The Buyer’s Guide to Minimalist Coffee Tables

The modern coffee table, whether we fully recognize it or not, is the focal point of the living room. It’s the eye of the homey storm, the room’s flat-topped nucleus that also holds your tea — the keystone keeping your space from crumbling in on itself, aesthetically. Okay, maybe that last one is going a bit overboard, but you know what we mean. Picking the right coffee table for your space is important: you don’t want it to overpower the rest of your pieces in the room, but you want it to stand out on its own. A potentially tricky balance. 

That’s where we come in. Keep scrolling for our buyer’s guide to minimalist coffee tables.   

For Your Consideration

To help you choose the perfect minimalist coffee table (or any coffee table, really), we need to do a bit of due diligence first. An internal Q&A to make sure what you’re getting makes sense in your space. An informal, practical checklist that will cover everything from size to shape to style. It’s like a Buzzfeed quiz, but actually useful.

Is the Coffee Table Height Right?

Too high, too low, way too low — coming correct on the height of your coffee table is key. Functionally, it’s best to have a table that’s equal to (or at least close to) the height of your decorative cushions. This makes it more accessible from your seat and more accessible for your feet if you’re looking to stretch out and swing ‘em on up there. 

Visually, having a table that’s higher or lower than your couch cushions by any significant margin can create an awkward composition out of your living room. (Unless of course you’re into that sort of thing, then do you. This is a no-judgment blog.)

Do you have seating that sticks close to the ground? Take a look at Article’s sturdy and low-profile Urba coffee table. Is your living room outfitted with throne-sized seats? Have a peek at our tall and timeless Brezza.

Proportionate Length is a Strength

We collected the data (reams of it), did the math (calculators clacked madly), analyzed the results (wow did we ever), and they look like this: for best results, your coffee table should be roughly the same length as your couch.

Long couch + short table = folks sitting in the end seats are going to struggle to put their mimosas down.

Short couch + long table = yes, lots of room for everyone’s mimosas, but it’s a bit excessive. Who needs that many mimosas? We’re still talking minimalism here, right?

Owner of a long couch? Check out the modern, solid oak Taiga. Belong to a proud short-couch home? Consider the stout mid-century styling of the all-walnut Lenia.  

Shaping up

Square, rectangular, circular, amoebus — you’ve got options when it comes to the shape of your coffee table. Just scroll around this page and see. Done scrolling? Great. Welcome back. When it comes to choosing the right shape for your space, it’s subjective. Maybe you’re a soft edges, circular table kind of person (if so, the mid-century chic of the marble Mara table might be for you). Or perhaps you’re all about those right angles (then something like the versatile Bios could be up your alley). Whatever the case may be, there’s really only one thing you need to be aware of.

Clearance.

Consider the totality of room your prospective table is going to take up in your space. A foot, foot-and-a-half of distance between your couch and table is comfortable. Give yourself two-to-three feet of space between your table and TV stand or fireplace. That’s also a healthy amount of space to navigate around the table generally. Whether you’re navigating around a circle or a square is up to you.

Material things

Okay, so now you’ve thought about your potential coffee table’s size and shape, and how those attributes will work within your space. Now it’s time to consider what it’s made of — not a test of mettle during the big game or anything, we’re talking literally, the materials it’s made out of. 

Are you a fan of the grace of glass-topped tables? (May we humbly suggest the Silicus, which comes in clear-top and modern painted options that’ll bring a classy new dimension to any room.) Looking for the stoic charm of a wood article? (Our Toba has a certified-teak top that naturally develops a stunning silvery-gray color over time.) Perhaps an elegant marble number is the direction you’re heading down. (Psst, the Scindo brings the chic in spades.) The material of your coffee table can help change the mood of your room.

While all of these options may be minimalist in design, they bring a lot… to the table (sorry). They’re functional, fashionable, and can wield their understated nature mightily when tying your living room together.

So now that you’ve asked yourself a few of these questions, figured out what it is you want (and need) out of a new coffee table, we wish you luck in choosing the one that’s right for you. Who knows, it might turn out to be a total Miranda (that’s good, right?).