The best value storage coffee tables are the ones that give you the most useful storage for the floor space they take up, while staying sturdy enough for daily use. Our top picks are lift top tables with hidden compartments, tables with drawers on more than one side, two tier designs with a generous lower shelf, upholstered storage footstools, trunk style tables and cube tables with baskets or cubbies. Which one offers the best value for you depends on what you need to store and how your living room is used.
Value here is not about the lowest outlay. It is about how hard a piece works. A storage coffee table can replace a cabinet, a basket and a side table at once, which matters in UK living rooms where space is often tight. You will find all of these designs across our modern coffee tables UK sale range. Here is how each one earns its place.
Before looking at the picks, it helps to be clear about what value means for this kind of furniture. We look at four things:
A table that scores well on all four will usually serve you longer than one chosen for looks alone. It also helps to think about the table alongside the other pieces in our living room furniture UK collection, so storage is spread sensibly across the room rather than concentrated in one place.
Lift top designs raise the tabletop towards the sofa, giving a comfortable surface for eating or using a laptop. Beneath the lifting section sits an enclosed compartment for remotes, chargers, notebooks and paperwork.
Why it is good value: it combines three functions, a coffee table, a temporary desk and closed storage, in a single footprint. For flats without a dining table or a separate study, that versatility is hard to beat.
Best suited to: homeworkers, small flats and anyone who regularly eats in front of the sofa.
Drawers keep smaller items organised and completely out of sight. Look for tables with drawers that open from both sides, or from several sides on a square design, so people sitting in different positions can reach them.
Why it is good value: drawers make it easy to keep the top clear, which means the table always looks tidy with very little effort. If the drawers fill quickly, a matching cabinet or shelving unit from our modern storage furniture UK sale range can take the things you use less often.
Best suited to: homes where lots of small items gather in the living room, such as games controllers, reading glasses and chargers.
A simple lower shelf doubles the usable surface of a table. It holds books, magazines, baskets and trays, and it can be styled as display space as well as storage.
Why it is good value: it is one of the most straightforward and durable forms of storage, with no moving parts to wear out. Adding a pair of baskets turns open storage into hidden storage whenever you need it.
Best suited to: people who like a clean look but want flexibility, and homes where the living room is used for reading.
A large upholstered footstool with a lifting lid works as a coffee table, footrest and extra seat. Add a firm tray on top and it holds drinks securely. Our modern footstools UK collection includes storage designs in fabric, leather and velvet.
Why it is good value: soft edges make it a sensible choice with young children, and the deep interior swallows throws, cushions and toys.
Best suited to: families with toddlers and anyone who likes to put their feet up.
Trunks and chests offer the deepest storage of any coffee table style. They are useful for bulky items such as spare bedding, board games or seasonal decorations.
Why it is good value: the storage capacity is exceptional, and trunk designs often have a timeless look that works in many different schemes over the years.
Best suited to: homes without a spare cupboard, and rooms that need to store bedding for a sofa bed.
If your living room doubles as a guest room, our guide to matching sofa beds with coffee tables in UK homes explains how to choose a table that moves easily when the bed is open. This is where storage for pillows and duvets becomes particularly useful.
Cube shaped tables with open compartments on each side, sometimes fitted with fabric baskets, create a grid of storage. They are compact but surprisingly roomy.
Why it is good value: each compartment can hold a different category of item, which makes it easy to keep things organised, especially for children.
Best suited to: family rooms and playrooms where toys and books need a clear home.
A glass top over a lower shelf or drawer unit keeps a table looking light while still offering storage. It is a sensible choice in smaller rooms where a solid block would feel heavy.
Why it is good value: you get storage without visual bulk. Keep the lower level neat, though, because everything on it is on display.
Best suited to: compact living rooms and contemporary schemes.
Start with what you need to store. Small, everyday items suit drawers and lift top compartments. Bulky items suit trunks and storage footstools. Books and display pieces suit shelves and glass designs. Then think about who uses the room: children, homeworkers, guests or simply you at the end of the day.
Measure carefully. Allow around 40 to 50cm between the table and the sofa and check that drawers can open fully without hitting the sofa or a rug edge. For lift tops, make sure the raised top reaches you comfortably from your usual seat.
A storage coffee table works best as part of a wider plan. Keep everyday items in the coffee table, place occasional items in a cabinet or sideboard and store seasonal things elsewhere in the home. That way the table stays easy to use rather than becoming a place where everything ends up.
In a small living room, a storage table should not look heavy. Lift tops with slim legs, glass tops over a shelf and compact cube designs keep the floor partly visible. In medium sized rooms, drawer tables and two tier designs balance capacity with a lighter look. Large rooms can take a substantial trunk or a wide upholstered footstool, both of which hold a great deal without seeming oversized in a generous space.
Consider the finish too. Pale woods and white finishes help storage pieces recede in small rooms, while darker timber and upholstered designs add warmth and weight in larger ones.
The best value storage coffee table is the one that solves the real clutter in your living room. Match the type of storage to what you own, check the build quality carefully and measure the space around it. You can compare all of these designs at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Trunk style tables and large upholstered storage footstools usually offer the deepest storage, making them useful for bulky items such as throws, bedding and games.
Yes. They provide a raised surface for eating or working from the sofa, plus a hidden compartment for everyday items, which makes them particularly useful in smaller homes.
It often is, because it can replace other pieces such as a side cabinet or basket. Choose a size that leaves clear walkways and consider a glass top to keep the room feeling light.
Give each drawer or compartment a single purpose, use dividers inside larger spaces and clear it out regularly. Keep only everyday items on top.
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