The wooden coffee table is a classic, welcome in the centre of many a living room. It gives you a place for basic storage, for cups of tea, magazines you haven’t finished reading, your laptop, and even a decorative vignette that better shows off your style. But, what should you consider when choosing a coffee table for your room?
Size and shape
You want to make sure that the coffee table is big enough that it acts as a functional surface for what you might want to put in it. Its size compared with the rest of the room is important, too. If it’s disproportionately large, you won’t have much room to move around it. If it’s too small, then it can leave the room looking a little too bare. Of course, the shape of it can affect how well it fits into any space, as well as how it reaches the seating positions of those who might want to use it.
Style
Aesthetic is as important as function, as well. The coffee table should fit the overall style of the interiors, rather than standing out too much. It can work as a focal point with the help of a decorative vignette on top of it, but an ill-fitting coffee table can become hard to look at, especially given how it dominates the centre of the room.
Material
The material is, given the nature of the choice, going to be some kind of wood. However, there are different types of wood that have different qualities as well as aesthetic impacts. If you already have wooden furniture in your room, for instance, you might want to make sure it doesn’t clash with those. The hardness and weight of the material can make a difference, too.
Storage space
It’s not just about the size of the surface top, either. A wooden coffee table with storage can be a very convenient thing to have in the middle of the room. This can include small shelves or even space for a wicker basket that you can pull out from underneath. This is especially true for smaller rooms where storage space might otherwise be limtied.
The height
Consider the height you will be sitting at, and the height of the top of the coffee table. Roughly speaking, you want the seat of your sofa or chair to be level with the top of the coffee table or even a little bit above it. If it’s for entertaining or dining, then you can have it be elevated a little bit. You never want it to be quite at dinner table level, as this can be disruptive when you’re simply trying to relax or watch TV.
When you’re picking your ideal wooden coffee table with storage, make sure you keep the above criteria in mind. It’s a more vital piece of furniture than many people give it credit for, and lacking in some of the qualities mentioned above can make it more of an eyesore than anything.
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