10 of the Best Coffee Tables For Small Spaces

Many homes have a coffee table situated in the living room. Coffee tables are great places to place drinks, set down plates of food, store books or magazines, and even just put the feet up to relax and watch TV. They’re a great addition to any comfortable living space.

However, it’s not easy for every homeowner or renter to fit a coffee table into their living space. This is especially challenging for apartment or condo dwellers in big cities where living space is a very limited luxury. Not every apartment or condo has enough room to fit a standard coffee table into the allotted quarters. That’s why many apartments or condo dwellers must be very clever with their living room designs to make it all work.

Given this is a very specific challenge for city folk, what are the best coffee tables for small spaces? How can you fit a decent coffee table into an urban living room, and what are some examples of the best coffee tables for small spaces that will inspire you to find the right furniture for your unique needs? Let’s dive into those questions and come up with some answers.

How to effectively use coffee tables for small spaces

When selecting the best coffee tables for small spaces, you want to be very mindful of the amount of room you have surrounding the other furniture. It’s important not to overstuff your open space with too many objects that expand your decor. Otherwise, you may have no room to actually move around within the living room quarters.

Sometimes, the most effective way to use a coffee table in a small space is to redefine how you think of a coffee table. For example, most people picture a long rectangular table that sits in front of a couch or the middle of a living room space. But you could easily repurpose the idea with side tables, tray tables, groups of stools, and other alternatives with hard surfaces.

When you have a small living room space, you need to think outside the box to make your furniture selections fit into the available room. Thinking a little unorthodox with space-saving options that replace traditional coffee tables is a great way to set down all items you’d keep in a living room without over cramming your available space.

10 of the best coffee tables for small spaces

Now, what are some specific examples of alternative coffee tables to fit into a small space? This is a brief rundown of 10 of our recommended ideas to help you start decorating.

Matching side tables

If your living room space can’t accommodate a full coffee table, this is one of the easiest ways to get around that limitation. A pair of matching side tables can be placed in either the center of the room or on opposite ends of the couch to give each person who would sit in that space a place to set down their drinks or plates of food.

Vintage trunk

Let’s say you have room for a full coffee table, provided you can eliminate other shelves or bookcases in the living room space. A vintage trunk is a great option to solve this challenge. You can use the trunk’s closed surface as a makeshift coffee table and use the space within the trunk to store books, magazines, paperwork, household knick-knacks, and other items that need to be kept in your living room.

Tray table

A tray table is a small circular table that functions just like a rectangular coffee table. However, it takes up far less space, allowing you to keep the important items in the living room on a designated surface that doesn’t eat into your open living room space.

The slim wire leg table

Sometimes, the best way to make use of a coffee table in a small space is to go for the most minimalist design to fit it into the limited space. A slim table with thin wire legs is not bulky like other coffee tables, meaning it provides the basic need for a surface structure for household items without restricting your ability to move around in the living room.

Two-tier table

If your living room space is very limited, a two-tier table could be the best way to accommodate that. This type of table replaces two separate side tables with a hard surface at the top of the table as well as a platform halfway between the surface and the ground that’s supported by the four legs. You can have items like remotes or coffee coasters set on the top surface and use the lower tier for things like books, magazines, and other bulky items.

Laptop tables

If you live in a city apartment or condo, odds are that one of the primary reasons for a coffee table is to have a place to use your laptop. Rather than force a large coffee table into a small space, you could acquire a smaller table specifically designed for laptop usage. You can do the work you need to do from your home office and have a bit of space on the table for other small items that need a place to rest in the living room.

Removable tray square table

Similar to the slim wire leg table, a removable tray square table is a perfect addition for a room that needs a simple table space with a basic design. The best part of this table is that the tray surface on the top is removable, which is perfect if drinks or foods inadvertently spill onto the table. You can remove the tray and wash the stains off appropriately without risking damage to carpeting or hardwood floors underneath the table space.

Metal drum coffee table

This type of table gets its distinct name for its unique design; it resembles the shape of a metal drum. The bottom of the table is rounded out and juts upward to the surface which has a spherical design. Like some of the non-rectangular coffee tables, this is a great way to fill a small living room space with a firm surface for glasses, plates, or cutlery, as well as books, magazines, and other household items.

Compact coffee tables

Ever seen a coffee table with a very unique shape? These compact designs are distinct from other coffee tables as they often resemble certain animals or creative objects that add a little more character to your living room space. Select one of these compact table designs if you’d like to have a great conversation starter whenever you have company over at the house.

Transformer coffee table

This is a great way to bring more functionality to your coffee table and more flexibility to your living room space. Transformer coffee tables have integrated panel storage units that allow you to store items within your living room in an enclosed structure that takes up less of your living room space than a traditional coffee table.

What to look for when buying a coffee table for small spaces

Every person’s needs when it comes to buying a great coffee table are different depending on circumstances like spacing in the living room or how often you plan to host parties and entertain guests. There is no one magic bullet that answers the question of “what is the best coffee table for small spaces.”

However, by doing your research and thinking outside the box, you can find a coffee table design that appropriately suits your unique needs. With that knowledge in hand, you can find the best coffee table for your living room space and add a distinct decor to your beautiful home.