classification: round, square, oval, triangular, rectangular, in the form of a polygon or any other arbitrary shape.

To save space in the living room, tables with sharp corners (rectangular, triangular, square) are placed near the wall. Furniture of such a plan is traumatic, therefore, where there are small children, it is more advisable to buy round, oval options.

It is also necessary to take into account the area of the room – depending on this factor, the shape of the table may differ.

Coffee table style

The style of the coffee table is interdependent on the overall decoration of the room.

Traditional. Usually has a strict classical form. Most often it is a wooden table with some decorative elements – metal curved legs, an unusual support. It is important that the wood coffee table and all other furniture in the living room look like a single ensemble.
Provence. The specificity of this style lies in the pastel calm colors, in the naturalness of the materials used. The French style also implies unusual decor elements in the design of coffee tables, for example, artificial aging, two-tiered, carved patterns.
Modern. Design creativity is limitless – coffee tables of various bizarre laconic forms from all existing materials (glass, leather, wood, metal, stone, plastic).
Loft. “Street” style that combines rudeness and brutality, due to which originality is born. Roughly crafted wood, evocative metal fittings, clumsy – all of this loft style.
High tech. The high-tech coffee table is characterized by lightness, dynamism, weightlessness, a symbiosis of originality and timeless comfort.
Country. The ethnic-style coffee table stands out for its original carved decoration, mosaics, ornaments, roughness, decorative elements in national themes. Country tables are made from the most common materials – logs, bamboo, stone, rattan, leather.
Pop Art. Pop art style is a kind of reconstruction of ordinary things, pieces of furniture into something extravagant and fantastic. This “masterpiece” will immediately transform any living room with its brightness and originality.

Equipment of a coffee table

Pull-out drawers. You will need to store any small things (toys, accessories, sets of board games). Every drawer has a use for it.
Shelves. It is easy and simple to fold your favorite newspapers and magazines, books, having a coffee table with a sufficient number of shelves, and closing shelves-compartments will protect the contents from the eyes of other people.
Wheels. Easy transportation of furniture will allow you to move the table freely around the living room. Wheels must be protected by a lock to prevent sudden unauthorized movement. The coffee table on wheels is an excellent choice for large companies and tea lovers.

How to make a coffee table with your own hands? (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1udxnle2CA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQSEmbHvZqA

What do you need to know before buying a coffee table?

give preference to well-known, reputable manufacturing companies, so you will receive high-quality furniture that meets the official guarantee and certificate;
pay due attention to the quality of furniture fittings – legs, wheels, drawer handles, etc.;
carefully check the product for any visible defects – chipping, scratches, deformation, irregularities.

Tips and tricks for coffee table care

monitor the room temperature, do not allow excessive humidity in the room in which the table is located. This has a detrimental effect on any material, be it wood, metal or glass;
if there is a heating source in the room (fireplace, heater, air conditioner), place the coffee table at an impressive distance from it. This will protect the wooden table from drying out;
if any liquid gets on the table, immediately remove it;
do not put hot dishes, household items directly on the table, use a special support for this;
wooden tables cannot be washed with products for mirror and glass surfaces, and glass cannot be washed with products with abrasive substances;
do not allow direct exposure to ultraviolet rays – the lacquer coating of the countertop may crack and burn out;
do not use sponges and rags with coarse, hard fibers;
protect the glass table from heavy objects, sharp objects – this way you will keep the glass “roof” from cracks, scratches and chips;
maintenance of a coffee table requires the use of soft fabrics, napkins with special polishes, after which it is imperative to wipe the surface dry with a flannel cloth.