Coffee table - yay or nay?

[AnyDream]

Coffee tables - do you subscribe to having a big thing in the middle of your lounge seating area? Why? Why not?

If you have one, are there "rules" about how to have one well?

[2CheekyMonkeys]

We have one but I hate it. It takes up too much room. We need something though to put cups etc on.

[~Hestia~]

We have one in our 'formal' lounge, it annoys me but we do use it of an evening. If the boys are in there with snacks they need to have a tea towel, cars are not to be used on it etc. This is why it annoys me but DH's grandfather made it which is why we have rules

[~Kim~]

We have one (well 2 actually) and they used to sit in the middle. Then we had kids. Kids who like to play and jump around. A coffee table just provided easy access to stuff either by reach or climbing. Then there were the corners that were sharpish.
So now we just have a little table in the corner between the couches (which are placed in an L-shape).

[Calluna]

Yay. There needs to be somewhere to put cups, plates, feet we went without one for a while and it was a pain in the butt not having anywhere to put stuff.

[OceanPrincess]

We have one (well 2 actually) and they used to sit in the middle. Then we had kids. Kids who like to play and jump around. A coffee table just provided easy access to stuff either by reach or climbing. Then there were the corners that were sharpish.
So now we just have a little table in the corner between the couches (which are placed in an L-shape).

Almost exactly this in our house too.

[Cass72]

Oh, glad someone started this thread!

We have a heavy "rustic style" coffee table in the famiy room. It's big and it's heavy but it has two large drawers that I can hide things away in. Oh, and it gives DS2 somewhere to dance....takes after his mama!

Now we have moved we have a grown up separate "formal" lounge /dining room which I'm decorating. So far DH and I have ummed and arred over the coffee table thing. He wants a large one for the centre. Me, I'd prefer a nice lamp table and two smaller ****tail tables - you know the small ones that you can either have along side of the couch or move out to the front to put your martini on...(well, more likely wine in this house...).

We found an amazing one in an antique shop but both quibbled at the price - it was $1800 - but it was circa 1780 and from France...hmmm.

Anyway, if we do go for a larger coffee table I would prefer an oval one. I'm not liking corners.

[Cass72]

Oh, glad someone started this thread!

We have a heavy "rustic style" coffee table in the famiy room. It's big and it's heavy but it has two large drawers that I can hide things away in. Oh, and it gives DS2 somewhere to dance....takes after his mama!

Now we have moved we have a grown up separate "formal" lounge /dining room which I'm decorating. So far DH and I have ummed and arred over the coffee table thing. He wants a large one for the centre. Me, I'd prefer a nice lamp table and two smaller ****tail tables - you know the small ones that you can either have along side of the couch or move out to the front to put your martini on...(well, more likely wine in this house...).

We found an amazing one in an antique shop but both quibbled at the price - it was $1800 - but it was circa 1780 and from France...hmmm.

Anyway, if we do go for a larger coffee table I would prefer an oval one. I'm not liking corners.

[Astrid]

Our coffee table is fondly called the "Coffee Table of Death"

We have all suffered injuries, especially the girls. A few black eyes, one split ear, lots of bumped toes and legs.

It is a big thing with drawers and shelves. Which were a great idea at the time, but are just another area to dust and clear crap from, the drawers also become dumping grounds.

On a positive side, it is big enough to eat off if we are doing a share meal and makes a great kids party table.

[Astrid]

Our coffee table is fondly called the "Coffee Table of Death"

We have all suffered injuries, especially the girls. A few black eyes, one split ear, lots of bumped toes and legs.

It is a big thing with drawers and shelves. Which were a great idea at the time, but are just another area to dust and clear crap from, the drawers also become dumping grounds.

On a positive side, it is big enough to eat off if we are doing a share meal and makes a great kids party table.

[Trillian]

Sometimes I think it would be nice, but I know it would just be a PITA if we had one. We don't have a lot of room in our lounge room for one and it would just become a dumping ground for everything. We do have small side tables for putting cups etc and we don't eat in the lounge room anyway. When we had one at home when I was growing up it always sat in front of the lounge. I have no idea why it was always the lounge and never the lounge chairs LOL. I didn't think it really made a difference?

[~TT40~]

we did, now have no room really, one would fit but you then have to squeeze and DH likes to put his feet up so we swapped a table for a big ottoman. my dream tho is to have one of those big solid wood ones with drawers etc.. but wont get that for a long time.
we have lots of side tables tho. and shelves near our lounge to put cuppas on out of Spocks reach

[AnyDream]

See, our coffee table is exactly the right size for two people to stand on and dance. This is where my dilemma arises.

We've just bought a lovely new rug (!) with a lovely design on it, but the right-size-for-dancing coffee table occupies too much of the rug design. So I'm thinking I could replace it with a smaller coffee which might open up the space or it might have the opposite effect where the wrong-size smaller piece of furniture actually makes the room seem smaller. Plus, the current coffee table has lots of crayon and scribble marks and it's been scrubbed so many times the stain has worn off the the top - maybe it's just safer to stick with it until my children have university degrees and have left home.

By the way - to the person who used the words "formal lounge" - ENVY. That is all.

[No.5]

We have a rather large (for this house) coffee table that I've recently been considering getting rid of. DS does use it to eat at though which is the only thing stopping me (wouldn't kill him to eat at the dining table though!).

We're moving later in the year and I don't think we'll take it with us. At the moment it's moved to the side of the lounge room so that DD's alphabet mat could be put down for her to play on.

[Sopdet]

my place, yes, it holds candles and coasters, also ends up being an altar table in ritual.

[BOC]

No. We had a glass one and when DS started pulling himself up on it I removed it, worried he would fall and smash his head or the table. It now sits behind a "fence" (old playpen stretched out) that blocks the TV unit from little hands. Comes in handy to sit the Xmas tree on, thus elevating it just enough to keep ornaments out of reach of curious hands ;-) during the rest of the year it holds Wii accessories LOL

[briggsy's girl]

we have small tables in the corner of the lounge (another with couches in an L-shape!)

my folks have one of the heavy ones with drawers and i hate it - it's convenient for when the kids are eating in the lounge yes, but the kids have to eat in the lounge at the low table when we have a family dinner because there is no room left in the lounge due to the coffee table (so we can't add another dining table like we used to do!). mum loves it - i hate it. i just find it cumbersome and pointless (it's usually covered in random crap that has to get moved when DD visits as she is still young enough to get into things she shouldn't!)

we discussed putting one in the bar/formal lounge many moons ago, but decided the bar was going to be a better idea and fits with us better. we have small table between the two lounge chairs up there, and then the bar (obviously!).

our family room/lounge has more in it than i'd like, and a formal coffee table would just cramp it up more and drive me bonkers! this thread has made me think about the lounge again - i may have to rearrange things again though - dd has found the drawer in the antique drinks cart so i need to move things to keep her out of it!

[RhiChiChi]

We did have one but decided with a baby who will be on the move soon to put it into storage until she is a little older. It has given alot more room to in front of the couches, so she can be put down on the floor and be able to roll around without banging into anything.