Sizing Guide for your COFFEE TABLE
When it comes to coffee tables, there are SO MANY OPTIONS! Which makes finding that perfect table all the more challenging when you’re sailing through the sea of tables and unsure how to best navigate.
First super simple way to narrow all those options? SIZE! You want to choose a table that proportionately fits and flows with your space. What does that mean exactly? We break down to 3 factors: height, length, and placement.
#1 COFFEE TABLE HEIGHT
Your coffee table should be the SAME HEIGHT or 1-2 INCHES SHORTER than the top of the cushions on your sofa or chairs. Simple as that! Any higher, and the table begins to feel a little too overpowering in the space. Any lower, and it will be a little awkward for you and your guests to grab items off the table.
Standard coffee table heights typically ranges somewhere between 16 to 18 inches, a size that pairs well with a standard sofa, which typically measures 17 to 18 inches from the floor to the top of the cushion. The higher the sofa is, the higher the coffee table can be. Likewise, the lower the sofa is, the lower the table should be.
All of that make sense? Ok then! Let’s continue on to the next key factor…LENGTH!
#2 COFFEE TABLE LENGTH
When choosing the perfect coffee table length, your sofa will again be the benchmark used in this determination. Scale is an important consideration in a well-balanced and well-functioning space and just as a coffee table that’s too tall can feel start to feel overpowering, a coffee table that is too long can start to feel crowded and impede movement throughout the room.
To find the ideal length, choose a coffee table that’s roughly TWO-THIRDS the LENGTH of your sofa. Let’s whip out the calculators, people! :) For example, a sofa whose length is 84 inches would need a coffee table around 56 inches long [84 * (2/3) = 56] - give or take a few inches. This will make it so the table is easily within reach when sitting on either end of the sofa but still allow for plenty of room to walk around it.
Working with a sectional with a chaise? Use the length of your sofa less the width of the chaise as part of the 2/3 calculation.
And now onto the final factor….PLACEMENT!
#3 COFFEE TABLE PLACEMENT
Your living room is not meant to be an obstacle course so let’s make sure your coffee table isn’t setup in a way that doesn’t work with the flow of the space. The key with placement is how far your coffee table is in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the space (i.e. sofa and other lounge chairs/seating in the room). As a general rule, you’ll want to place your coffee table about 12 to 18 INCHES AWAY from your sofa and chairs. If you place it any closer, it becomes a tripping hazard, however, if it’s too far away, it isn’t convenient enough for you and your guests to easily access as a functional tabletop.
TAPE MEASURE TIME
Alright, now let’s get out your tape measure! Grab these 3 KEY MEASUREMENTS, and you will have everything need to finalize the size of your perfect coffee table:
(1) Measure from the floor to the top of the sofa or chair cushion. This will be used to calculate the HEIGHT of your coffee table. You will want something with a height equal to that measurement or up to 2 inches lower.
(2) Measure the length of the sofa (and remember to exclude the width of the chaise if working with a sectional). This measurement will be used to calculate the ideal LENGTH of your coffee table. Take that length and multiply by 2/3 to get your target length +/- a few inches
(3) Once your table arrives, measure to make sure you have placed your table 12-18 inches away from the sofa and chairs in the space.
And there you have it! You now have all the necessary inputs to track down that perfectly proportioned coffee table for your living space. Happy hunting!
