“Don't Make This Living Room Coffee Table Mistake”

Choosing a coffee table for your living room seems like an easy enough task when you first think about it. You walk into a store you like, pick your favorite piece, and go home with it (or have it delivered), but upon further reflection, there are many more decisions in picking the right coffee table than meets the eye.

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Be Mindful of the Height

There's nothing more awkward than a coffee table that's too high or too low. To ensure you feel comfortable in your living space, opt for a coffee table that's the same height as the cushions on your sofa or one to two inches lower. Any more and you risk the space looking and feeling just a little off.

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Pay Attention to the Proportions

Similarly to finding a coffee table that has the right height, you should look for one that has the right length in relation to the width of your sofa. Specifically, your coffee table should be approximately two-thirds the length of your sofa. So for a 96-inch sofa, for instance, you should look for a coffee table that's 64 inches long.

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Strike the Right Balance

Another handy rule to follow when choosing a coffee table is its "weightiness." In other words, it should complement the other furniture in the room to make the space feel proportional and balanced. What does this all mean? If your sofa has high skinny legs, consider a table that's solid all the way to the ground or has shorter chunkier legs. On the other hand, if your sofa has no visible legs, choose a coffee table that has higher skinnier legs. An interior designer once told me that when a room feels too "leggy," it doesn't feel as grounded—and it's something that's never left me.