Want to find a coffee table with the ideal dimensions for your space? These tips will help you find the perfect one!
Finding the right-sized furniture for your space is every bit as important as the style of your piece. Which is exactly why the current 36″ round coffee table in our sun room (aka “circus room”) needs to go.
The coffee table dimensions were perfect for the IKEA sectional it was paired with for the two years we used this as our second home with bare bones furniture. But the table isn’t a good shape or size for our permanent furniture layout of a sofa across from two chairs (the way-too-small area rug is outta here too – more on that at the end of the post!):
Today I’m sharing what coffee table dimensions to look for so that you can find a table that’s the perfect fit for your space. Grab your measuring tape and let’s get to it… (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})
Coffee Table Height
There are two main considerations when deciding on the best coffee table height. The first is how your coffee table relates to the seating around it. Ideally, the height of your coffee table should be the same height or 1-3″ lower than the height of your sofa cushions.
The second thing to consider is how you plan to use your coffee table. If you use it primarily for resting food and drinks that you want within easy reach, a table height equal to your sofa cushion height is ideal. As an example, {this rattan coffee table} that’s 18.5″ H is within 0.5″ of {this sofa} and {this chair} surrounding it that are 18″ H:
If you use your coffee table primarily as a footrest or ottoman, a coffee table that’s a few inches lower than your seating might be a better fit.
If your coffee table isn’t the best size for keeping drinks within easy reach, martini tables are a great option! Check out my post on martini tables for my favorites!
Coffee Table Length
Wondering how long and wide your coffee table should be? It may be larger than you expect since the vast majority of living rooms have undersized coffee tables. The ideal length for a coffee table is ⅔ the length of your sofa. This is a great example of a coffee table that’s sized well for the sofa:
What’s the shortest length coffee table you should consider? At minimum, your coffee table should be ½ the length of your sofa.
If you have an L-shaped sectional or sofa with a chaise, use the length of the OPEN space in front of the sofa/sectional as your point of reference. Ideally, get a coffee table that’s ⅔ that length (at minimum ½ that length).
Coffee Table Width
The ideal width of your coffee table depends on how much space you want between your coffee table and furniture and on the furniture arrangement in your room. A good rule of thumb is to leave 12-18″ of space between your coffee table and the seating around it. My personal preference is about 14″. This gives you enough walking space while still keeping your coffee table close enough so it can be reached while sitting.
If you’re placing a coffee table between two sofas or between a sofa and two chairs like the living room in our previous home,
Living Room Sources: Loveseat & ottoman (custom order from Lee Industries) | Linen swivel chairs | Wood floor lamp | Framed leaf art print | Round mirror over fireplace
first measure from the distance between the two seating areas. Then subtract the two pathway measurements that should be between 12-18″. For example, if there is 60″ of space between your two seating areas, and you want to leave a pathway of 14″ between the coffee table and seating on each side, your ideal coffee table width is 60″ – 14″ – 14″ = 32″.
Another good rule of thumb is to leave a minimum of 30-36″ of space between your coffee table and media console, fireplace, or other large furniture piece. You can use this tip to help determine the best coffee table width in a room like our old family room where the coffee table was between our sectional and media console:
Room Sources: TV console (similar) | Chandelier (satin bronze) | Faux fiddle leaf fig tree | Rug | Art prints | Acrylic coffee table (similar) | Coffee table tray (28″ square) | Rattan chair
Also keep in mind that with sectionals or a sofa with chaise, it looks best if the coffee table isn’t so wide that it extends beyond the end of the chaise or sectional arm:
Other Coffee Table Features to Consider
Another feature to consider when choosing a coffee table is the material it’s made of. If you’re looking to create the feel of more space in your room, a glass or acrylic coffee table can help give you that open feel that you’re looking for. On the other hand, if you have a large space and you’re looking to ground it, a solid coffee table like {this reclaimed oak coffee table} is a great choice:
And of course the coffee table material needs to fit your lifestyle, so you wouldn’t want a grasscloth-covered coffee table in a busy home with young kids and pets.
Also consider whether having storage space in your coffee table is high on your priority list. There are many coffee tables that come with 1-2 storage drawers and some even have a top that lifts off to reveal storage space. For example, {this round coffee table} has a white enamel tray on top that can be removed to reveal tons of storage space inside:
It would be great for storing throw blankets, extra pillows, games, or anything else that tends to clutter up your living space.
Want tips for decorating the top of your coffee table so it’s both functional and stylish? See my post on coffee table decor ideas!
Now that you know the ideal size and features for your coffee table, let’s share a few favorites! I’ve been doing a LOT of coffee table searching and these are my favorite rectangular, square, and round coffee tables in a range of price points…
Rectangular Coffee Tables
Source links: 1. Folsom coffee table: (58″ L x 24″ W x 18.5″ H) or Grand folsom coffee table (60″ L x 40″ W x 18.5″ H)
2. Modern farmhouse coffee table (64″ L x 30″ W x 15″ H)
3. Glass waterfall coffee table (43″ L x 24″ W x 15” H)
4. Volume modern coffee table (50″ L x 30″ W x 16.5″ H)
5. Basile whitewash coffee table (47″ L x 31″ W x 18” H)
6. Brass & glass coffee table (54″ L x 24″ W x 17″ H)
7. Hughes white framed woven coffee table (52″ L x 28″ D x 17″ H)
I’m also super intrigued by {this Bowery coffee table} that’s an upholstered piece (you can choose from several fabric options) with a movable wood overlay:
It could be the best of both worlds, with an upholstered portion to throw your feet up on and a wood portion for resting drinks.
Square Coffee Tables
Source links: 1. Cabot white raffia coffee table (40″ W x 18″ H)
2. Folsom pine coffee table (40″ W x 18.75″ H)
3. Kamari plaster coffee table (40″ W x 15″ H)
4. Grooved wood coffee table (33″ W x 32″ L x 18″ H)
5. Sullivan reclaimed oak coffee table (42″ W x 15″ H)
6. Thetford arched leg coffee table (34″ W x 18″ H)
7. Santa rosa cross base coffee table (32″ W x 15″ H or 44″ W x 15″ H)
You can even use two square coffee tables side by side in a space where a long, rectangular coffee table is the best fit:
Round Coffee Tables
Source links: 1. Cayman coffee table (40″ W x 15″ H)
2. Charcoal & cane coffee table (36″ W x 17″ H)
3. Bornova white lattice coffee table (36″ W x 16″ H)
4. Rose park wood coffee table (35″ W x 18″ H)
5. Bamboo & jute coffee table (36″ W x 17″ H)
6. White fluted coffee table (42″ W x 16.5″H)
7. Modern farmhouse coffee table (44″ W x 19.5″ H)
I hope those of you looking for a coffee table found this post to be helpful and that the rest of you can use it as a resource in the future (be sure to pin an image or two so you can find it at a later date!). Check out my post on family room ideas if you want other tips for making over your space!
To wrap things up, I want to circle back around to my mention earlier in this post about finding a rug for our circus room too. Our room is a bit of an odd size and the only standard-size rugs that fit the space well would interfere with the door that leads out to our back patio. So that left me searching for options with custom rug sizes.
After a TON of looking, I settled on a modern Oushak rug from Locust Lane. You can buy one of their pre-designed rugs in a standard size, but they also offer the option to customize the size and/or colors to your space! My rug will have a lot of the same colors and design elements as their Fiona rug (far left) but with a lighter background and a bit more of the blue and green colors in the other two rugs:
Rug Links (from left to right): Fiona rug | Ivy rug | Loretta rug
Stay tuned for more on that soon, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
XO,