Often known as sofa tables, couch tables come in very handy, though few homeowner's think of them in their overall decorating scheme.
Designed to be taller than end tables and certainly the coffee table, couch tables can serve a couple of useful purposes in your living space. Traditionally, it has been used behind a sofa that is out in the open as opposed to against the wall. It is placed along the back of the sofa and is usually about two-thirds its length.
Here, you can add photos, knickknacks, a large spray of flowers in a vase, a lovely sculptural work; really anything that deserves to get a little attention.
That's all well and good if you want to have display space, but what if you want a little more functionality in your room?
This is where couch tables can really shine, literally. You can use them in place of floor lamps to add more light to the sofa. Many tables can easily hold two lamps along with a centerpiece. Or if you want something a little more romantic, you can add a candelabra or two or lovely tapered candles on heirloom candlesticks. These are perfect for setting the stage for an evening of romance. Just add your favorite romantic movie and you never even have to worry about dimming the lights.
Of course, these tables can be used in other ways. While a lot of homeowners believe that shoving the sofa or sectional against the wall will make the room is true, that's not really true. Savvy interior designers will tell you that that will actually define the space visually, creating a barrier to openness and making the room look smaller instead.
One way to combat this is to add couch tables behind your loveseats, sofas and sectionals. This will pull them away from the way while still giving you some much-needed real estate to put lighting or to hold your bowl of popcorn during that romantic movie you couldn't wait to see.
That is one of the beautiful things about these tables. Because they are taller, they offer you easy access to anything you use regularly while on the sofa, from remotes for the electronics to books, munchies or memories.
If you're a scrapbooker, couch tables are the perfect place to showcase your favorite scrapbook. Leave it open on the table so visitors know that it's O.K. to look through. The same is true if you have a highly collectible book or enjoy passages from The Bible. You can place these on the table too, inviting visitors and family members to investigate further. If you really want to peak their curiosity, place an ornate magnifying glass on the book. This not only serves as a visual cue that the book is for enjoying, but can aid those who forgot their glasses at home who can't resist looking at your creation, purchase or object of faith.
When shopping for tables for the sofa, you want to consider two main things. First is the scale. As noted, if you have a couch that is eight feet long, you will probably want the table to be about five feet. You don't want it to span the entire length of the sofa. It will start to look like it belongs to the sofa, instead of complementing it.
You also don't want it too short. Second, you want to pay attention to the height. A sofa table needs to be tall enough to make it easy to reach things on it but it should never reach the top of the sofa back at its lowest point. It should ideally be three to six inches lower.
Couch tables can be a wonderful addition to your living room or great room, or any room that has a sofa in it. It not only adds depth and beauty, but flexibility as well.
