Coffee tables are not just for resting your cup of coffee on. Sure they are functional in that way and can often also store magazines and newspapers, but they can also be an important and integral part of your living room or lounge decor and design. A lounge or sitting room needs somewhere to sit, and if you have the space you will probably want one or two comfortable sofas. These could be arranged at right angles to each other, but more often are ideally placed opposite each other. This arrangement allows people either side of the coffee table to sit and chat in comfort at arm’s length.
The coffee table can be not just a table but also a design statement that is limited only by your imagination and how much you can afford to pay for it. Good designer coffee tables can be bought for just a few hundred pounds, but you can pay as much as £2,000 for something really exclusive.
A designer coffee table shows off your appreciation of the finer things in life such as style, and you can show your creative side by choosing something a little bit different, off-the-wall, or quirky. A really eye-catching coffee table can make quite a statement in the middle of the room and become a conversation piece in itself.
Many modern designer coffee tables have shied away, both from the traditional material of wood, to an extent, and also the functional but boring rectangular shape. Tables from designers like Andrew Martin have sophisticated names such as Hardrada and Jantar Mantar and can be had in soft flowing, organic designs with curves instead of angles, made from plastics, glass, and steel. A silvery chrome finish is very swish and extremely popular right now. The Italians have an undisputed flair for modern design in furniture as well as clothes, and they have ranges of coffee tables by different designers that show a remarkable use of curved and flowing shapes that just look right, but that you would never have thought of yourself. How do they do it?
Chrome combined with glass helps give a modern, light and airy feel to a room, and there are many different ways to use these materials that can be cast into free-form shapes. For many though, a rectangular table with bevelled edges and a mirrored top is the height of luxury and wouldn’t look out of place in a Manhattan penthouse.
Wood is still popular with many people and does suit most purposes. Modern designs, however, favour the darker, more sophisticated shades of grey and black rather than the Danish predilection for light oak or teak.
If you’re limited for space you can’t overlook the practical advantage of having a coffee table with some storage beneath it which can be in the form of pull-out drawers or simply shelves. Some designers manage to embody both practicality and functionality quite well. If you want a minimal design there is a choice of materials, but steel and glass work well together. There are some practical designs that allow you to extend the supports quite easily and thereby alter the height of the table. Whatever your personal preference, a modern designer coffee table can add a certain something to your home.
