Being the wife of a former U.S. Navy sailor, I think I can definitively say that I have a lot of experience moving my household from home to home. One of the most daunting parts of that task, in my estimation, is finding creative ways to make furniture fit into new places. Of that, I think the worst is finding the right table to fit into small spaces.  And it’s not just homes, people starting out a new business in a small storefront, teens moving into their first dorm room; there are all sorts of tricky situations in which we can struggle to find space for our stuff! Well, you can stop gnashing your teeth and yanking your hair out (it makes you look scary!) Instead, may I suggest a few tips for finding the right tables to help you make the most out of your small spaces.

You can do multiple things at once; why not let your furniture multitask too? A drop leaf table is the ultimate in transforming furniture. Its dropped sides hang flat down, so when it’s not operating as a dinner table, it can be a sofa table, a hallway table, a little shelf tucked against the wall holding knick-knacks. Then, when the door-bell rings and your in-laws are standing on your front step, you can just pull it out, set the table, and seat four to six people!

Nesting tables are also a fabulous way to save space while still having a table at hand when needed. End tables are a super convenient place to set your phone, a glass of wine, or even your TV remote. But when it’s just you at home, do you really need two or three tables hanging around, taking up space? With nesting tables, however, you can use the tallest one primarily, with the smaller one or two underneath. And when the guys are over to watch the game on tv, pull out the rest of the set and put your party trays out.

My favorite multitasking piece is the coffee table trunk. It’s just what it sounds like, coffee table with a hinged lid in which you can store all the stuff you want in your living room without having it all over your living room. Controllers, books, candles; keep these things inside the trunk for storage without cluttering up your home. Clutter is, after all, the enemy of the small space

Hunting for furniture for a small room is quite the task. It’s interesting to note that most people, when trying to figure out how to furnish a small living room, focus on the sofa, the TV stand, the recliner. Then, once all those things are placed just where you want them, you sit on your sofa and breathe a sigh of relief, only for that sigh to be cut short as you realize: AH! I forgot the table! Where on earth am I going to put that? Here are a few tips on choosing the right coffee table for your smaller place.

First, take a good look at your current furniture. What style is it? If your cushions are big and comfy looking, try to go with a solid wood table. Traditional or feminine couches should be paired with a traditional, rounded table. Modern? Try glass and iron to complement. Keep in mind that nothing creates more of an eyesore than clashing styles. Discordant decorating can make a room feel smaller and more cramped than it really is.

Also, it’s always a good idea to try to use furniture that has more than one purpose. Coffee tables can come in many styles, one of the most useful of which is the storage table. Find a table that can open up and be used to store items you use every day. Clutter is the enemy of the small space, so being able to keep items in your table will reduce the feeling of cramped space. There are many different styles of coffee table that can fulfill this need; you can find a trunk style, with a single large space to place blankets, books, any miscellaneous items you may require. For the more detail-oriented person, there are tables that open up into drawers with different nooks for your smaller items. These tables provide multiple functions and can create an interesting focal point in your room.

Lastly, try to find a table that doesn’t take up all the median space in the room. You want to be able to walk around without knocking your knees and shins on that unforgiving piece. Make sure to get a feel for the size of the space in your living room where you would place the coffee table, remembering to keep in mind how much space you’ll need between the table itself and the other furniture. It’s also a good idea to get a feel for what shape of table would best suit your needs, and begin your search with these thoughts in mind.

All in all, just because you live in a smaller space, that doesn’t mean you need to forego certain pieces of furniture. With careful consideration and a little planning, you can come up with the perfect coffee table upon which to place your book, your remote, or even (don’t tell mom!) your feet after a long day.

If you are in the decorating process you are probably finding out how difficult it is to match the theme of a specific room with the furniture you are currently using. If you are working with an interior designer and you are taking on the task on your own there will be some things you may want to take into consideration before deciding how to choose a small coffee table to accent the entire room. It is normally more difficult to choose a small piece of furniture for a room than a larger piece of furniture.

Many of us tend to focus on different areas such as couches, easy chairs, painting, refinishing, and other areas instead of focusing on the main item we are trying to select and that is choosing a small coffee table. In order to choose a small piece of furniture you will more than likely want to match it with some of the existing furniture in the home or in that particular living space. You will want to match the type of material, color, and functionality. For all intensive purposes if the coffee table does not serve a purpose you will probably end up ruling it out.

The coffee table will need to match some of the other furniture you have in the room in respect to the color and most importantly the material. The height of the table will also need to be taken into consideration as well as the table’s ability to sit properly on a wood floor, or carpet. You will find that all of these areas will play a huge factor in determining the type of coffee table you will choose. It will need to actually fit the theme of the room which in some cases will make it a little difficult however this can be overcome.

When choosing a coffee table you will have many different selections to choose from such as glass surfaces, wooden surfaces, rectangular tables, smaller roundtables, as well as different types of wood, ceramics, plastics, or metals. Understanding how to choose a small coffee table will allow you to match everything else in the living space.

Coffee tables for home- the very word conjures up an image of warmth, love and bonding.  This endearing quality time spent by each one of us is synonymous with the idiom ‘sitting round the coffee table with friends.’ In other words it is a table around which friends and family sit and share not only coffee but also camaraderie.

A house becomes a home only after it is lovingly decorated with beautiful pieces of furniture. The furniture includes sofas, beds, dining table and a coffee table. Originally designed by E.W.Godwin, coffee tables for home are definitely important pieces of furniture. The coffee table originated in Britain during the Victorian age in the last part of the Eighteenth century. Since low back sofas came into vogue around 1780 it led to the birth of side tables. Around this time the coffee tables also came into existence. If one looks at the history of furniture one realizes that coffee tables for home evolved quite late in the day. With the introduction of Anglo – Japanese style of furniture which was popular in the last period of Victorian age the coffee table too became a low, long table. Thereafter Louis XVI style coffee tables or Georgian style coffee tables were introduced. Ancient pictures of living rooms also portray aristocrats sitting round a coffee table.

In the twentieth century, normally placed in front of sofas, coffee tables for home are now long and low in style. Usually found in sitting rooms they are available in myriad shapes and sizes. In recent times coffee tables made of wood or glass are also incorporating a cabinet for storage and is still a high point of attraction amongst the sitting room décor.

Coffee tables for homes are a real boon because one does not have to bend too high or too low to put down the coffee mug. On the contrary they are useful for placing the purse by ladies. Reference books which are now known as coffee table books are also kept on these tables to be picked up and read in leisure moments.

Even in countries such as Japan and India there has always been the custom of eating and drinking at low level and therefore it is not surprising that these low tables were introduced. Its multi purpose use makes it an important item of furniture in any modern home. Coffee tables for home have assumed a special position in a home maker’s wish list!

An endearing piece of furniture, a wood coffee table is not just a block of wood but an intricately designed multi utility table which is de jure in any high class home. Be it round, square or rectangular these tables get the pride of place in any living room all across the civilized world. Originally, wood coffee tables for home in England were at first high rather than low. They were generally used for drinking tea rather than coffee which at time was not too fashionable in high society. Thereafter when the wood coffee tables became even more popular among the fashionable high society, it motivated people to cut off the legs of the existing high tables even the antique ones.

This has also led furniture historians to make of mistake of thinking that the low wood coffee tables had first made an early appearance in Europe. The paintings of the late Eighteenth Century England as also France under the Jacobins still show the ladies and the dandies of the time gathered around the wood coffee tables of the day.

On display in home stores, wood coffee tables can be machine made or beautifully handcrafted in teak or oak wood. The legs of the tables are available in various styles and shapes making it an absolute work of art. Expert craft persons design a wide array of exquisitely crafted tables to fit the pocket of all buyers. Furniture marts boast of tailor made wood coffee tables and also tables at competitive prices.

The life of any sitting room, a wood coffee table is available in modern as well as traditional designs. Carpenters boast of creating unique patterns and designs apart from beautifully engraving the wood coffee tables. Created in solid wood these tables can also have marble tops which give them a rich stylish look. An amalgam of elegance and beauty coffee wood tables are custom made with the best quality wood, glazed or lacquer finish, shining polish finish, with different shades and textures. Some wood coffee table furniture shops claim to have constructed termite resistant and stain proof guaranteed furniture.

The life of evening parties, guests seated around the wood coffee tables may play cards whiling away the hours, flip through coffee table books, or imbibe a mug of coffee cappuccino thus passing the hours in easy fun and frolic, which bring them back to the wood coffee tables partying day after day.

Learn more about Glass Coffee Tables…

Entertaining guests with a hot cup of coffee placed on the glass coffee tables will have them coming back for more – not just the coffee but also the name of the shop from which the glass coffee table was purchased. Giving character and style to a house, the glass coffee table is a modern piece of furniture whose inspiration has been drawn from the age old coffee tables of the past. The glass coffee tables come in many shapes and sizes such as round, square, rectangular and oval. Under the glass top is the wooden or metallic table frame upon which it rests touching either three or four points. Aesthetically appealing to the eyes, they can also be custom made as per the requirement of the buyer. The low sofas of today make the glass coffee table a compulsory requirement in the sitting room furniture.

The thick glass tops with either clear glass or glass with beautifully etched designs create a unique piece of furniture.

The transparent glass top makes it easy for one to appreciate the superb beauty of the legs upon which it stands. The glass coffee table legs can either be straight, curved, or tripod shaped. Glass tops can also be fitted in metal frames so that they can be kept in gardens.

Used as a centre table, the glass coffee tables are the piece de resistance of a living room which is further embellished with beautifully written coffee table books which can give any person hours of pleasure while flipping through them.

A game of chess played on a low glass coffee table besides the fireplace has its own delight to the accompaniment of umpteen cups of coffee on a cold wintry evening. The many uses to which these tables can be put make it a noteworthy possession. Apart from the multi faceted uses to which it can be put, a glass coffee table adds to the beauty of any room. Easier to clean than a wooden table, the glass coffee table is valuable piece furniture to own. A vase full of colorful blooms, placed in the centre of the glass coffee table makes the picture perfect.

The glass coffee tables are very easy to maintain where cleaning entails a swift wipe with a soft wet cloth. Adorning niche in the living room, with a hanging light above it, glass coffee tables can also have a beautiful crystal adorning them to complete the picture.

More about Wood coffee tables…