Coffee Tables

What Makes a Coffee Table Actually Good??

So a coffee table isn’t just for putting your drinks on (tho that’s obviously what there for lol). It’s like the main piece in the middle of your living room that makes everything else look good together. When your picking one, you gotta think about if it matches your sofa and other stuff.

There’s LOADS of different styles you can get – some are really simple and modern, and others are proper fancy with marble and glass and all sorts. My nan’s got this massive wooden one with carvings on it that looks well old fashioned but my other half is this sleek glass one that looks dead modern.

Round or Square Coffee Tables: Which One’s Better???

The shape of your coffee table is dead important! Round ones are really good cos they don’t have them annoying corners that you bang your leg on all the time (I’m always doing that and it KILLS). They look more flowy and nice, and there better for small rooms cos you can walk around them easier.

Square coffee tables look more neat and tidy with straight edges and that. There good if you’ve got one of them corner sofas cos they fit in the L-shape bit really well. My cousin’s got a square one and it’s good for when loads of people are round cos there’s more space to put drinks and snacks and stuff.

When your trying to decide, think about how people will walk around it and what your other furniture looks like. Round ones are better if you’ve got little kids running about cos of the sharp corners on square ones (my little brother’s always bashing into everything!).

Coffee Tables With Storage: Literally The Best Invention Ever!!

OMG coffee tables with storage are AMAZING and everyone should have one!! There like a normal coffee table but they’ve got drawers or shelves or a top bit that lifts up so you can hide all your stuff inside! My friend’s got one and she keeps all her magazines and remote controls and stuff in it so her living room always looks tidy (unlike ours 🙄).

If you live in a small flat or house like my sister does, then getting a coffee table with storage is proper clever cos it means you don’t need to get loads of other furniture for storing stuff. My sister keeps her laptop and uni books in hers when she’s not using them.

There so handy when your parents tell you to tidy up quick cos someone’s coming round – you just chuck everything in the coffee table and it looks like you’ve been cleaning for hours! (Don’t tell my other half I said that lol)

What Materials Are Best For Coffee Tables??

The stuff your coffee table is made from is dead important cos it needs to be strong enough not to break when someone inevitably puts there feet on it (we’re not allowed to do this in our house but everyone does it when other half not looking 😂).

Wood coffee tables are probs the most popular ones and there really nice and warm looking. My grandparents have had the same wooden coffee table for like a million years and it still looks good! Oak and walnut are supposed to be the best woods but obvs there more expensive.

Glass coffee tables look well posh and modern but OMG the fingerprints!!! My other half constantly cleaning hers cos me and my brother leave marks all over it. They do make your room look bigger tho which is good if your house is tiny.

Marble coffee tables are like the fanciest ones you can get and they look absolutely lush!! My auntie’s got one and everyone always comments on it when they go round. But there proper heavy and cost loads of money, plus if you spill something acidic on them it can stain (my cousin found this out the hard way when she spilled her Coke 😬).

Metal coffee tables are really strong and look quite cool and industrial. My brother’s mate has got one made from this copper metal stuff and it looks well edgy.

Why Wooden Coffee Tables Are Proper Good

Wooden coffee tables are probably the safest bet cos they go with literally everything. A wood coffee table will never go out of style and they don’t show up marks and scratches as much as other materials. If you get a little scratch on them, I says it “adds character” (I think that’s just his excuse for when he damages the furniture lol).

You can get wooden coffee tables in loads of different colours from really light oak to dark walnut. We’ve got a medium brown one and it hides stains really well which is good cos my little brother’s always spilling his juice.

Wooden ones are usually not as expensive as marble or glass ones either. My other half always says “buy cheap, buy twice” but my dad says that’s just her excuse for spending loads of money on furniture!

How The Colour Of Your Coffee Table Changes Your Room

The colour of your coffee table can make your whole room look different! White coffee tables make everything look bigger and more airy, but they show up EVERY mark (not great if you’ve got messy people in your house like my brother).

Black coffee tables look well sophisticated and posh. My friend’s parents have got one and there whole house looks like something from a magazine. Dark coffee tables stand out more if you’ve got light coloured sofas and carpets.

Natural wood coloured ones are good cos they go with everything and don’t show stains as much. If you change your cushions and decorations a lot like my other half does, then getting a natural wood one means you don’t have to buy a new coffee table every time you redecorate!

Marble Coffee Tables: Dead Fancy But Worth It??

Marble coffee tables are like the Rolls-Royce of coffee tables! There so posh looking and make your living room look like something off them home makeover shows. Each marble table has got different patterns in it so noone else will have one exactly the same as yours.

The best thing about marble is it looks expensive (cos it is lol) and it’s really smooth and cool to touch. My auntie’s got one with gold legs and it looks INCREDIBLE! But you have to be really careful with them cos they can chip and stain if you don’t look after them properly.

There’s different colours of marble too – not just white. You can get green and black and even pink ones! I saw a black marble one in a shop and it looked well gothic and cool.

What Size Coffee Table Should You Get??

Size is SUPER important when your choosing a coffee table! If it’s too big, your living room will look all squashed and you’ll be banging your shins on it everytime you walk past. If it’s too small, it’ll look weird next to your massive sofa and you won’t have enough space for everyone’s drinks when your mates come round.

The general rule is that your coffee table should be about two-thirds as long as your sofa. My other half measured our sofa before we went shopping (she’s a bit obsessed with measuring things). Also, the height should be about the same or a tiny bit lower than your sofa cushions so you can reach your drink without having to get up.

If you’ve got a tiny living room like my mate Jack, then maybe get a smaller coffee table or one of them nest of tables that you can pull out when you need more space. His flat is well small but he’s got these little tables that fit inside each other and it’s proper clever!

Getting Your Coffee Table Delivered Quick

There’s nothing worse than ordering something and then having to wait FOREVER for it to arrive! My parents ordered a coffee table once and it took like 3 months to come – by that time they’d almost forgotten they’d even ordered it lol.

Loads of places now do quick delivery which is ace if your impatient like me. Some shops can even deliver the next day! When your looking online, check how long delivery takes before you order, especially if you need it for a specific date like if your having a party or your grandparents are coming to visit.

Some places charge extra for fast delivery though so check that too. My other half always says to check if they’ll bring it into your house as well cos some just leave it on the doorstep and coffee tables can be well heavy!

Why Spend More On A Really Good Coffee Table?

My dad’s always saying “why spend so much on a coffee table when you can get one cheap?” but my other half says quality furniture is worth it cos it lasts longer. And I reckon she’s right cos my mate’s family bought this cheap coffee table and the leg fell off after like 2 months!

Proper good coffee tables are made better and usually look loads nicer. If you spend a bit more, you’ll get something that will last for ages instead of falling apart as soon as someone puts a heavy book on it.

Plus, a really nice coffee table can make your whole living room look more expensive. My sister says it’s an “investment piece” (she watches too many home makeover shows I think) but she’s kinda right cos a good coffee table will last for years and years.

Coffee Tables That Do Loads Of Different Things

Some coffee tables are dead clever cos they can do more than one job! There’s ones where the top lifts up so you can eat your dinner off it while watching telly (I NEED one of these!!). Others have got seats hidden inside them that you can pull out when you’ve got loads of people round.

My sister’s coffee table has got these little cube seats that fit underneath it, and when her mates come round she pulls them out and everyone has somewhere to sit. It’s well handy for small flats and houses.

There’s even ones with built-in fridges so you can keep your drinks cold! My friend saw one of these in a really posh hotel and said it was the coolest thing ever. Bit expensive for most people though I reckon!

Main Things To Remember When Getting A Coffee Table

• Make sure it’s the right size for your room – measure your sofa first!
• Think about what shape would work best with your other furniture
• If your house is tiny, get one with storage inside it
• Wood ones are good all-rounders that don’t show marks too much
• Glass looks posh but shows EVERY fingerprint and smudge
• Marble is dead fancy but expensive and needs looking after
• The colour should match or go with your other furniture
• If you’ve got kids or your clumsy like me, avoid sharp corners!
• Check delivery times before you order
• It’s worth spending a bit more to get one that won’t fall apart

So there you have it – everything you need to know about picking the perfect coffee table! I’m well chuffed with all this knowledge I’ve got now. My other half says I should stop obsessing over furniture cos it’s not normal for a someone of my age but I reckon it’s good to know this stuff for when I get my own place (in like a million years when I can afford it lol).

Right, I’m off to tell my dad why we deffo need a new coffee table with built-in storage and a lift-up top and maybe a fridge too if he’s feeling generous!! 😂