You have your new sofa picked out. You found the perfect entertainment center. You chose a great bookcase and some coordinating chairs. That about does it for living room furniture, right? Wrong. No living room collection is complete without that old standby, the sofa table. This venerable type of furniture has been around since the 18th century, and it has only become more popular during its lifetime. Traditionally placed behind sofas, sofa tables can be utilized for a number of living room tasks. To maximize the benefits that a sofa table can provide you, take the time to learn about them. Choosing the correct sofa table for your situation can be slightly tricky, but with the proper know-how, you will find searching for a new sofa table can be a delight. This sofa table buying guide will help you figure out how to buy a sofa table that will best meet your needs.
When you set out to purchase a new sofa table, it's best to think about the basics. By zeroing in on the fundamentals of your needs in a sofa table, you will find the process flows much more smoothly. Consider the size, type of material, style and type of sofa table you seek, and there's no doubt that you will find something that matches your lifestyle ideally.
Before you set your heart on any sofa table, make sure you have measured the couch it will be placed against. If your sofa or love seat is too short for your new couch table, your entire design plan will be thrown off balance, or worse, your seated guests could suffer the occasional knock on the noggin from a tall tabletop. Living room table sizing issues can cause major headaches, so it's best to avoid them with a bit of pre-purchase measuring. Make sure that your sofa table will fit comfortably against your couch while still providing room for whatever you decide to place on it, such as lamps, books or vases.
After figuring out what size couch table you are looking for, one of the next steps you will want to take is narrowing down a material choice. Most sofa tables are manufactured using three types of materials: wood, metal and glass. Your choice of material won't only affect the feel of the room in which it's placed; it will also determine the durability of your sofa table.
Wood
The first sofa tables were produced from wood, and it's still a well-liked material for this type of furniture. Wood furniture's aesthetic flexibility means that sofa tables constructed from it can appeal to all sorts of different styles, whether you're talking about armoires, dressers (chests of drawers), kitchen cabinets, hutches or vanities. For example, a massive teak or oak sofa table with tapered legs and rococo claw foot features -- reminiscent of Chippendale dining tables -- can work for those aiming for a rustic look in their home. Cherry and cedar sofa tables provide a feeling of sophistication and class in any room, while dark walnut sofa tables accented with pine offer a certain modern touch. If you are shooting for classic design, mahogany and beech tree wood -- besides ideal materials for ladder-back side chairs, stools, kitchen cabinets and cupboards -- make for beautiful, traditional couch tables. Besides their visual appeal, you will find that sofa tables crafted from wood are also long-lasting when cared for properly. Keep in mind that proper wood care involves regular cleaning and polishing, but many people find the extra bit of work worth the beauty and durability that wood promises.
Metal
Certainly, some of the most resilient sofa tables are fashioned from metal. The durability of this material doesn't mean a lack of style, however. In fact, despite the connotations of heaviness that come with metal, you will find that metal sofa tables can range from dainty finials to sleek pedestals to picnic-style lattice work. An iron sofa table can replicate the style of a Victorian antique with curvy lines. If your home design leans toward the contemporary, a steel sofa table is a fantastic option. Steel sofa tables borrow from bistro chic for typically sharp, clean lines that lend themselves perfectly to a modern setting, great in living rooms with backless divans, chaise lounges and settees. To achieve a classic appearance that doesn't look aged, look into brass sofa tables, which will bring a gorgeous shine to your living space.
Glass
The most recent development in couch table materials is glass. This addition to the sofa table category has created a whole new world of possibilities for furniture shoppers. Although glass tends to have a fairly modern feeling, it can still work for a wide array of style plans. For example, glass teamed with iron can create an ultimately classic combination. If you do want a totally modern sofa table, think all-glass. An all-glass sofa table could be the epitome of contemporary or lend your room a dash of Art Deco cool. The most obvious downfall of glass is its innate fragility. Glass sofa tables aren't nearly as tough as their wood and metal counterparts, and could make questionable islands on which to stack a home reception's banquet buffet. Fortunately, tempered glass does mean you can find sofa tables made from this material that are relatively durable.
The material of your sofa table is not the only crucial aspect to take into account while you're shopping. Your style, of course, should be of utmost consideration. Find something that complements the style of your existing furniture, whether it's set against a microfiber glider, a garden upholstery daybed, a sleeper sofa or a full-scale sectional. The three basic styles of sofa tables most often purchased are traditional, contemporary and casual. These categories contain numerous subcategories to further suit your design tastes.
Traditional
Being around for around three-hundred years has qualified the sofa table as a "traditional" piece of furniture, and that's why it's so appropriate for those with classic style in mind. Couch tables were first produced in the late 1700s, and naturally, the Colonial style in which they were built is still a popular traditional choice. Colonial style sofa tables are conservatively designed with slight curves, longer legs and, generally, rectangular tops. Another popular traditional choice for couch tables is Victorian style, which is typically more ornate and curvy than Colonial furniture.
Contemporary
A contemporary sofa table can fit comfortably with your other similarly styled furniture, or it can be a daring highlight in an otherwise traditional space. Either way, contemporary style is always a great way to go. If you want clean, unobtrusive design, look for couch tables in a minimalist style. Sofa tables in the Art Deco fashion look to the early 20th century as well as the future. The emphasis on geometrical shapes with round tables, trestle tables and squared cocktail tables in Art Deco style can be the basis of some truly unique designs. When choosing a contemporary sofa table, be bold, but don't forget to pick a piece that fits appropriately with the other furniture you already own, whether your contemporary sofa table will be backing a pull out sofa bed, a wicker futon seat or an upholstered, armless bench.
Casual
If the room you hope to place a sofa table in is more laid back, you may want to choose something more casual. A country-style table fits in well with a western design scheme. If you enjoy the beauty of the southwest, there are sofa tables available in such a style, even some with Native American designs or brilliant turquoise. If you want something more uptown than down-home, shabby-chic couch tables are a must. Shabby-chic style has a modern sense of urbanity that's more relaxed than other contemporary furniture.
Some people use sofa tables as functional pieces of furniture; others use these living room tables for largely decorative purposes. Some use couch tables for both reasons. You may prefer placing your sofa table in the foyer hall as a console table or occasionally setting it out with swivel chairs and bar stools like a family-friendly gaming table or folding card table. Sofa tables are built in two basic types to cater to all these uses. The first type, patterned after original sofa tables, is the drawer sofa table. These tables contain several small drawers and resemble a combination of a desk and a side table. Many people use drawer sofa tables to store magazines, writing supplies and board games. For those who want a sofa table to hold a lamp or vase and do nothing more, a drawer-less sofa table will work wonderfully. This type of couch table has four legs, a top and possibly a second shelf near its feet, meaning it is largely less functional than a table with drawers, extensive shelving and sideboard-style storage space.
Aren't sofa tables a bit gratuitous?
Only if you want them to be. Sofa tables can serve the purely non-functional purpose of adding to a room's decor, or they can be extremely handy. It's up to you. If you can't see the point of a piece of furniture or if it's not working for you, you don't need to include one in the room. However, if you would like a place to hide away books or other things that you'd like out of sight but within reach in your living-room, a place to put lamps and provide some extra light in a room or a piece of furniture to add to the overall decor of a room, then a sofa table is for you.
I found a sofa table that I love, but I'm afraid it won't fit perfectly with my other furniture. What can I do?
Don't give up on the table; you have a couple of options. First, if your living room is begging for an update, you could always start over with all-new furniture. In that case, take a look at Overstock.com's living room furniture buying guide. If your budget isn't ready to handle a complete furniture redo, consider buying one more piece of furniture to massage the transition between your new sofa table and your other furniture. This will help tie everything together without blowing a large amount of money.
How do I know I'm getting a high-quality sofa table when shopping online?
Buying any piece of furniture online can be intimidating, especially smaller, more fragile pieces such as bedside nightstands, footrests and coffee, sofa and end tables. When you go to purchase a new sofa table, make sure you trust the company from which you are buying it. Go with brand names you have found reliable in the past and read user reviews about products. If you're smart about it, you'll be able to find the perfect sofa table at a price far lower than what you would find in one of those giant furniture stores.
Have something to place your sofa table against
Your new sofa table may look great, but it will be unbeatable against a new couch. Learn how to pick the right one using the sofa buying guide on Overstock.com. If your house is in need of more than a single new couch, take a look at our huge variety of lounge chairs, recliners, rocking chairs and living room sets. But don't limit your bargain-hunting to the living room. Overstock.com carries everything from trundle beds to kitchen tables to lawn chairs. Make Overstock.com your one-stop online shop the next time you need bedroom furniture, dining-room fixtures or patio furnishings.
Your sofa table has your back, but what has your feet?
For a truly comfortable living room, you should consider ottomans. Good ottomans will help you kick back without resorting to placing your feet on the coffee table, plus they offer additional seating options in case of a crowd.
Don't let your sofa table go to waste
If your new couch table is left bare, why bother? Take a look at the wide selection of lamps in the lighting department of Overstock.com or treat yourself to a new board game from our sports and toys store. Your sofa table will be a terrific place to hold such items.
