The Coffee Table Style Map of Britain
The coffee table a British home chooses is shaped by the room, not the postcode. We find room size and shape, more than regional style, draw the real map: compact rooms favour smaller, lighter glass or nesting tables that keep sightlines open, while larger and open plan rooms carry solid timber or stone tables that anchor the seating. A light table looks marooned in front of a generous sofa, and a heavy one blocks the walkway in a terraced front room, so scale is everything. Useful guides are to choose a table around two thirds the length of the sofa, keep the top near the sofa's seat height, and leave 30cm to 45cm between table and seat. Round and oval shapes ease flow in tight rooms and where children are present. Our report pairs room situations with suitable shapes and materials. The message is to choose the table for the room, not the trend....