I’ve definitely made my fair share of mistakes when buying furniture and accessories. Most of them had to do with choosing something that wasn’t the right scale for my space (the ginormous “Dr. Spock” chair that I bought for the small family room in our first house comes to mind…). Luckily, I’ve since figured out some tried and true tips that make it easy to get it right. So if you’re shopping for your family or living room and wondering how high your end tables should be or how large a rug you should buy, check out these must-have tips! (post contains some affiliate links – disclosure statement available {here})
What size coffee table should I use with my sofa?
- The ideal height for a coffee table is the height of the sofa’s seat cushions or 1-2″ lower
- The perfect length for a coffee table is 2/3 the length of the sofa
- Position the coffee table so that there’s about 16-18″ of space between the sofa and coffee table
Favorite Coffee Tables (use arrows to scroll left and right):
How high should my living room end tables be?
- Side/end tables should ideally be within 2″ of a sofa’s arm height. My personal preference is for them to be 1-2″ lower than the sofa arm.
- Side tables should be no deeper than the depth of the sofa
How tall should a console table be when it’s placed behind a sofa?
- Console tables behind a sofa should be the same height as the back of the sofa or up to 1-3″ lower
How large of a rug should I choose for my room?
- Area rugs should be large enough that at least two legs of each furniture piece are on the rug.
- For rugs that cover most of the room, a good rule of thumb is to leave between 12-18″ of bare floor between the edge of the rug and the walls of the room. For small rooms, you may wish to leave less bare floor while for especially large rooms you may wish to leave more.
And what about hanging art? Those tips are worthy of a post all their own – you’ll find all of my rule of thumb measurements for hanging art {here}.
So do you have any furniture purchase regrets that rival my Dr. Spock chair? Dish it.
Design Chic says
February 11, 2015 at 7:56 amSo many great tips -I’ve definitely had regrets and lived with living room chairs for 5 years that I didn’t like the minute they brought them in the house…happy Wednesday, Kris!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 11, 2015 at 10:14 amI lived with my “Dr. Spock” chairs for about that long too – glad it’s not just me 🙂
Katie @ Team Skelley says
February 11, 2015 at 8:43 amWhen I first started blogging six years ago, we had just moved into our house. Our playroom had a large accent wall and I found an idea on a well-known blogger’s page to hang a door on it. Well, my husband being helpful, hung the door one day when I was not home — and for some reason he always hangs prints way too high. So it was too high but it also was a chore to hang and I did not have the heart to ask him to move it.
So I emailed the blogger a photo and thanked her for the idea to hang the door. She responded and asked me if she could feature the door on her blog as a part of a do’s/don’ts post. I said sure — and then she wrote a not very flattering nor nice blog entry about our door. Considering I was brand new and she was a big name, I left it alone but it was sort of mortifying and disheartening.
The good news is a year or so later, we moved the couch to that wall and suddenly the door was at the perfect height. And it taught me a valuable lesson about how to treat commenters/fellow bloggers, regardless of whether they have 10,000 followers or 10.
Tammy says
February 11, 2015 at 10:12 amI can see why you would be hurt by that. Good on you for using it as a learning experience – and ensuring you offered others more respect than you were given 🙂
Lisa @ Shine Your Light says
February 11, 2015 at 1:10 pmOh my gosh Katie, that is terrible and so offensive!! How she possibly could have thought that was right is beyond me!! But I like your take-away and am glad that you are turning that experience into a positive in your life (and in blogging).
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 11, 2015 at 10:18 amKatie, I’m so sorry that you had that experience. How completely rude and short-sighted it was for the blogger to do that to you. I love that you’ve taken the total opposite approach. Bloggers are part of a small community and I couldn’t agree more that whether you’re a new blogger or a seasoned pro, everyone in that community (along with those outside of it like our readers) should be treated respectfully. Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Kimberley says
February 11, 2015 at 9:58 amBrilliant post!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 11, 2015 at 10:19 amThank you – glad you found it helpful!
Taylor Greenwalt says
February 11, 2015 at 10:03 amGreat post and very helpful.
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 11, 2015 at 10:19 amThanks Taylor!
Tammy says
February 11, 2015 at 10:15 amThanks for the awesowe post. I think I need to measure some things!
We moved into a new home 3 years ago and I never considered the height of the side tables (in relation to the arm of the sofa) in my family room. They are a little too high and we knock our funny bones on them when reaching for a drink or the remote. Not cool!
Tammy says
February 11, 2015 at 10:16 am*awesome
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 11, 2015 at 10:23 amI’ve been there, done that too Tammy! Years ago I had an end table in our living room that was too high and it drove me crazy. The funny thing is that it was a trained interior designer who recommended it to me – I never understood how she got that so wrong!
classic casual home says
February 11, 2015 at 10:17 amThe only furniture mistake that really stands our for me was buying a desk chair with cheap fabric that wore out too quickly. Desk chairs, if you use they everyday need to be sturdy. Beautiful post.
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:19 pmI wish that I had you to consult with 15+ years ago – I made so, so many furniture mistakes! You’ve obviously done much better than me!
Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says
February 11, 2015 at 10:25 amGreat tips! I’m still drooling over that awesome star pod that you got!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:19 pmThanks Jennifer – my husband doesn’t understand why I’m so enamored by it. Glad you do 🙂
Vel says
February 11, 2015 at 10:28 amGreat round-up Kris! Glad I followed most of these rules without even knowing! I guess these details all boil down to comfort and what really should be comfortable to you right?
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:20 pmYou have such a great eye Vel that you probably do all of this naturally without having to get out your tape measure!
[email protected] Stroll Thru Life says
February 11, 2015 at 11:25 amFabulous post and so many wonderful tips. Love the suggestions for hanging art. Too high is one of my pet peeves.
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:20 pmMe too Marty – it drives me nuts when art is hung too high!
Pam @ Simple Details says
February 11, 2015 at 12:10 pmAwesome collection of tips, Kris! Love your pretty styling, too!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:21 pmThanks Pam – my side table needs some work but my living room is slowly getting there…
Lisa @ Shine Your Light says
February 11, 2015 at 1:12 pmKris your guides are so helpful….thank you for pulling together all these rules of thumb!! And I love your leather ottoman coffee table by the way!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:21 pmThanks Lisa – we’ve had it for a while now and were so lucky that it fit our new space well!
Anonymous says
April 17, 2015 at 1:00 pmI’ve been looking for a coffee table like yours… Where can I find one of good quality? Thanks in advance!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
April 28, 2015 at 10:46 pmSorry for the late reply! My coffee table is made by Lee Industries – if you go on their website you can search for local stores that sell their products. I love this shape of ottoman because it works as well at the foot of a bed as it does in a family room.
cassie says
February 11, 2015 at 4:11 pmi SO picked the wrong size rug for my living room and i regret it! where were you then? 😉
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:22 pmHa! I’ve been there, done that too!
Leslie Harris aka Gwen Moss says
February 12, 2015 at 11:21 pmKris this post is so helpful. To be honest, i bought a Restoration Hardware couch at the outlet before we relocated and it’s too big for our new home. Sad because of the investment. But i learned a few things from that couch. First, I’ll never buy a down couch again (flattens too much) and second, I’ll never buy a piece of furniture for a new home before we’re in it–no matter how great a deal it is.
BTW–i read Katie’s comment and i feel so bad thinking about how she was treated by that ‘big’ blogger. I’m so glad she shared it here so she can continue to get supportive feedback.
xo
Leslie
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:24 pmThat’s such a bummer Leslie. I couldn’t agree more about waiting to buy furniture until after you’ve moved in too. I bought a beautiful console a few weeks before we moved to this house thinking that I had the perfect spot for it but then it didn’t work at all and I had to sell it a few weeks after moving in 🙂 So you’ve not alone…
Shelley @ Calypso in the Country says
February 13, 2015 at 4:47 pmGreat tips, Kris. I am constantly measuring things around my house. I can usually tell when something doesn’t look quite right but it’s helpful to know the correct measurements as a guide!
Shelley
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:25 pmUsing your eye is definitely the best best, right?! I find these rules most helpful for when I’m shopping for new furniture – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve brought things home to try and realized that it was totally the wrong size for my space.
Tone on Tone says
February 13, 2015 at 5:04 pmAwesome post! So informative and great examples, Kris. Thanks for breaking it down. By the way, you should turn this into a series: living room, bedroom, kitchen, etc. Would make a great reference guide. Enjoy the holiday weekend, xoxo
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 15, 2015 at 8:26 pmThanks Loi! I’m planning to work my way around the house with more posts!
cindy hattersley says
February 17, 2015 at 8:58 amThese posts are always so helpful! I am adding to my design tips Pinterest Board!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
February 17, 2015 at 9:51 pmThanks Cindy!
Carol says
February 27, 2015 at 9:40 amThis suggestions are a treasure so thank you. Hoping you can give us your thoughts on appropriate chandelier size based on the size of the dining room and the table. Again, thank you!
Ellen says
February 27, 2015 at 7:41 pmGreat tips! Exactly what I was taught in design school. I am excited about your idea for the series. I found you from Simple Details, so I am off to check out the rest of your blog.
Stacy Bosh says
March 1, 2015 at 8:24 amThose are great tips , especially about the two legs of the couch on the rug . Your living room looks great !
Amanda says
May 4, 2015 at 12:29 pmI just found your website and am falling in love!! I am trying to figure out how to put large furniture in a small living room. My husband is 6’6″, so all the furniture I purchase has to “fit” him. We have a large movie sofa (108x40x48) and large man recliner (44x46x54). I am having trouble arranging them to “fit” the room.
Rachael says
September 1, 2015 at 6:05 pmFew…I passed with full marks…
Sarah says
November 16, 2015 at 12:59 pmWhat proportions do you suggest when buying a coffee table for a sectional?
Brenda Nono says
September 5, 2018 at 8:47 pmShould a side tabe be on the area rug or the wood floor?
I need help asap! 🙁
Thanks!!
Bre Nono
Kris Jarrett says
September 10, 2018 at 12:47 amHonestly it depends upon what else is going on in the room – most of the time I prefer for them to be on the rug!
Shayla Cademis says
June 7, 2019 at 1:43 pmThanks for your suggestion of having side/end tables one or two inches lower than the arm of the sofa. I’m remodeling my front room this month and have been trying to think of different ways to freshen up that area. I hope I’ll be able to find great end tables and pieces to decorate them with.
Shelley R Williamson says
February 17, 2020 at 9:07 amWhere should I position the front of my end tables with respect to my sofa,