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Coffee Tables
The physical centrepiece of an informal space, a great coffee table will be more than just somewhere to place your mug. And these are some of the best Kate has found.
Daisy MarbleGraham & GreenI’m a sucker for a geometric daisy pattern, and this table is no exception for when you don’t have a huge amount of space. There's also a taller, side table version but that looks unstable to me, so I have gone for this one with its classic marble top and brass stalk. If you do have more space you could cluster two side tables together, or two low ones and one high.
Sybil RectangularLa RedouteThe key to La Redoute (apart from this site) is the AM.PM range. It’s their high-end collection – and, if you can take the time to rummage, it's full of gems. I bought this coffee table after meeting a very chic interior designer at her home in Paris. She told me she recommends them to all her clients. I am doing the same for you. It’s super-simple and looks great filled with books and objets. I have the rectangle. My designer friend has two squares, which looks amazing if you have a big room. Buy the black not the gold or the chrome, and they do float in and out of stock, so keep an eye open.
Tuck Coffee Table (set of 2, navy & natural)John LewisA pair that’s not matching will always look good – or should that be, will always make you look good. That’s because it will appear that you weren’t content with just buying one but you made a decision and sought out a second piece that co-ordinated without copying. Added to which navy and natural wood is a great colour combination. Bolster this mix with caramel seating and navy cushions and don’t forget to add some stripes. This is a classic colour combo that will endure. If you want to “fashion” it up a bit, add burgundy.
Gold & GlassRockett St GeorgeCoffee tables are tough. I like big ones so you can have books and flowers, a bottle of wine – and possibly even your feet. If your style tends to rustic you can buy a big kitchen table and cut the legs off. This will obviously work with an elegant mahogany dining table but might feel a little more sacrilegious. Glass and brass is a classic and will also lighten the space as the light can flow around it which, if you have a small room and/or large sofas is helpful. Style gorgeous books on the bottom half and keep the top clear for stuff you need to use.
Art NouveauRockett St GeorgeThis coffee table is a great example of why you need contrast in an interior. It’s a super-simple outline with no embellishments but the aged brass base brings a note of luxe to the space. It will also reflect and bounce the light around which is never a bad thing in the evening when the lamps are lit. Fill it with well-thumbed books, a wooden tray and anything vintage.
Dunston Nested (glass, coffee & side)MADE at John LewisSmoked glass is making a comeback – along with the rest of the Seventies – and this handsome pair will fit right in alongside a corduroy sofa. Good room décor needs items at different heights, so arranging these two as pictured will do that and add interest. Plus you can just slide the taller table off if you need to use it elsewhere in the room. The newly revamped MADE seems to be back on form.
Bangor Wired Steel (set of 2)La RedouteMost rooms are made up of a series of straight lines and hard corners, so it helps if you can find a way to soften it all off. Sometimes a round coffee table is the answer. But sometimes a single round next to a long sofa looks odd. So here’s a set of two. One is 70cm in diameter and the other is 59cm.
PortnallSoho HomeThe key to owning this is discipline. But if you can promise to only keep the current magazines and newspapers in the pocket then this is both beautiful and useful, so William Morris would have approved. Also a handy place to chuck the remote so it doesn't get lost down the back of the cushions (just me?) although I suspect the odd cat might find their way in here as well.
Chevron OakCox & CoxIf you want a simple table that will sit in the middle of the room and has enough space for a couple of decorative books, a glass of wine, a plate of pasta or, possibly, your feet, this is the one. It’s 1m x 1m so it’s a good size.
Textured Nesting Tables (set of 2)Cox & CoxOval tables can be hard to find, and while nests fell out of fashion in the Eighties, they are back as one of the most practical ways to keep more furniture in a small space. Here, the designers have taken a classic shape and use an unexpected material (burnished metal) to bring a contemporary edge to a classic idea.
