LIVING ETC
DECEMBER 2022
(By; Amy Neason, Living Etc - December 2022)
Does a living room need a coffee table? Turns out your room may work better without one…
It's always good to challenge the status quo, and the same is especially true when it comes to the design of our homes. We all have different lifestyles and unique requirements that mean creating a home that works for you is certainly not a 'one size fits all' scenario. With this in mind, we pose the question, does your living room really need a coffee table?
Perhaps one of those elements of an interior you simply take as a given, a coffee table is often a mainstay of every living room design. But could it actually be impeding the success of your scheme?
Depending on the size, shape and configuration of your room, you might find a coffee table to be a pain to navigate around, or it may just be adding unnecessary clutter. We enlisted the help of esteemed interior designers to get their take on the question; 'to coffee table, or not to coffee table?
SHOULD THE WAY YOU USE THE ROOM IMPACT THE DECISION?
In a word; absolutely. The way your room functions should be at the front of your mind when designing and sourcing furniture. In the case of this room designed by Cave Interiors. the way it was lived in negated the use for a coffee table altogether. 'This living space doubled up as a games room for four teenagers, so rather than cramp the space with a coffee table, we chose to use side tables instead and keep the central space clear so that furniture could be moved around more easily as and when needed,' says founder and creative director Georgina Cave.
You should also consider the journey through a room; is your living room a thoroughfare to a frequently used space beyond? A coffee table could interrupt a room layout and the potential for an easy flow from room to room. 'This living room was between a cinema room and the backyard, so removing the coffee table allowed for an easy walk between these three often used areas.' says Georgina.
Ultimately, you need to look at your space and whether a coffee table is enhancing how you experience the space, or impeding it. Georgina offers these final words of advice; ‘As long as you factor in available surfaces to rest a drink or book, then a coffee table may prove unnecessary.’
