5 Coffee Table Ideas to Uplift Your Living Room

Books and bouquets, crackers and cheese, coffee and cake. The coffee table is an essential, multifunctional piece of living room furniture that can contain and display numerous items. A living room without a coffee table is like a teacup without a saucer – it’s incomplete – but there’s no need to compromise on style for the sake of utility. There’s a coffee table for every need, budget, and living room style, be it a creative and eccentric stool, an old trunk, or a refined nest.

Use these ideas to stimulate your imagination. Choose the correct one, and it will tell the exact story you desire.

1. Explore textures

Natural fibres add cosiness to a predominantly neutral room. It all works out. Add colour to your coffee table by stacking books and magazines.

Cane, rattan, or wicker – this durable yet lightweight material is making a comeback in interior design. To counteract the wobbly top, position a wooden tray on top for placing items such as cups and glasses when using the table as a coffee table. Cane complements vibrant fabrics and polished floors well.

2. Choose glass

The best feature of glass tables is their transparency; you can barely discern their shape, creating the illusion of a larger room. The decorative objects you place on them become the focal point, so experiment with sophisticated vases and ornaments.

If you already have multiple colours in your living space, selecting a transparent coffee table eliminates the need to incorporate yet another hue. A table that complements the existing décor allows the rest of the room to flourish.

Round off the sharp corners of the glass, particularly if the table is in a high-traffic area or young children are present.

3. Combine the old and new

The treasure chest (or glory box, depending on your era) is the perfect size and height for a coffee table in a living room. This chest’s dark wood complements the surrounding walls and furnishings. With limited wall space for shelving, a chest is a fantastic method to store books and magazines.

A weathered sea chest will lend visual interest to any room. Choose an eye-catching piece with a beautiful patina that demonstrates wear and tear. It is both a conversation starter and a robust and practical storage solution.

Utilise used luggage. Alongside a contemporary leather sofa, vintage trunks or suitcases in excellent condition will fit comfortably. Ideal for homes with limited storage space, fill your suitcase with out-of-season apparel and use it as a coffee table.

4. Have fun with numbers

Could we have three tables? You can use one for decoration, another for flowers, and the third as a coffee container. Ensure that there is sufficient space around each for simple movement.

5. Consider nature

Impress your visitors with intricate wood carved directly from a log. The organic form and texture will add drama to your living area. Applying protective oil results in a beautiful, unique creation. A pale wooden coffee table complements the furnishings’ colour scheme and the wood used elsewhere in the room.

For a living room in need of a natural accent, imperfect wood may be the optimal choice. Obtain your timber from a sawmill (ask for flawed offcuts or slabs) and locate a fabricator to produce the steel frame if you cannot find one you like.