When decorating a living room area, there are a few essentials that instantly come to mind: a couch and sofa chairs, a television, lamps or some kind of lighting, and of course, a coffee table. Coffee tables are one of those items that no matter what you do, you always need in your living room. When hosting guests, a coffee table can hold their food and drinks. When relaxing on the couch, a coffee table can rest your feet and legs. There are so many purposes for coffee tables that it truly is a must-have item in your home, but sometimes the traditional style of a coffee table can be both boring and not practical. So what are some coffee table alternatives?
Coffee tables typically have one universal style: low to the ground, long in length, and oblong shaped. There’s nothing wrong with this, but oftentimes this style of table doesn’t fit with the furniture and style of the living room. Some standard complain includes: the table being too low, too long, or too awkward – which is understandable!
If you’re decorating your living room, you don’t have to go with a traditional style coffee table, instead, you can choose from a variety of alternatives that can give your space a better Feng shui and be more practical for you. Looking for alternatives to the standard coffee table? Here are some different styles that are bound to work for you!
Coffee Table Alternatives – Pair of Side Tables
In terms of living room furniture, a pair of side tables are perfect as a coffee table alternative. Each table can go on one side of the couch or even in between a set of sofa chairs to hold lamps, drinks and food, a book, remote, etc. These side tables are light and easy to move around if you have company over or are just wanting to change up the space. It’s also easy to find these styles of tables in different sizes, shapes and colors and they’re inexpensive. The only problem? Because they are smaller in size, you can’t have a lot of items on top which can pose a problem if you are someone who likes to decorate your tables.
Coffee Table Alternatives – Nesting Tables
Similar to side tables, nesting tables are another great option if you’re looking for a different style alternative for coffee tables. Nesting tables are awesome because they are a set of different sized tables that can be stored underneath one another, freeing up space but also being functional at the same time. Like side tables, nesting tables are light and easy to move around.
One problem with these? There’s typically no storage, according to a post by Home Stratosphere.
“Nesting tables do not have any additional storage because of the way that they are designed to sit over the top of each other. This may be great in a minimal house, but not in one where the owners have a lot of items that they are worried about hiding or storing.”
Home Stratosphere
Storage Bench
One of my personal coffee table favorites is the storage bench because it has multiple purposes. It functions as a table, a storage space, and an extra seat when you need it. The added storage makes putting items away a breeze and they’re super comfortable to sit in because of the cushioned top! These benches are perfect for storing blankets, decorative pillows, magazines, and more.
Sofa Arm Tray Table
If you’re someone who simply doesn’t love the idea of a bulky table or tables taking up space in your living room, a sofa arm tray table will make you happy. A sofa arm tray can act as a table to hold small things like a drink or a small plate of food for one person.
“You’re not going to be able to fit an entire hors d’oeuvres spread here, but it’ll keep that mug of Earl Grey close at hand.”
Carolyn Kuan-Chen Stanley of Pure Wow
Drink Cart
When in doubt, a drink cart can solve some of your coffee table problems and they look pretty cool! Drink carts roll around which makes moving it a breeze, and you can designate each shelf to something, like storing wine, holding magazines, etc. It will definitely catch the eye of any guest you bring over!
Picking a standard coffee table for your living room may seem like a permanent choice, but it doesn’t have to be! If it doesn’t fit well in your space, you can choose from several alternatives, such as a pair of side tables or a storage bench, which both have their appropriate purposes. It can be hard decorating your living room, but having the flexibility of these alternative coffee tables can give you more freedom to rearrange furniture and decorate creatively in the future.