The Regrettable Mistake Everyone Makes When Buying A Coffee Table

Just like a couch, a coffee table plays an important part in bringing together a cohesive living room aesthetic. Often bookended by sofas and armchairs, it is an integral feature of a living area, where a family's social activities take place. With its roots stretching back to the 17th century in Europe — then a simple round tabletop propped on a base for serving tea to guests — the coffee table has evolved in both design and form over the centuries, while preserving its main purpose as a place to gather with our loved ones, whether for a cozy night in or for evenings spent entertaining guests.

Picking the correct coffee table for your home goes beyond buying the first one that catches your fancy. A coffee table should not be an impulse buy — In fact, most mistakes stem from thinking that it is. As the centerpiece that harmoniously ties the room together, your chosen coffee table should reflect and complement your living room's layout and accessibility, as well as the existing furniture that will surround it.

Instagrammer @kiva.brent lays down some pertinent ground rules when selecting a coffee table: Go for a rectangular table if you have a rectangular couch, and choose a round or square-shaped coffee table if you own a sectional couch. Following this rule of thumb can help prevent you from purchasing the wrong coffee table shape for your living room, a potentially expensive mistake you might regret later.

Placing a rectangular coffee table parallel to a standard couch evens out everyone's access to the table from where they are seated, making it easy to reach for and set down one's refreshments or easily access the game board during game nights. Meanwhile, round or square-shaped tables fit seamlessly into a sectional's L- or U-shaped layout, granting table access from all sides and eliminating awkward spatial dimensions and uneven couch-to-table proportions. These shapes also streamline the flow of foot traffic and create access to and around the coffee table, improving the spacing of living room furniture.

If you can't commit to completely replacing your coffee table, there are some nifty hacks you can work with. Get a store-bought glass or acrylic sheet, or have one cut according to your desired dimensions, and place it over your existing table for a completely new tabletop. Place two square side tables together to form a rectangular one, or bring in two nesting tables to increase your table's surface area. Guests sitting in armchairs or at the far ends of your sofa will also appreciate their own table space, which you can provide by adding round end or side tables next to them.