Coffee table sizes: standards and advice for choosing

When choosing furniture for home and office, first of all it is necessary to take into account the functions that it will perform. In accordance with the duties assigned to the furniture, all its parameters were developed. Perhaps there is not a single interior that could easily have done without such a thing as a coffee table. It is the stylistic center of the interior and performs a specific set of functions. You should consider all the nuances that you have to face when buying this piece of furniture.

Journal models differ from other tables by a number of characteristics.

First of all, you need to decide what purpose you will give to the new coffee table: will it store books and correspondence,participate in a cozy tea party with guests or it will be a stand for flower arrangements and memorable souvenirs, photos of households and favorite pets. For each destination, the parameters of the table will vary greatly, so think about the size.

Perhaps the key factor when choosing a coffee table is its height. Another great constructivist and architect Le Corbusier has developed a height standard for tables for different purposes. So, according to his calculations, the optimal height of the dinner should be 70 cm - this is the height that allows you to sit on a standard chair, do not bend over and do not stretch, but be comfortably positioned. All other tables and tables, the height of which is lower, the great architect attributed to the magazine. Behind them it is convenient to sit in an easy chair or on a low pouf. The height of such products can range from very low (40 cm) to very high (60-65 cm).

Tables 40-50 cm tall are suitable for sitting behind them with a cup of coffee during a leisurely conversation with the guests or to relax with a newspaper or magazine. Models with a height of 60-65 cm also belong to the magazine, but mostly serve as supports for flower arrangements, photos in beautiful frames and souvenirs.The main nuance of furniture, which includes coffee tables - tabletop level. It should not be higher than sitting upholstered furniture. It is important to remember that the coffee table is an important part of the interior and must fit into the overall style, in addition, it must fulfill a utilitarian purpose. From here also such important parameter, as width of a table-top follows.

Tabletop parameters have a great influence on both the functional role of the coffee table and its perception in the interior. It is believed that by increasing the height of the table, the tabletop area may increase, but designers sometimes deliberately ignore these proportions, creating unique models.

The averaged parameters of a rectangular tabletop are 120x60 cm, although these dimensions are optional, and the actual parameters depend on the shape of the tabletop. The main criterion when choosing a table in width is the parameters of the room for which it is selected. Too tiny table will be lost in a spacious room and will be inconspicuous, and vice versatoo wide a table in a small room will look cumbersome and will bring dissonance into the interior.

Wanting to meet all the needs of the consumer, furniture manufacturers are developing many types of small tables.

• Serving. This model may have a removable countertop. This is convenient for a small dinner in front of the TV or a get-together with friends over tea or coffee. Removable countertop is easy to fill in the kitchen, bring into the room and set on the legs. Cleaning is just as easy.
• Transformer. Very convenient model for small apartments. When folded, it can be miniature and inconspicuous, while unfolded, it changes the height to the dining room, and the tabletop can unfold over a large area.

• Additional. This model is mainly equipped with wheels and is used as an aid in the laying and serving of a large dining table. Thanks to the rollers, it is convenient to move it from the kitchen to the dining area.
• Decorative. Such a table often performs a design task. Fitting into the overall style of the interior, it is one of the key details of the design of the room or it has a supporting role.

An important factor when choosing a small table is its shape, and you should consider the most popular ones.

• Square. The most common and familiar to the consumer form. The ideal parameters of its table top are 80x80 cm, but sometimes a square table can have quite modest dimensions. The height of the legs may vary depending on the designer's ideas or consumer preferences. This model is universal and fits absolutely into any corner of the interior due to its compactness.

• Rectangle. Unlike its square counterparts, rectangular tables have a much larger capacity, and the length of the table top can reach 160 cm, the average width does not exceed 60 cm. The height for such models ranges from 40 to 50 cm. These are rather large-scale structures and they fit well in the attached area, complemented by a pair of chairs and poufs.

• Round and oval. These tables, like the square ones, are considered universal, since they do not have any standards in the parameters. They can be of any height, width and length. Among them there are both quite spacious models with an impressive functional tabletop, and miniature ones, about 40 cm in diameter, acting as coffee tables.Such elegant products will decorate any delicately furnished living room. In addition, this form is ideal for a home where there are young children. Smooth round shapes do not pose a danger to mobile children's games.

• Non-standard. In addition to the above forms, there are non-standard design. For example, in the interior of an ethnic or colonial design a distinctive, carved chest will cope with the role of a coffee table. In a minimalist living room a miniature triangular table made of glass will be conveniently located. The main condition when choosing a form is its compatibility with the materials from which the table is made and the surrounding environment.

Materials for the manufacture of small tables, there are a great many, from standard and familiar to non-traditional and even exotic.

• Tree. One of the most common materials since. products from it is not difficult to combine with the rest of the furniture. It is enough to choose the colors of the table of the same color. Wood furniture has a solid appearance, it is beautiful, practical and durable. A wooden table can serve you for decades.There are only two minuses: the wooden table should not be located near the battery or portable radiators, since the wood can crack, as well as the high price.

• MDF and chipboard. Just like wood, very popular materials for making furniture. The undoubted advantage is an affordable price. The tables made of MDF and laminated chipboard, having a veneer surface on the outside, are not inferior in beauty to the wooden ones, and are also very practical and durable. A rich assortment of colors and textures will help you choose the optimal model to your taste, which fits perfectly into your interior.

• Glass. Products with the use of glass are very elegant and look stylish in the interior. With all their apparent weightlessness, they are practical and adorn any room. They are much easier to fit into the interior than others. But they have an undoubted minus: the glass surface is quickly contaminated, and traces of the slightest touch or drop of pure water remain. Such a table requires constant polishing.

Nowadays, when any consumer wants to decorate his interior with a unique detail,coffee tables were made of completely non-standard materials and their combinations.

For example, a table with a base of large stone and a glass top. It will decorate a minimalist interior, as well as fit into an eco-style.

Very spectacular glass tables with a support made of beautiful curved kryagi.

In the interior of the loft it would be appropriate to have a table assembled from a pair of wooden loading pallets or boxes for vegetables. Impregnated with linseed oil or dark varnishes, they will create a coarse charm and emphasize the industrial design of the room.

How to make a coffee table, see the next video.