A coffee table should be about half to two-thirds the length of your sofa, so a 210 cm sofa suits a table of 105–140 cm. Keep the top level with the seat cushion or a little lower, and the table 30–50 cm in front of it. Most coffee tables are 40–50 cm high and 50–70 cm wide.
- If you need somewhere to hide remotes and chargers: pick a table with drawers, like the Macleod Coffee Table with two handle-free drawers.
- If people walk past the table all day: pick a curved top with no sharp corners, like the oval Dazzle Coffee Table.
- If you want real timber rather than a timber look: pick solid wood, like the solid acacia Jayden Coffee Table.
In this guide
Measure four things before you shop
A tape measure settles most coffee table decisions before you look at a single style. Measure these four things in the room the table is going into:
- Sofa length, arm to arm. Measure across the outside of the arms. For a corner sofa, measure each side separately.
- Seat height. Measure from the floor to the top of the seat cushion at the front edge, where you sit, not to the arm.
- The floor in front of the sofa. Measure from the front of the sofa to the TV unit, wall or next piece of furniture.
- Walkways and doors. Note where people cross the room and which way the doors swing, so the table stays out of the traffic line.
Then do the floor sum. A 60 cm wide table with a 40 cm gap needs about 1 metre in front of the sofa. If the main path through the room runs between the table and the TV, add 75–90 cm for it, so you need roughly 1.75–1.9 metres. Short of that, choose a narrower or round table, or move the path to the other side.
Before you buy, mark the table's footprint on the floor with masking tape and live with it for a day or two.
Pieces in this guide
Coffee table sizes by sofa length
Shorter than half the sofa's length, a coffee table looks lost. Longer than two-thirds, it crowds the ends, so whoever sits by the arm has to squeeze past it. The table below applies that rule of thumb to common sofa lengths and lists the tables in this guide that fit each one.
| Sofa length | Coffee table length | Our tables that fit |
|---|---|---|
| 150 cm sofa | 75–100 cm | Malvern, 90 cm |
| 180 cm sofa | 90–120 cm | Malvern, 90 cm; Macleod or Manuka, 110 cm; Delta or Dazzle, 120 cm |
| 210 cm sofa | 105–140 cm | Macleod or Manuka, 110 cm; Delta or Dazzle, 120 cm; Jayden, 140 cm |
| 240 cm sofa | 120–160 cm | Delta or Dazzle, 120 cm; Jayden, 140 cm |
| Corner sofa | Half to two-thirds of the longer side, or a square or round table both sides can reach | Jayden, 140 cm, for a longer side of about 210–280 cm |
Width matters too. Most coffee tables are 50–70 cm wide from front to back. All but one of the tables in this guide are 60 cm wide; the Jayden is 70 cm. Stay at the narrow end if the walkway is tight, and go wider with a large or corner sofa, where more people reach the table. When two lengths both fit, a long, narrow room suits the shorter table.
Coffee table height in cm: match the seat
Most coffee tables are 40–50 cm high, or 400–500 mm, because most sofa seats sit in that same band. Aim for a top that sits level with your seat cushion or a few centimetres below it, so you can put a cup down without reaching up or leaning low. Use the seat height you measured:
- Seat of 40–43 cm (a low, relaxed lounge): look at tables of about 40–42 cm, like the 40 cm Jayden or the 42 cm Delta.
- Seat of 44–47 cm (most sofas): look at about 44–47 cm, like the 45 cm Dazzle or the 46 cm Macleod and Manuka.
- Seat of 48–50 cm (a firm, upright seat): look at about 46–48 cm, like the 48 cm Malvern.
If you eat or work at the coffee table, stay close to seat height. If it mostly holds books, a tray and a plant, a little lower is fine.
Which shape suits your room?
Size gets the proportions right. Shape decides how people move around the table.
| Shape | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular | Most three-seaters and long rooms; the most usable surface | Corners in a tight walkway |
| Oval | Long sofas where people walk past; no sharp corners | A little less surface than a rectangle of the same length |
| Round | Shorter sofas, armchair groups and the crook of a corner sofa | Less reachable edge in front of a long sofa |
| Square | Corner sofas and square rooms, where people reach from two sides | Can crowd a small lounge |
| Nesting tables | Small rooms and entertaining: one table day to day, two when guests come | Check the smaller table is steady enough for a cup |
The oval in this guide is the Dazzle Coffee Table: a 120 × 60 cm black tempered glass top over a high-gloss black body with fluted, curved ends, two drawers with gold bar pulls, and gold legs. Our full coffee tables range also includes round and nesting styles. Pairing a table with an L-shaped sofa? See our guide to corner sofas and sectionals.
Choose the material, then the storage
Two tables that look alike in a photo can be made very differently, so read the materials on each product page before you buy:
- Solid timber. The Jayden Coffee Table is solid acacia hardwood, so the grain, colour and knots vary from table to table. Use coasters, as with any timber top.
- Timber-look. The Malvern Coffee Table has an oak-tone timber-look top over a grey painted body, and the Manuka Coffee Table pairs an oak-look top with a ribbed pearl white body and gold hairpin legs. Both are engineered board, not solid timber.
- Marble-look. The white top on the Macleod Coffee Table is an engineered surface with a marble-look finish, not real stone, over an oak-look body.
- Glass. The Delta Coffee Table Grey & Black has a dark tempered glass top over a high-gloss cream-grey body, and the Dazzle a black tempered glass top. Both wipe clean with a soft cloth.
Our wooden coffee tables include both solid timber and timber-look finishes, so check the materials if real wood matters to you. For a glossier look, browse glass coffee tables.
Then decide how much you need to hide. The Macleod and the Delta each have two drawers, and the Manuka has two side by side with gold bar handles. Drawers plus an open shelf, as on the Jayden and the Malvern, hide some things and display others. The Mernda Coffee Table takes a different approach, with a full-width drop-down front in channelled blue PU over an open compartment. Our coffee tables with storage cover all three styles.
Finishes look different in person, so pick a favourite and ask which store has it on display. We have five showrooms: Rocklea, Virginia, North Ipswich, Bundall and Beenleigh.
How to style a coffee table
Once the table fits, style it in three layers, starting from the bottom:
- Anchor. A tray, a runner or a stack of large books defines the zone, gathers the small things and lifts off in one go when you need the space. Size a tray to about half the length of the top: a round tray softens a rectangular table, and a rectangular tray suits an oval or round one.
- Height. Add one tall piece, such as a vase of greenery, and one medium piece, such as a candle or a sculptural object, so the display doesn't read flat. A hardy potted plant or dried stems outlast cut flowers.
- Detail. Finish with something small and personal: a little bowl, a set of coasters, a favourite object.
A few habits keep it looking considered rather than cluttered:
- Group in odd numbers. Threes and fives look more natural than pairs. Cluster them in one or two groups rather than spacing them evenly.
- Keep about a third of the top clear. It's still a table. If you move things every night to fit a cup down, take a piece away.
- Echo the room. Repeat one or two colours from the sofa, rug or cushions. A black glass and gold table like the Dazzle suits dark and metallic accents; a Hamptons-style table like the Malvern suits whites, linen and natural fibres.
- Put a rug underneath. A rug under the table, and ideally under the front legs of the sofa, ties the seating area together.
If remotes and chargers keep taking over the top, a table with drawers gives them somewhere to go.
Coffee table questions
What is the standard size of a coffee table?
There's no single standard, but most coffee tables are 90–140 cm long, 50–70 cm wide and 40–50 cm high. The tables in this guide run from 90 to 140 cm long, 60 to 70 cm wide and 40 to 48 cm high.
How far should a coffee table be from the sofa?
Leave about 30–50 cm between the front of the sofa and the edge of the table: close enough to put a cup down without leaning, with room for knees and feet. If your sofa reclines, check the footrest clears the table when it's fully out.
What size is a small coffee table?
Tables under about 100 cm long generally count as small. The Malvern Coffee Table, at 90 × 60 cm, suits sofas of roughly 135–180 cm. For more space-saving ideas, see our guide to coffee tables for small living rooms.
How big should a round coffee table be?
Round coffee tables are measured across the top, and most are somewhere between about 75 and 120 cm. Choose a size that leaves a 30–50 cm gap to each seat that uses it. Round tables suit shorter sofas, armchairs and the crook of a corner sofa better than a long three-seater.
Is a lounge table the same as a coffee table?
Yes. Lounge table is another name for a coffee table, so the same rules apply: most are 40–50 cm (400–500 mm) high, and the top should sit level with your seat cushion or a little lower.
How many coffee table books should you stack?
Two or three is plenty. Put the largest at the bottom and use the top as a platform for a candle or a small bowl. Turn the spines in for a calm, tonal look, or out if the covers suit your colours.