Choose an oval coffee table if your priority is easy movement, a softer look and space for people to gather around. Choose a two tier coffee table if your priority is storage and keeping everyday clutter off the main surface. In short, oval shapes solve layout problems, while two tier designs solve tidiness problems. The right choice depends on which of those issues your living room has.
Both styles are well represented in our range of modern coffee tables UK sale, and some designs combine the two, with an oval top and a lower shelf beneath. Before deciding, it helps to think about how the table will sit alongside the rest of your modern living room furniture UK, because the best choice often becomes obvious once you look at the room as a whole.
Here is how the two options compare on the factors that matter most in everyday life.
In a long, narrow living room, or one where the main route to the kitchen or garden passes between the sofa and the television, an oval table is easier to live with. The curves guide people around it naturally and there are no corners to catch knees or bags. Many terraced houses and flats have exactly this kind of layout, which is why oval tables are so often recommended for them.
If your seating is arranged in a loose group, perhaps a sofa and two chairs, an oval table sits comfortably in the middle and is equally reachable from every seat. A rectangle can make the chairs feel slightly separated from the sofa, while an oval draws them together.
Modern living rooms can be full of straight lines: square windows, rectangular media units, boxy sofas. An oval table breaks up that geometry and makes a space feel more relaxed. It is a simple way to add a little warmth without changing anything else.
Curved edges are gentler on toddlers learning to walk. While any table can be bumped into, an oval shape removes the sharpest points of contact.
Many UK living rooms have no built in cupboards and very little space for a bookcase. A lower shelf gives you somewhere to keep the items you use most without adding another piece of furniture. Remote controls, reading material, coasters and board games can all live underneath, out of the way but within reach.
If a cluttered coffee table bothers you, a two tier design makes tidiness effortless. The top stays reserved for a vase, a lamp or a drink, and everything else goes below. It is a small change that makes a room feel calmer.
A second level gives you more room to style. Woven baskets, a stack of large books or a folded throw on the lower shelf add texture and depth. It also allows you to keep the top minimal while the room still feels lived in.
In a living area that shares a room with the kitchen or dining space, a two tier table can help define the lounge zone by quietly absorbing the bits and pieces that would otherwise drift onto the dining table or worktop.
Whichever shape you choose, proportion matters more than style. As a general guide, a coffee table should be around two thirds the length of your sofa and sit at roughly the same height as your seat cushions or slightly lower. Leave around 40 to 50 cm between the sofa and the edge of the table.
Oval tables can often be a little longer than a rectangular equivalent, because the curved ends take up less usable floor space. Two tier tables can look bulky if the lower shelf is solid and deep, so if your room is small, look for an open frame or a shelf made of glass or slatted wood.
Materials can shift the balance between the two options. A glass oval table is about as light as a coffee table can look, which is useful in compact rooms. A solid wood oval feels warm and substantial. On two tier designs, a glass top above a wooden shelf lets you show off what is stored beneath, while a solid top hides it.
High gloss finishes reflect light and suit contemporary rooms, but they show fingerprints more readily. Matt wood and marble effect surfaces are more forgiving in busy family homes.
You do not always have to choose. Some tables pair an oval top with a lower shelf, giving you curves and storage in one piece. Alternatively, you can choose an oval coffee table and add storage nearby. A side table with a drawer or shelf beside the sofa can hold what a two tier table would. Our range of modern side tables UK includes many designs with extra storage.
If you want more significant storage without crowding the coffee table, a slim cabinet or shelving unit from our storage furniture UK sale collection can take books, games and media away from the centre of the room entirely.
It also helps to understand the differences between the smaller tables that often sit around a sofa. Our explainer on side tables, end tables and lamp tables in UK homes clarifies which does what, so you can plan the whole seating area together.
Mid century and retro: oval tables with tapered wooden legs feel authentic to this era and look particularly good with low sofas.
Industrial: two tier tables with metal frames and wooden shelves suit exposed brick and darker palettes.
Scandinavian: both work, though a pale wood oval is especially at home with soft neutrals and simple shapes.
Contemporary: a glass or high gloss two tier design keeps lines crisp, while an oval marble effect top adds a softer, sculptural note.
It helps to imagine an ordinary week with each table. With an oval, evenings feel easy: people move around it without thinking, a tray of drinks sits comfortably in the middle and children can play on the floor without catching a corner. The trade off is that anything left on the table stays on show, so you need somewhere else for the post, the chargers and the remote controls.
With a two tier table, the evening routine often looks tidier. Magazines slide onto the lower shelf, a basket swallows the remote controls and games, and the top is ready for a cup of tea or a laptop. The trade off is that the lower shelf can gather dust and become a dumping ground if you are not careful. A quick weekly clear out keeps it working as intended.
Cleaning is another consideration. An oval with a pedestal base is quick to vacuum around. Two tier designs have more surfaces to wipe, although many people find that a small price to pay for the extra storage.
A coffee table rarely works alone. If you have a sofa and armchairs, think about how people will reach the table from each seat. An oval generally reaches everyone equally. A two tier rectangle might suit a single sofa facing a television, where reach from one side is all that matters. If you have a corner sofa, an oval can soften the angle of the L shape, while a two tier table aligned with the longer side gives a neat, structured look.
Stand in your living room and ask two questions. First, do people have to squeeze past the coffee table or change direction to avoid it? If yes, lean towards oval. Second, is the current table surface usually covered in things that do not have a home? If yes, lean towards two tier. If both answers are yes, look at oval designs with a lower shelf. If neither applies, choose whichever shape you find most appealing, because both will serve you well.
Once you have decided, you can compare coffee tables alongside sofas, rugs and storage at Furniture in Fashion.
Often, yes. The curved edges make it easier to move around and the shape feels lighter, which suits compact rooms and narrow layouts.
Not if the lower shelf is styled carefully. Use baskets or neat stacks of books to keep it organised, and choose an open frame if you want a lighter look.
Yes. Some designs combine an oval top with a lower shelf, giving you curved edges and extra storage in one piece.
Oval tables have no sharp corners, which makes them a gentler choice. If you prefer a two tier table, look for one with rounded edges.
Aim for a top level with, or slightly below, your sofa seat. For most sofas that means a table somewhere around 40 to 45 cm high.
Yes, you can put a large coffee table in a small room, and in some…
A rattan coffee table brings warmth and natural texture to a room, but where you…
Splitting the cost of a computer desk into monthly payments without interest is a realistic…
Buying an office desk with nothing paid upfront and no interest sounds simple, but the…
A two tier coffee table adds a lower shelf beneath the main surface, giving books,…
Black coffee tables are far more adaptable than many people expect. Rather than making a…
This website uses cookies.