The Right Coffee Table: Height, Size and Distance

A good coffee table comes down to three numbers. First: its height should be up to 5 cm below the seat height of your sofa. Any higher and it feels like a desk; too low and your cup is out of reach.

Second: its length should be about two thirds of the sofa’s length. Any less and it looks lost, any more and it blocks the walkway. And third: 45 cm between the sofa and the table. Close enough to set down a cup, far enough for your legs.

And a bonus number: leave 60 cm of clear passage around the seating area. The living room will feel twice as relaxed.