Are Coffee Tables Out of Style?
Our living room is always designed with comfort in mind, and we put the furniture accordingly. In order to assure your comfort, you should decide what items and how much space you require in the room.
Most of the time, you relax with family in your living room while watching television and entertaining guests. The coffee table can be the most important item in your living room after the couch or sofa for sitting arrangements. It can hold small items like food, drinks, the remote, magazines, and more.
However, some homeowners are unsure about whether they want to keep a coffee table or not due to the increase in population and decrease in available living space. Thus, we find ourselves asking, “Are Coffee Tables Out of Style?”
Continue reading if you’re also thinking whether you can get rid of the coffee table to save some room or choose an alternative.
Key Takeaways
- Coffee tables are multipurpose. No matter the seating arrangement is, a table nearby can help you put your water glass, coffee mug, smartphone, keys, or books.
- If you are considering not having a traditional coffee table or if it seems old, you can go shopping for one with modern designs and convenience.
- Whether a table is in style or not, the answer varies depending on your home décor’s choice. So, it’s hard to tell from a single point.
Do You Consider Coffee Tables Outdated?
Some interior designers or planners believe that a coffee table is essential to the design of your living room, while others believe that coffee tables are outdated and belong in the 20th century.
Well, neither group is incorrect because they both have a point. However, the answer may vary depending on your personal preference for house furnishings.
- A coffee table is barely ignorable if you want to greet visitors and have a pleasant interior with the convenience of placing everything nearby. It won’t take up much room if it’s small. Instead, it will be quite beneficial for keeping small goods.
- On the other hand, if you primarily live in a small space, don’t have many guests, don’t spend much time in the living room, or need a budget-friendly setting, you can omit including a coffee table in the space.
- Whatever the circumstance, in most cases, a coffee table is still in style and is not regarded as outdated. Instead, it will serve you with multi purposes.
- If a wood table isn’t making you happy, consider getting one made of metal, glass, or marble. Out of numerous types and shapes, one will undoubtedly fulfill your accommodations and aesthetic needs.
Reasons to Consider Coffee Tables Are in Style
When creating the shape and form of coffee tables, contemporary furniture designers tend to focus on comfort, beauty, and convenience. The majority of the time, your living room’s coffee table serves multiple functions.
When deciding whether or not you require a coffee table, keep the following considerations in mind:
- Multipurpose
- Filling Space
- Alternative things
- Decorating
- Craete Art
- Costing
Multipurpose
A coffee table actually serves many more purposes than merely serving as a place to put your mug and enjoy your coffee. Almost anything can be placed on the table, including a few keys, smartphone, a drink, the TV remote control you occasionally have trouble finding, or a small flower vase.
Additionally, you might put your feet up on the table and relax after an exhausting day. They typically have the ideal height for that.
Furthermore, you may put things like magazines and other items you use occasionally in the storage unit that is attached to the table.
Fills the Empty Space
If you arrange your furniture in a spacious living room without a coffee table, the middle of the room will appear empty and as like it is missing something.
Coffee tables commonly serve as the focal point of the arrangement and hold your home’s design together. They also cover awkward spaces between sofas and chairs.
An Alternative to Holding Things
The lower shelves and drawers on coffee tables can be used to store items like your remote control or keys. A drawer is included with some tables. Instead of acquiring a bookcase, you may use it to store your reading materials and save room.
Decorating a Space
A coffee table not only serves practical purposes, but it also enhances the appearance of a small room. Raised surfaces in living areas provide a spot for additional décor, such as candles, flowers, and newspapers.
It Itself Is an Art
While serving a purpose, coffee tables can also be a work of art and the focal point of the space. An antique coffee table is a representation of history and culture and appeals differently to vintage enthusiasts.
On the other hand, glass or marble tables of different sizes and textures make a room extremely gorgeous.
In a nutshell, the overall beauty and appeal of your room can greatly depend on the type of coffee table you have. So, it does not go out of style, but it brings style.
Doesn’t Cost Much
While budget can be your problem, you can go for a simple and fairly polished coffee table. They don’t necessarily cost much, but they come with great benefits.
Reasons to Make You Not Want a Coffee Table
Despite the fact that coffee tables are of great convenience and use, you don’t always need one. Rather, you may even decide to remove one from your room for many reasons. A few of those could be:
Might not Be User Friendly
You may repeatedly stumble into it because of its size, which can be inconvenient. For example, glass coffee tables can be dangerous for kids and animals because of their sharp corners and metal supports.
Corner guards can be used to cover those jagged edges, but make sure to choose a style or color that complements your table before utilizing them.
Can Cause a Clutter
Less clutter is a requirement of modern fashion, which is another factor. There are occasional tables positioned next to seats and sofas, but there is still enough for people to move around. The regular mess that a coffee table attracts is not a distraction for visitors.
People will therefore need to find a space to store their books, inhalers, candles, remote controls, TV guides, DVDs, and other items that go along with simply existing. You have to realize that a living room without all that mess would look nicer.
Requires Regular Maintenance
The regular maintenance that a coffee table requires could be a hassle. They should always have coasters and mats to prevent damage. The Coffee tables made of glass are prone to scratches, and wood can absorb moisture and deteriorate over time.
Metal ones have a tendency to rust while organic ones are terrible dust collectors. A weekly inspection or cleaning, or after each use, is a must for your coffee table.
What Are the Alternatives to Coffee Tables?
For a variety of reasons, you might not want to place a coffee table in the center of your living room. In a tiny space, it can be in the way, or you might be thinking about your budget.
You still require a place to put your mugs, water bottles, books, and television remote controls. How do you plan to handle that?
Fortunately, there are a ton of inventive coffee table substitutes, many of which you probably already own. All that has to be done is move these already-present pieces into your living room and redefine their purpose there.
Alternatives to Coffee Tables
On the other hand, you might like to get a different or smaller table. The following are some alternatives to using a coffee table:
- C Side Tables: A C table can be a great alternative if you don’t have much room. To hold drinks, display magazines, or use your laptop to send emails, you can quickly slide the table from the sofa arm to your lap.
- Nesting Tables: A set of nested tables will provide you the same amount of surface area for a lot less money than investing in a full-sized coffee table.
- Ottomans: A serving tray can be added to the top of an ottoman to contain loose objects like remote controls and game controllers. Ottomans have the same presence as coffee tables.
- Vintage Trunks: Try substituting a vintage trunk for a coffee table if you like the tastefully kept appearance.
- Tiered End Tables: Choose an end table with tiers. These units often have three to four shelves, providing you with a less expensive (but no less useful) place to store mugs, remote controls, and other items.
- Tree Stump: The tree stump coffee table is a really fashionable piece of furniture right now, whether you live in the city or the country.
- Side Tables with Baskets: Side tables with baskets are excellent alternatives to coffee tables. They provide a level surface for beverages, storage for books, periodicals, blankets, and other materials, and they are tall so you may keep personal belongings close at hand.
See Also: How To Clean Wood Coffee Table?
FAQs
Is it a must to have a coffee table?
Even in a tiny space, a coffee table belongs in every living room. It’s crucial to put function before form. Any living room should have a coffee table since it allows you to keep your drinks, periodicals, the TV remote, and any additional decor you would want to tie the space together in one place.
Where do you put a coffee table?
Most of the time, the best place for a coffee table is in the center of your living room, which is typically the focal point of the entire area. There may be more than one visible center point in long and narrow living rooms, such as those that are L-shaped.
Can you use an ottoman instead of a coffee table?
The conventional coffee table can be replaced by ottomans. In the middle of the room, there will be comfortable furniture rather than a harsh table. If your furniture set includes an ottoman, the table that matches it will be the focal point of your seating.
Is it better to have a coffee table or ottoman?
Coffee tables are more solid and provide a larger surface area for writing or eating. Coffee tables give usefulness for dining and drinking, which is wonderful for folks who love to entertain, whereas ottomans add functionality for seating and leg space.
Final Thoughts
A coffee table is necessary for your space and daily life, regardless of the type of home you live in. Even if you find no need for a coffee table, it will still be there beautifying and giving your space a small appearance.
Coffee tables are still in style, even if you happen to buy into debates or think a particular design is better without one. It actually signifies you don’t like this particular environment.
However, in other rooms with varied settings, such as those with kids and different purposes, coffee tables might not be the best option.
