How do I Choose the Best Contemporary Coffee Table?

The first step in choosing the best contemporary coffee table for your home is to think in terms of clean lines and a strong geometric shape. These elements encompass the basic contemporary style. Then go one step further and decide on the best size, shape and color of coffee table that will coordinate effectively with your living space.

Leafing through current interior design magazines, browsing Internet furniture websites or visiting showrooms that feature contemporary furniture can help you discover what appeals to you the most in a coffee table. It may be a shiny finish, an unusual, yet organic free-form shape or a size that's ideal in scale to help balance out the rest of your living room's furnishings. For instance, due to its L-shape, a sectional sofa can sometimes present a challenge in finding an appropriate size of contemporary coffee table to fit in with it.

Cutting out large pieces of paper, or piecing sections of newspaper together with tape, and trying different sizes and shapes near your sofa may help you better envision the basic outline of coffee table that is likely to work the best. Once you have a good idea of the size and shape of the contemporary coffee table you need, you can keep this information in mind while viewing different possibilities. As you look, think about finish and function rather than just in terms of finding a small, medium or large round, square or free-form table.

The coffee table you end up choosing shouldn't just look great in terms of scale, shape and style, but it should also be functional. For example, if you'll need to move the table regularly, picking a heavy piece of furniture isn't likely to be a good idea. If your contemporary coffee table will be placed in a family room, a glass-topped option isn't wise, especially if it's not tempered or safety glass. If you want an uncluttered look to your living space, consider a coffee table with closed storage such as a few drawers under the tabletop.

Try to keep an open mind when you're first considering the color of your new table. Color in a contemporary home can be used in small amounts to make a modern impact. If your room is otherwise lacking in strong color, choosing a contemporary coffee table in an up-to-date designer accent color can be an excellent idea. If you hope to have the table for a long time, it's best to look for one you can repaint before the color trend becomes dated.