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It sits in almost every living room, but gets little attention despite its usefulness. Try moving into quarters without furniture and you will discover just how handy a coffee table is.
If you want to enjoy your coffee table, it is about time you gave a little more attention to what you purchase and how you place it. Here are a few guidelines.
Buy a coffee table that you like given that you will be seeing and using it for many years. You may need to invest financially to get a durable piece either from retail furniture shops or second hand shops.
Take measurements of the space it will be placed so that there is adequate walking space once the table is in position.
Select one that will blend in with the room décor such as a chrome finish for leather seats or hardwood Lamu table for a Swahili-themed room.
Either way, choose a table that is proportionate to the rest of the furniture so that it is not too small or too bulky.
Height
Select an appropriate height depending on functionality as well as the height of the sofas. A height of about 16-18 inches will be adequate to facilitate a comfortable height to place refreshments.
The trend now is to have coffee tables at a much lower height, but a good guide is that it should be at the same height with the top of the sofa cushion, especially if the table will be used to place drinks while chatting.
Shape
Coffee tables come in all sorts of shapes, from square to oval or even rectangular. Round tables give you more walking space and will be more appropriate for smaller rooms.
Square and rectangular tables eat up much more space and are therefore more suitable for vast spaces with sparse furniture.
Find a table with some storage space for items such as remote controls, place mats or a bottom shelf for magazines.
Design your own creative novelty-shaped coffee table that is both artistic and functional to reflect your personal style and match it with two or three other similar furniture units such as a bookshelf, stools or dining table to create a sense of unity.
Placement
Find clever conventional ways to place the table such as diagonally to differentiate your space from others.
Centre the table to the sofa, especially where there is a long L-shaped sofa and accessorise the tabletop by using a decorative runner or flower vase or ashtray for those who light up.
Photo: gayenk.com
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