If Batman has Robin, then sofas have coffee tables. By anchoring a living room arrangement, a coffee table is the perfect sidekick to seating. While selecting a sofa may feel like a daunting task — prompting questions like, “Is it comfortable enough?” — coffee tables are less committal, making them a prime opportunity to introduce new dimension and texture. If you have coffee table goals, but aren’t sure how to bring them into fruition, start here! We tapped tastemaker Mary Patton, a Houston-based designer who seemingly has an eye for picking the perfect coffee table every time, and asked her to reveal some of her best coffee table-choosing tips. From the best shape for your space, to where to shop one-of-a-kind tables, Mary shares all her insider know-how ahead.
Related Read: Introducing Your Coffee Table Style Guide
4 Strategies to Choosing Coffee Tables
1. Understand Your Utility
A sharp-cornered, marble coffee table is all fun and games until the kids start running around the house. That’s why Mary advises asking yourself some preliminary questions before deciding on a coffee table. For her own clients, she zeroes in on specifics like, “Will the surface need coasters? Will the client want to use it to display books, décor, and art? Those factors weigh in when finding the perfect coffee table.” Go a step further and dissect how you plan to use your coffee table. If it’ll function as a mini library for coffee table books or a game night battlefront, sufficient surface area is a must. Keen on entertaining? Consider tables adaptable enough to be moved around a room or refashioned into an impromptu seat. When it comes to picking a childproof coffee table, turn to round silhouettes and safer materials like wood, acrylic, rattan, and upholstery.
2. Select by Shape
Whether round, rectangular, or unnameable amorphous blob, a coffee table’s form interplays with the whole space. “The shape selected should depend on the dimensions of the room and its furniture layout,” Mary explains. For example, a curvy coffee table helps cut the hard edges from surrounding fittings, adding a softer, more organic overtone. A tried and true living room layout, rectangular coffee tables also pair well with standard sofas. Square coffee tables also fit snugly in the crevices of L shaped sofas, as displayed by Mary’s design above. By mimicking the leather couch’s straight lines, the burl wood coffee table imbues a purposeful symmetry. On the other hand, sculptural tables in unorthodox shapes capture attention and usher in a breath of fresh air.
3. Contradict Yourself
When it comes to designing intriguing interiors, embrace stylistic tension. Above, in order to “balance the casual and dressy, masculine and feminine,” Mary plunked a high-sheen coffee table in between a tetrad of leather barrel chairs. The inherent glam of the marble coffee table plays off the gleaming denim blue walls, while the relaxed lounge chairs bring the whole space back down to earth. Because of their size and versatility, coffee tables are prime spots to inject dichotomies like this into a room. Create juxtaposition in a space by coupling a plush ottoman coffee table with hard-lined side chairs; a modern tray coffee table with antique case goods; or a well-built burl wood coffee table with lovely Queen Anne Bergere chairs.
4. Create Conversation
Mary’s major tip for creating visual interest? Always be on the lookout! Whether at a flea market, thrift store, or on Chairish, Mary searches for coffee tables with a “good size,” that are crafted of “quality, natural-infused materials” — and most importantly! — are a “great conversation piece.” While a wooden coffee table base in the shape of a crab is certain to captivate, don’t neglect the power of accessories. A stack of coffee table books on a topic you’re passionate about or a trinket sourced from travels far away are guaranteed to bring out your best stories.
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All photos: Designs by Mary Patton Design / Photos by Molly Culver
