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Sourcing The Perfect Unexpected Coffee Table
A coffee table is often one of the first pieces you purchase and use in a home — a landing spot for your morning coffee, favorite books, or even living room dinner parties in your first apartment and in-between moves. The right coffee table can make a space visually and functionally, but just because its purpose is practicality doesn’t mean it can’t be the most interesting thing in the room.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen more and more designers thinking outside of the literal “box” when it comes to coffee tables, experimenting with abstract shapes and configurations. We love it when a coffee table brings something unexpected to the room, so we curated some of our favorite options for creating this look in your space. Read on for a few tips and inspiration for sourcing the perfect unexpected coffee table regardless of your budget.
4 TIPS FOR SOURCING THE PERFECT UNEXPECTED COFFEE TABLE
- You don’t have to pick just one. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking you can only have one coffee table, but if you have space, clustering or spacing out more than one lends to a much more relaxed and elevated vibe.
- Find something that juxtaposes the rest of the room. When we look to our favorite inspiration, the coffee table is always a little bit “off” from the rest of the space, adding some visual tension, whether that be through shape or materiality.
- Consider spacing. Your coffee table should be about 12-18 inches from your sofa or other primary seating pieces. If you don’t want to sketch it out or use a mockup tool, try taping out the measurements on your floor or rug to get a feel for the use of space.
- Go secondhand! There are so many great secondhand options if you love the hunt. Plus, because what goes around comes around, paired coffee tables or nesting tables are relatively common at flea markets and thrift shops.
Design by Sandra Weingort / Photography by Adrian Gaut
Design by Katie LeClercq / Photography by Aaron Leitz
Design by Ashe Leandro / Photography by Shades Degges
Design by Delia Kenza Interiors / Photography by Nick Glimenakis
Design by Brian Paquette Interiors / Photography by Miranda Estes
Design by Anastasia Casey / Photography by Lindsay Brown
Design by Nina B / Photography by Nathaniel Johnston/ Styling by Mariana Marcki-Matos
Design by Nina Farmer / Photography by David Mitchell
Design by Studio Ashby / Photography by Kensington Leverne
We love how the designers below incorporated coffee tables into these spaces. Scroll through for some inspiration and shop a few of our favorites below.
BY: ANASTASIA CASEY
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