Coffee Talk!

Searching for the perfect little cocktail or coffee table? Finding just the right table can be daunting. When choosing a table, “consider scale, context and function,” according to SouthernAccents.com. Regardless of the style you choose, its style should enhance the character of your room.

Check out a few tips below on choosing the perfect accessory, from the editors of Southern Accents.

• “Your coffee table should be more or less the same height as the seat of your sofa, usually 16 to 18 inches high, and positioned 15 to 18 inches away from the sofa.

• “Regardless of the size of your room, a giant coffee table isn’t gracious or pretty, and it takes up too much space,” says designer Jan Showers.

• If a very small table is in order, in front of a settee, for instance, designer Gerrie Bremermann recommends a tray table. “A beautiful oval tray on a stand contains things nicely,” she says.

• With their elegant profiles, exotic woods, and interesting surface treatments, Chinese tables are popular because they fit into traditional or contemporary schemes.

• “My favorite table accessories are books. People always enjoy leafing through them,” Showers says. “A piece of Venetian glass is wonderful too. But anything you place on your table, especially flowers, should not be so tall that it interferes with conversation.”

• When choosing a coffee table, designer Cathy Kincaid makes sure that it is not too large or too heavy. “You want to be able to get around it and move it easily,” she says.

• “A slightly higher table in front of a sofa can also be used for informal dining,” Kincaid says.

Here are a few examples from The Gables to get your design minds churning.

Country French parquet top coffee table made from old elements with two drawers

Old French iron grate coffee table with glass

Painted rectangular coffee table with X base. Other finishes available. Custom sizes also available.