If your living room is feeling lacklustre and you're wanting to inject some finishing touches for that polished and pulled together look and feel, a great place to start is by adding a coffee table. Want to know how to create visual interest and add some personality to your living room? Our expert stylist, Katie, has shared her top styling tips and interior knowledge so that you’ve got all the info you need to find the perfect coffee table for your space.

How to place a coffee table with sofa:

Firstly, a coffee table should help your space work for you. Katie explains: “You need enough space in front of your sofa to easily walk between the two. It also needs to be an easy-reach space for you or your guests to put a drink, a book, laptop etc.”

Not all your furniture needs to be close to the coffee table. If you also have an armchair or other seating, think about adding side tables rather than having all your seating huddling around a coffee table. The coffee table is your sofa’s main friend, other seats can have their own surfaces for drinks and table lamps etc.

Tip: If you're stuck for space, think practical styles like the Thea Set which can double up as a separate coffee table and an extra seat with the light grey velvet pouffe. Rest your legs or simply tuck away and make the most of your room with its seamless and neat design.

How can you add personality to your coffee table?

Start with a coffee table to add layers to your living room. Your coffee table is a great way to add personality and have fun with styling. It isn’t just a decorative surface; you need enough space to put down a laptop or a tray of drinks or food, even a magazine when the doorbell rings!

Here are some key things to think about when choosing your coffee table:

1. What would you like to have on it? A candle, coffee table book, a vase? If you want to have several items on your coffee table, put them on tray or large book to group them all and stop it looking cluttered.

2. If your coffee table doesn’t have a drawer or storage, find a nice decorative box for remote controls, chargers, nail files, pens etc. The clutter of life that you will absolutely want with in reaching distance, but you don’t want to look at all the time! Side tables are also great for this and can be used as space to home a luxe table lamp; perfect for adding more atmosphere to your space with their warm glow.

How to match a coffee table with your sofa:

Round coffee tables work well when you must walk around more than one side of a sofa to get to a seat; corner or horseshoe sofas work well with round or curved coffee tables.

Katie says: “Round coffee tables also just look lovely. If you have a squarer style sofa, then contrasting a curved or round coffee table keeps the space from looking heavy or blocky.  A square coffee table or rectangular coffee table usually makes the best use of space as it gives you the most surface. If your sofa is curvier, then a square or rectangle contrasts well.”

What finish works best for a coffee table?

Gloss: A bright, fresh and super modern finish which is especially good for versatile styling. Gloss can be styled alongside a whole variety of sofa finishes and materials in your existing interior. It’s also very easy to clean, great for everyday luxury.

Matt: A soft, cool and modern finish that’s especially good for a relaxed family setting, and works well blended with multiple finishes.

Metal: A more industrial look that’s highly durable and will create a contemporary statement when paired with on-trend finishes like distressed chenille or boucle.

Glass: A clear, crisp and contemporary finish that’s really durable due to being tempered and creates the illusion of more space by gently reflecting light. Glass also allows you to be bold with your sofa styles and colours choices.

Timber Veneers (Oak, Black Ash, Wenge, Walnut): This warm and textured material is especially great for coordinating with other timber finishes and creating a real luxe look. It’s a great alternative to plain white or grey and is ideal for adding depth and making quite a statement.

White Oak or Light Oak Veneer: You can get the best of both worlds with this kind of finish as it has the texture of timber with a clean, even painted surface. It’s great for a setting that has lots of texture, but still needs to feel modern.

Who said living room refreshes need to be difficult? Some of our coffee table collection comes fully assembled for a no-hassle home update. View the collection here.