Coffee Table Size: How To Choose The Right Dimensions

Congratulations! You have bought a brand new sofa, and now it’s time to choose a complementing coffee table. As you shop around for options, it becomes apparent that this task isn’t as simple as you had assumed. Beyond materials, colour and design, you have to carefully consider coffee table size.

Too big, it wil overwhelm your space, too small, and it will look like an afterthought – throwing your room off balance.

We have collated expert advice from FCI Senior Designer, Benjamin Ibanez, to produce an ultimate guide to the perfect height, width and placement of your next table.

1. How tall should your coffee table be?

Imagine sitting comfortably on your sofa, ready to binge-watch your favourite shows, only to find your vision obstructed by a chunky table. Unless it has been wall-mounted, your TV might rest on a low-media unit. In such situations, you don’t want your table to be higher than your media stand. However, you also don’t want it to be so low that reaching for your glass of wine or bowl of popcorn becomes a workout.

What’s the perfect height? Your coffee table should be no more than 2 to 5 cm lower than your sofa seat. For reference, the average couch height is 40 to 45 cm from the floor. TV stands are generally designed to be 50-60 cm in height to offer the perfect viewing angle.

2. What’s the average width of a coffee table?

In order to achieve balance, the width of your coffee table will be largely determined by the size of your living room and the width of your sofas. A small table in a large room will be overpowered by the surrounding furniture pieces. Similarly, a large design in a compact space will overwhelm the room.

Ideally, ensure your coffee table measures no less than two-thirds of your sofa width. If you have an L-shaped sectional with a chaise, then work with the size of the sofa portion only.

As for the depth, the narrower your room is, the shallower your table should be. In these rooms, it is better to choose rectangular or oval designs instead of square or round styles.

When doing your shopping, take note of these widths:

• standard round tables are 55 – 75 cm wide.
• oval coffee tables measure around 55 cm.
• standard rectangular coffee tables are 68 cm wide.

3. How far from other pieces of furniture should your coffee table be?

To maintain the flow of space in your living room, your furniture pieces shouldn’t be crammed against each other. 

Allow a gap of at least 35 to 45 cm between your coffee table and sofas. Furthermore, keep a minimum of 60 cm free between it and your fireplace, server and console.

This guarantees you’ll be able to move around the space without the risk of bumping your knees or toes against the table edges.

4. Explore different shapes

With so many unconventional table designs on the market, we encourage homeowners to look beyond the obvious shapes. Add interest to your room by investing in free-from coffee tables. Depending on your aesthetic, an abstract shape can stand as a work of art bringing sophistication to your living room. Consequently, geometric styles will work well in an edgy space.

A final note for households with children or pets, we recommend avoiding coffee tables with sharp edges that your little ones can bump into.

Meet Benjamin, FCI Senior Interior Designer

Originally hailing from Italy, Benjamin Ibanez holds the reins of all our big development projects around the globe including the US, UAE, India and Africa. 

A self-confessed workaholic, he is voted most likely to retire in the FCI office, curled up on a Gamma & Dandy sofa with a cocktail in hand.

Design That Transforms Spaces

At FCI, we believe in the power of interior design to transform spaces. By forging positive spaces that bring genuine happiness to the people who inhabit them, we hope to inspire a community of people to pay it forward.

We’ve been designing interiors and exteriors in private and commercial spaces for almost 40 years. Our skilled team can offer you a range of individual services or the full interior design monty. We’ll draw up 3D plans for your new kitchen, create a custom colour palette for your walls and floors or help you find your perfect sofa match. 

No job is too small and no request is too complicated. We can help you draw your design dream and we’ll work closely with you to bring that vision to life.

In addition to our interior design services, we have a wide range of designer coffee tables in all shapes and coffee table sizes.

Get in touch with us and let’s chat about your design requirements. You can call or WhatsApp us or pop into our London showroom – we’re open 7 days a week.