As property prices rise, homes seem to be getting smaller, and this means that we’re all getting less property but spending more money. Living in an apartment or small house means that space is at a premium. So, protecting that space by maximizing it as much as you possibly can is a major priority. Furniture choices especially need to be considered with care to avoid your home feeling cluttered. Making thoughtful furniture choices can transform a smaller home, helping it feel more spacious. One furniture item that’s especially important to consider carefully is the coffee table. Even if you live in the tiniest apartment, it’s still perfectly possible to find a coffee table that works in your space. Here we’ll explain how to choose the best small coffee table for apartment living. Plus, we’ll share some expert tips and examples of ideal coffee table options that’ll work perfectly for your space.
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Why Coffee Tables are an Essential Furniture Item
When space is tight in your apartment, you may feel like introducing a coffee table into your home is impossible. Thankfully, this isn’t true. Instead, you just need to find the right coffee table to match your space.
A coffee table has so many benefits. This piece of furniture is the place to rest drinks and snacks. A sturdy coffee table helps to prevent accidental spills from cups and glasses placed on the floor. Your coffee table protects your sofa from guests who may be tempted to rest cups on its arms. The practical benefits of having a coffee table in your home are huge. If you choose well, a coffee table is also a design element that will fast become the focal point of your living room. Choose your coffee table wisely, and you’ll have a gorgeous design feature for your apartment that’s also incredibly practical.
Understanding Coffee Table Sizes
Shopping for a small coffee table can be pretty confusing. After all, figuring out exactly what size makes a coffee table smaller than average isn’t something you’ll usually spend time thinking about.
As a guide, here are typical rectangular coffee table sizes for you to compare:
Size | Small Coffee Table | Medium Coffee Table | Large Coffee Table |
Width: | 762 mm | 1219 mm | 1219 mm - 1778 mm |
Depth: | 457 mm | 610 mm | Up to 762 mm |
Height: | 406 mm - 457 mm | 406 mm - 457 mm | 406 mm - 457 mm |
Understanding the different coffee table sizes is helpful, but measuring your own available space should always guide your end choice.
The Best Small Coffee Tables for Apartment Living
Shopping for a small coffee table doesn’t mean you’re restricted on choice. The great news is that here at Homary, we’ve got a vast range of coffee tables available that are smaller in size, and none of them compromise on style and quality.
As well as being more compact than their standard-sized counterparts, our range of small coffee table for apartments are also packed with handy features. Here are some of the top coffee table choices for smaller spaces:
Extendable Small Coffee Tables
A huge selection of our coffee tables can be extended. These clever designs enable you to enjoy all the benefits of a small coffee table, with the added bonus of extra space when you have more guests to entertain, or if you move to a larger property in the future.
The Mordel Extendable Coffee Table and Quoint Wood Extendable Coffee Table are perfect examples of small coffee tables that offer the flexibility to be extended.
Dimensions | Mordel Extendable Coffee Table | Quoint Wood Extendable Coffee Table |
Unextended Width: | 1001 mm | 1200 mm |
Extended Width: | 1801 mm | 1750 mm |
Depth: | 599 mm | 599 mm |
Height: | 429 mm | 409 mm |
Multifunctional Small Coffee Tables
Multifunctional furniture is always a winner when you’re living in a smaller home. Choosing a multifunctional small coffee table can check a lot of boxes when it comes to saving space in your apartment.
Clever coffee tables such as the Modern Round Lift-Top Coffee Table Set are a perfect example of multifunctional furniture. This coffee table measures just 813 mm, but is packed with space-saving features thanks to its lift-top surface with storage underneath and the addition of three ottoman stools. This makes the coffee table more than somewhere to just rest your cups, but the perfect place to sit and eat meals, study, work, or play games.
Small Coffee Tables with Integrated Storage
Storage is always at a premium when you live in a smaller home, so what better way to fix this than with a small coffee table that boasts loads of storage space. Luckily, we have plenty of these to choose from, including compact lift-top small coffee tables for apartments. This includes the Square Dual Lift-Top Walnut Coffee Table. It may measure just 991 mm, but it is bursting with storage. You’ll find spacious hidden storage compartments below the lift-top surfaces, plus two handy drawers to keep your essentials neatly tidied away.
Nesting Coffee Tables
Nesting coffee tables are an ultimate space-saving choice when looking for a small coffee table for your apartment. When you only need to use one of the coffee tables, you can simply slot the other underneath to keep it tidied out of the way. But when you have guests and need it, the smaller coffee table can be slipped out and positioned wherever it’s required.
Four Expert Buying Tips to Help You Choose the Perfect Small Coffee Table
Consider Style as Well as Size
Hunting for the perfect small coffee table may be your main aim. You may be armed with your measurements and know exactly the size of table you need. But size shouldn’t be your only deciding factor when shopping for a coffee table. Picking a coffee table that’s small is a must. But the style and design are also really important.
As your new coffee table is going to play a starring role in your living area, you want it to tick all the boxes, rather than just being small. It helps to think about these factors when shopping:
- The aesthetic you’re aiming to achieve. E.g., boho, mid-century modern, luxurious, etc.
- The current decor style in your apartment and how the new coffee table will work with it.
- The dominant material used for the coffee table, such as the type of wood or stone. E.g., marble, oak, walnut, sintered stone, concrete, or metal.
- The detailing on the coffee table, such as tapered legs, fluted sides, LEDs.
- The shape and how it will work in your space in terms of positioning and clearance around other pieces of furniture. E.g., round, rectangular, oval, square, or abstract shapes.
Think About Future Use
Buying beautiful furniture is an investment. So, when you fall in love with the perfect coffee table, you’ll want to keep using it forever. Thinking about how you could use the coffee table in the future is a helpful consideration once you’ve found the perfect one for your home. You may need a small coffee table for apartment living now, but in the future you may move to an entirely different property. Choosing extendable or nesting coffee tables are great choices if you want to future-proof your coffee table choice for use wherever you live.
Always Take Time to Measure Properly
One mistake that people make time and again when ordering coffee tables is forgetting to measure the space properly before they buy. It’s so easy to think that you’ve got a clear idea of the dimensions, only to be surprised when you get it delivered and assemble it. So, it’s helpful to take your time and check the coffee tables fully-assembled dimensions in the product specifications. Plus, it’s just as important to measure your space precisely to ensure you allow enough clearance around the coffee table, too. But we’ll dive more into how to measure a small coffee table for apartments below.
Check Quality Before You Buy
A small coffee table doesn’t mean compromising on style and quality. In fact, in a small apartment, each piece of furniture needs to earn its place in your home and contribute to the overall design scheme in a far more noticeable way than it would in a larger property. So, always make quality a top priority when choosing a coffee table.
To assess the quality before you buy, check out the reviews from other shoppers who have bought the same piece. Plus, zoom in on the product images to see how the coffee table looks up close, and to get a better idea of its finish.
Positioning a Small Coffee Table in Your Apartment
Coffee tables usually take center stage in a room. Typically, a coffee table will be positioned centrally within the seating area of a living space. But there’s no need to stick rigidly to these rules when you’re buying a small coffee table for apartment living.
Adapting the way you use and position your coffee table according to your needs and the space you have available is vital. There’s no point in having your coffee table dominate your room so that you’re constantly stepping over it. So, adding a small coffee table to your apartment comes with permission to forget convention and simply make it work for your space.
If you do have room for the traditional positioning of a coffee table, it’s helpful to position it so that it is within easy reach of the sofa and any armchairs you may have in the room. This will make it more convenient for you and your guests to place down drinks and snacks, without needing to get out of your seats.
When space is at a major premium in your apartment, even a small coffee table may be too big to be placed centrally in the room. In this case, choose a coffee table that looks just as stylish when positioned to the side of the room. With the coffee table positioned to the side, its footprint won’t get in the way of your available floorspace on a daily basis. You can then move it round into a central position when you have guests over and need to use it.
How to Measure Your Room for a Coffee Table
When it comes to choosing a coffee table for your apartment, size matters. But this goes beyond the dimensions of the table itself, and requires you to think about the space surrounding it. For your coffee table to fit comfortably in your room, you need to allow clearance space around the coffee table. Ensuring there’s enough space to walk around the coffee table and a reasonable gap between your coffee table and your sofas is a must.
A gap of between 457 mm is the ideal gap to leave between your sofa and the coffee table. But if you’re short on space, a gap of 356 mm should still allow enough room to comfortably fit the coffee table in your room without it feeling cramped.
Marking out with tape to create the dimensions of the coffee table in the position you plan to put it is a great way to visualize how well it could work in the room.
A coffee table is an essential for every home, no matter it’s size. So, when space is short, look for a small coffee table for apartment living that’s perfectly proportioned and packed with extra features to enhance your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the smallest size coffee table available?
Our smallest coffee tables measure 762 mm.
Do coffee tables need to be assembled at home?
Yes. Most coffee tables do require some level of home assembly.
Do you offer a coffee table assembly service?
Homary has partnered with TaskRabbit, so you can schedule for your coffee table to be assembled at your home by adding this service to your order at checkout.
How much does it cost to have a coffee table delivered to my apartment?
Delivery is free on most items to most locations. Free standard shipping is provided. Minimal fees may be applied for items being shipped to more remote locations.
Do your coffee tables come with a warranty?
Yes, for your peace of mind, our coffee tables come with a three-year warranty as testament to their quality.