Welcome to another edition of Small Home Style - a blog series dedicated to sharing creative design solutions for small home dwellers. Living with my family of 4 + a new puppy in 1100 SQ, I know firsthand that it can be challenging to design small spaces which are both lovely and practical. I love sharing and passing along the design tricks and ideas I've learned along the way. Every Monday, I'm sharing a solutions for small home dwellers. Designing a small living room for real life is definitely a challenge.
Finding THE perfect coffee table for a small living room can be a huge design challenge. However, I've rounded up my 5 favorite chic coffee table styles for small spaces, plus sharing some shopping tips!
ONE: Round Coffee Table, and TWO: Oval Coffee Table. My top pick for a small living room is going with a round or oval coffee table. Choosing a round or oval coffee table can help break up all the harsh lines in a living room. The living room below is a fantastic example of how the round coffee table creates a nice 'walk flow' in the living room. I adore the Marlton coffee table and Soft Modern round coffee table - both from Target, and under $150, these are great for small spaces.
image via Refinery29
image via Caitlin Wilson
In my living room (image below), I was on the hunt for an oval coffee table to place between my two sofas. After searching for months in stores, I lucked out and found a heavy glass topped coffee table on Craigslist. I gave the coffee table a quick makeover with black spray paint ( more deets about my coffee table find here). By adding an oval coffee table to sit between my sofas, I was able to soften the harsh lines in my small living room.
THREE: Clear Coffee Table. A clear coffee table is not only a stylish choice for a living room, it also helps open up the living room view and doesn't feel heavy in small spaces. Going clear also gives your living room a stylish modern look. You can easily store books and magazines underneath, or benches to use as extra seating when needed. The acrylic Peekaboo coffee table from cb2 is a good choice; Wayfair also carries a fantastic acrylic coffee table Modway Journal Coffee table.
image via My Domaine
FOUR: Long Lean Coffee Table. A long and narrow coffee table is an excellent idea when floor space is at a premium. Search Craigslist and local thrift stores for a long lean vintage coffee table that would look fantastic with a makeover. The Slab Marble coffee table from cb2 is also a great coffee table for a small living room; the marble gives a living room an instant sophisticated look.
image via Style Me Pretty
image via My Domaine
FIVE: Benches & Garden Stools turned into Coffee Tables. If seating is very limited in your living room, go with benches instead, or 2-3 garden stools instead of a traditional coffee table. And, benches & garden stools can quickly convert from a coffee table to extra seating. You can either use two small benches as a coffee table, or one large bench/ottoman as a coffee table -depending on the size of your living room. Using 2-3 garden stools also make a fun addition to a living room and can easily be used as a coffee table. The fun thing about going with a bench is opting for a fun patterned or colorful bench, or colorful garden stools. Have fun and mix up garden stool styles.
image via LiveNation
image via MariaKillam
Keep in mind when selecting a coffee table for your space to look at the scale of the coffee table, and measure your space to determine the best style. Break out the blue tape and place on the floor to help visualize the area your coffee table will reside in. Have fun shopping for a coffee table, and hold out until you find the perfect coffee table for your living room; it's much better to wait until you find THE coffee table instead of wasting money on placeholders. If you have any specific Small Home Design dilemmas or questions, please feel free to reach out to me at Hello@chiclittlehouse.com. Visit Overstock for a slew of 'X' bench styles and garden stools.
What's your favorite coffee table?
