Sofa tables are used behind your sofa to help ground the sofa and give it a more intentional and finished look. They are typically used when your sofa is placed in the center of a room, not with its back to a wall.
Sofa tables are often used if the back of a sofa isn’t very attractive. Maybe you have a stain or marks you want to hide, or the color no longer suits your interior?
Then a sofa table can help mask that, with its design and color better tying the room together. Sofa tables come in various styles and colors, so you are sure to find one that will work well with your room if you decide to purchase one.
Not only are they handy decorative tools, but sofa tables are also incredibly handy too. You can use the sofa table to place lamps that will provide light for the sofa!
If your sofa doesn’t get much light or you want to include some softer or lower lighting to enjoy in the evenings, using a sofa table to place lamps on will change the game! You can transform your sofa easily into a cozy reading nook you will never want to leave.
Sofa tables can also house photos and other decorations you might not currently have room for in your living room. Placing them on the sofa table is convenient and usually easy for you to reach.
Why not pop your keys there so you can grab them when you are in a hurry? Depending on where your sofa is in the room, the sofa table can be a fantastic place to leave important documents or mail for other members of your household to collect as they pass.
Sofa tables are also used to fill any dead space that you might have behind your sofa. Instead of a large and empty space that isn’t used, a sofa table provides a surface for any items that require one and can work to fill a space, offering a cozy feel to your living room.
What Length Should A Sofa Table Be?
Usually, sofa tables will be at least half the length of your sofa. This ensures plenty of space for any items you wish to place on the sofa table without feeling cluttered or crowded. It also means that the sofa table won’t look ‘lost’ against the back of your sofa.
While smaller sofa tables do exist, they don’t always fill the space in the way a longer sofa table would. However, they are ideal for those with limited space that want a table behind their sofa or smaller sofas or chairs they want to use the table with.
As a general rule of thumb, though, we would opt for a sofa table that is at least half the length of your sofa. This provides plenty of room for all your items and allows you to center the table along with your sofa if you wish.
You can go larger too, but we would avoid exceeding the length of your sofa. If the sofa table is longer than your sofa, it will stick out either side of your sofa and look unattractive.
Some people enjoy that style as they feel it extends their area or creates a stronger divide between the seating area and the rest of the room. If that appeals to you, then go for it!
Remember, there are no hard and fast rules to follow when it comes to your home decor; if you like it, that's all that matters.
However, we do suggest taking care when using a sofa table longer than your sofa. It can reduce the walkway space you have to get to your sofa, making it difficult for you to move around your home.
It also increases the risk of you bumping into the sharp corners of the table and hurting yourself. The same goes for any small children in your house too. The risk is lower if the sofa table is the same length or less than the sofa you are placing it against.
Can A Sofa Table Be Higher Than A Sofa?
Generally speaking, no. A sofa table will be the same height or shorter than the sofa, but we don’t often see them higher than the sofa.
When purchasing your sofa table, be sure to measure your sofa (and double-check the measurements) to ensure that you purchase the correct size table for your sofa.
When a sofa table is the same height as your sofa, you get clean and continuous lines that make your home feel stylish and put together. The table will not look out of place and should almost blend in with the sofa height-wise.
If the table is smaller than the sofa, this can look stylish too. For sofa tables that are smaller than the sofa, it can be nice to center them in the back of the sofa. You get a clean space around the table, allowing your sofa table to make an impact and stand out as a fantastic place of furniture.
If the sofa table is taller than the sofa, it can look a little odd and disjointed. You might also find that when you lay back on the sofa, you hit your head on the table or its legs, and that is never comfortable!
If you use your sofa table to store a lamp, you might also find it difficult to reach the lamp from the sofa and control it. You might also find that the sofa table is difficult for children to reach, preventing them from collecting any items you might have placed there.
While the thought of children not grabbing things from tables is a welcome thought for many, it can become an issue for those that intend to use sofa tables to place important items.
You don’t want the sofa table to look too bulky or as though it doesn't fit the style of the room. To avoid this, opt for a sofa table that is the same height or a few inches shorter than your sofa.
