Coffee table size: measurements to match your sofa

The most common rule is the 2/3 rule: the coffee table should be about 2/3 the length of the sofa. That way it reaches whoever sits at the ends without covering the whole sofa.

• 240 cm sofa: a table of about 160 cm, as in front of the LINE.
• 300 cm sofa: a table of about 200 cm, as in front of the 3-seater HAVEN.

With a corner sofa or a chaise sofa, count only the front where people sit, not the whole L.

Our coffee tables are compact. The STRATA measures 85 × 60 cm and the ALBBA 70 × 70 cm. In front of a long sofa, they work better with company: with a side table next to the sofa, or as a pair, with 2 tables side by side.

The tabletop should be at seat height or up to 5 cm lower. Measure the seat from the floor to the top of the cushion. A table higher than the seat sits between people; a table much lower makes you bend down to put a glass on it.

• LINE, seat at 33 cm: a table of 28 to 33 cm. The STRATA, at 30 cm, and the ALBBA, at 29 cm, are within range.
• HAVEN, seat at 40 cm: a table of 35 to 40 cm.
• HUG, seat at 44 cm: a table of 39 to 44 cm.

Our coffee tables are low, at 29 and 30 cm, and go best with low-seated sofas such as the LINE.

Leave 35 to 45 cm between the front of the sofa and the table. It is enough room for your legs and keeps the table within reach, without getting up.

On the other side of the table, allow for the walkway. The main walkway in a living room needs 75 to 90 cm of clear space. The other measurement mistakes that come up most often are in the guide 6 mistakes to avoid when decorating a living room.

• Rectangular: the most common. It goes with straight sofas of 3 or more seats. This is the design of the STRATA, in oak or walnut veneer, with a sintered stone top on request.
• Round: it has no corners, so it makes it easier to walk around in a small living room. It goes well with a sofa with curved lines. The ALBBA WOOD is round, 70 cm in diameter, and its top splits in 2 for storage inside.
• Oval: it combines the previous 2. It has the length of a rectangular table and you walk around it as you would a round one.
• Square: it needs a large living room. It suits corner sofas and sofas with a chaise.

In a small living room, start with the walkway. If there is no room left for the 35 to 45 cm by the sofa and the clear path on the other side, the table is too big.

• Prefer a round or oval shape: with no corners, it is easier to walk past.
• Choose a table with storage: a table that stores things inside, such as the ALBBA, puts away what would otherwise need another piece of furniture.
• Replace the coffee table with side tables: when there is no room for a table in the middle, a side table next to the sofa does the same job.
• Mark it on the floor before you buy: outline the table on the floor with painter's tape, at its real size, and check the walkways.

The side table goes next to the sofa, at the height of the armrest or up to 5 cm lower. Measure the armrest of your sofa before choosing.

The CLIPP is 50 cm high, 50 cm wide and 25 cm deep, with its 50 cm top supported on one side only. The NOMA is 50 cm high, with a 60 × 34 cm top on a metal base. Both also come in wood, as the CLIPP WOOD and the NOMA WOOD.

With a rug in the living room, at least the front legs of the sofa should be on it, and the coffee table sits in the middle. That way the sofa and the table read as one group. The rug measurements for each room are in the guide How to use rugs in your home. If you are still choosing the sofa, start with the guide The right sofa: how to choose a sofa for your living room, and see the Living room page.