Living Room Tables

Coffee Table Height: The Rule That Actually Works

The most useful guideline for coffee table height is to match it approximately to the height of your sofa cushions — usually 40–50cm from the floor. This places the table surface at a comfortable reach from the seated position without requiring you to lean awkwardly forward or stretch down. Too high and the table dominates the room and blocks the view across the seating area; too low and it’s impractical as a surface. Check the listed height of any table against your sofa seat height before buying.

Round, Rectangle, or Oval — Which Shape Suits Your Room?

Shape is about flow as well as style. Different sofa arrangements can work with rectangular, oval, round or nesting tables depending on the available space and how the seating is used. A round table removes protruding corners and can make circulation feel less constrained in some layouts. Check the table dimensions and the clear space around it rather than relying on one shape rule for every room. 

Side Tables: More Useful Than They Look

A side table next to a sofa or armchair is one of the hardest-working small pieces of furniture in a living room. It holds the lamp, the drink, the phone, the book — everything that ends up balanced on the arm of the sofa without one. The ideal height is level with or slightly below the sofa’s arm height. Round side tables with a small footprint suit tight spots alongside a sofa end; square or rectangular styles work better if you need more surface area.