Your cocktail table is important in your living room. It quickly becomes a multipurpose piece that needs to be picked out with a purpose. It’s a foot rest, a table for eating, and sometimes even a work bench. With so many shapes and sizes to pick from today it becomes overwhelming to choose which is right for your living room.

This is the ultimate guide to show you what you should be choosing for your space and the details that go along with it.

Shape:

If you have a sectional – Go for a round shaped table. If you have something with edges it makes the room feel box-y. Round balances out the lines of a sectional.

If you have just a love seat or sofa – Pretty much any style cocktail table can work with this. Round, rectangle, and square all can fit the design layout with a single sofa.

If you have a sofa and a chair – Rectangle is best to reach both seating pieces but ultimately, any shape would work.

If you have two sofas facing each other – Rectangle or square are the shapes you should be looking at. Round may make the room feel off balance and won’t be able to provide use for both sofas with its shape.

Size:

Scale – Always take scale into account. If you have a large plush sofa, don’t get a dainty little cocktail table. Make sure the pieces all complement each other.

Height – the table top should be 1 to 2 inches lower than the seat of your sofa.

Look:

Consider which style you like best or that goes with the theme of your room. There are glass table tops, metal table tops, wood, and more. Think about what you should choose if you have young children or a messy roommate. Take all factors into consideration with a piece that is used so often.

Placement:

Leave about 30in between the edge of your cocktail table and the edge of your media stand.

Always remember fun alternatives if you can’t find the right table for you. Ottomans, chests, small boxes, and even poof chairs make great cocktail table replacements.

Happy Decorating 🙂