The days are getting shorter and the sofa is your favourite spot again. A good coffee table completes the living room. It holds your tea, a book, a candle or a bowl of nuts when friends come round. But which shape do you choose: round or oval? And how big should it be? Here we help you choose.
Round coffee table: soft, playful and space-saving
A round coffee table has no corners. That makes it look light and easy to walk around. That is handy in a smaller living room and in homes with children: nobody bumps a knee on a sharp corner any more.
A round coffee table works especially well with:
- A corner sofa. The round shape fills the corner nicely without the table getting in the way.
- A small living room. A round table visually takes up less space than a rectangular table of the same size.
- A seating area with two armchairs or a sofa with separate chairs. Everyone can reach the table equally well.
A round mango wood coffee table with a diameter of 80 cm is a safe choice for most living rooms. It is big enough for a tray and a few cups, but leaves enough walking space.
Oval coffee table: the calm of a rectangle, the softness of a circle
An oval coffee table combines the best of both worlds. It is elongated, just like a rectangular table, and so follows the line of your sofa. At the same time it has soft curves, which makes it look less severe.
Choose an oval coffee table if:
- you have a long, straight sofa (three- or four-seater);
- you want more table space without the table dominating the room;
- you have a narrow living room. The oval shape gives a sense of space and guides your path along the sofa.
An oval coffee table of 110 x 55 cm suits a sofa 200 to 240 cm wide.
What size coffee table do you need?
With these three rules of thumb you will almost always get it right:
- Length: the coffee table is about two thirds of the length of your sofa. For a 210 cm sofa that means a table of around 120 to 140 cm long. For a round table, take the diameter.
- Height: the table is the same height as the seat of your sofa, or slightly lower. Usually that is 40 to 45 cm.
- Distance: leave 40 to 50 cm between the sofa and the coffee table. Then you can get past easily, and your cup is still within reach.
