18 Small Coffee Tables for Your Living Room

A coffee table is a functional piece of furniture for a living room. You need a place to put up your feet, put down drinks, and most importantly, to anchor the room. As homes get smaller, designers get more creative, and decorating enthusiasts get more adventurous, some small-scale coffee table options and interesting alternatives to traditional coffee tables have been making their way onto the scene. If you’re short on space, here are small coffee table ideas to help you make the most of your smaller living room.

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Matching Side Tables

Alvin Wayne

A pair of matching side tables can be used as flexible small coffee tables. They can be arranged to give the illusion of a single table but can also be pulled apart and used separately when necessary. This is a great option for small spaces that need versatile pieces of furniture.
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Vintage Trunk Coffee Table

Tyler Karu Design

A vintage trunk offers character while also providing another space for storage. Just remember that while they can be great for putting your feet up, vintage trunks sometimes have curved lids, so you can’t always place things down on them. If you opt for one of these pieces, make sure you also have side tables nearby. Also, this can be an incredibly affordable option if you find the vintage trunk secondhand at a thrift store.
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Group of Stools

Michelle Boudreau Design

If you have a group of two or three backless and armless stools with flat tops, transform them into stylish small coffee tables. Stools come in all heights, but shorter 16-inch to 18-inch high stackable-style stools may work best for coffee table use. Just like other grouped coffee table alternatives, you can rearrange them to your liking or put them into work as seats. Add small round trays to make each stool a safe space for drinks.
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Tray Table Coffee Table

Gray Space Interior Design

If you entertain regularly, a tray table can be a wise purchase to use as a small coffee table. Just make sure it’s not so heavy that you can’t easily lift it and carry it around the room. Tray tables come with some beautiful colors and patterns, so they provide a unique decorating opportunity.

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Nesting Tables

Cathie Hong Interiors

Because they are versatile and space-efficient, nesting tables are a good option for small spaces. Since they’ll likely be viewed from all sides, make sure that the tables are finished all the way around. In a case like this, acrylic waterfall tables would be ideal. When they're not in use as coffee tables, tuck them away to the side. The beauty of nesting tables is that they can easily be moved around. And if you have kids, they can have a dedicated little coffee table for playing or drawing while you put your feet up on your own table.
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Sleek Stone Tables

Afro Bohemian Living

Stone tables are a stunning and durable choice for a coffee table of any size. The smooth flat surface is a decorative statement and also makes a great place to set your books and other decorative items.
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Abstract Shaped Wooden Table

Arbor & Co.

Turn a tree trunk into a striking modern coffee table of any size. This wooden surface with hairpin legs adds a midcentury modern charm to the room. The table's abstract shape captures attention without taking up too much room.
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Minimalist Coffee Table With Metal Legs

Erin Williamson Design

Bulky table options can take up more room than anticipated, so it makes sense to go for something slimmer. Try using a table designed with the minimalist in mind—sleek wire legs and a thin surface. The result is a chic, artistic table that perfectly fits into a smaller space.

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Two-Tier Coffee Table

Arbor & Co.

Small living rooms often provide less than ideal space for storage, so incorporating furniture that makes the most of it is important. Rather than multiple tables or elongated versions, try using a two-tier table with a shelf below. You'll take up the same amount of room as a standard coffee table while adding more needed space.
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Wooden Crate Style

Arbor & Co.

A wooden-style crate used as a small coffee table is an affordable way to create a rustic motif. The sturdiness and vintage appeal make it a prime candidate to place your drinks, books, remotes, or decorative items. Plus, it never hurts to upcycle and reuse items for a brand-new purpose. Whether you go for a full DIY or purchase a crate table, it adds a charm that's hard to ignore.
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Backless Bench

Laquita Tate Styling and Design

A slender, low wooden entryway bench, piano bench, or even a smaller picnic table-style bench can make the perfect place to put down a drink or two in a small or narrow living room. A slim bottom piece of wood bracing the legs may provide just enough shelf space for a small basket or two for decorative storage. As with many other coffee table alternatives, a backless bench offers extra seating when necessary.
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Ottoman With Storage

Lucky Plot 13

Ottomans are a practical alternative to a small coffee table. A large tray on top creates a solid surface for decorative or practical items. Remove the tray, and use the ottoman as extra seating. They also add a soft touch where normally there would be something hard and severe. As a bonus, ensuring you have an ottoman equipped with extra storage can ensure any blankets or additional items can stay out of sight while still being within reach if needed.

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Wicker Style Storage Basket

House Nine Interior Design

Like ottomans, storage baskets can be used as table surfaces or extra seating (but be sure to check the item's weight capacity). The biggest advantage of these pieces is that they have lots of hidden storage inside so that you can hide a multitude of clutter. Use either one long piece or a couple of smaller matching pieces side by side or in a configuration that suits your space. Look for versions with hinged or fully removable tops.
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Bunches of Poufs

Esther Schmidt

Poufs, generally smaller and more pillowy than ottomans, make ideal alternative coffee tables. Though most poufs sit low on the ground, some are made with small legs to elevate them slightly off the ground. With a tray on top of each, they make helpful surfaces for drinks; without a tray, they're ready for extra guests who need a seat or footrest. Poufs come in all shapes, from round to cubes, fabrics, weaves, designs, and patterns, making them extra colorful and textured accessories for neutral spaces.
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Large Pouf

Ashley Montgomery Design

Using multi-purpose furniture can give you the most effective furniture arrangement in a small space. While a collection of small poufs can make great tables, a large pouf with a tray on top is a perfect coffee table.
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Cushioned Footrest

Nile Johnson Interior Design

Footrests make great small coffee table options. You can place a tray or even a wide bowl on top to hold necessary items and remove them if you want to kick your feet up. The cushion adds a soft touch to a typically hard-surfaced coffee table.

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Clear Acrylic Style

MidCity Design Group

There are plenty of tricks to help make a small room feel more spacious—and using clear furniture is no exception. While some may opt not to have a table to keep things minimalist, adding a C-shape acrylic table allows the area to be in full view and uncluttered without giving up a coffee table presence.
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Coffee Table With Built-In Drawers

The House on Hillside Lane

If you're a fan of additional storage space but don't want to remove your items off the table to have access, try finding a table with built-in drawers. While they may have as much area space as an ottoman or storage basket, they make it easy to store away remotes, books, and other items that make your table seem cluttered. With the drawers, however, you can simply open them to retrieve your items rather than clearing off the entire top surface
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Small Wood Rectangle Coffee Table

Ashley Montgomery Design

Go with a classic coffee table if you have a narrow living room. A small wood rectangle coffee table takes up less space than many other shapes and fits perfectly into a small living room. If you have a narrow rowhome, this is the glass slipper silhouette to make the most of your floor plan.

What shape is best for a small coffee table?

The best choice for a small coffee table in a room with limited square footage is typically round or circular-shaped. The soft lines of a round coffee table give you room to move around the coffee table, and there are no corners to take up extra space. Round coffee tables also give you more flexibility in arranging furniture around them.

What dimensions should my small coffee table be compared to my couch?

If you have the space, the best ratio for a coffee table to a sofa is 2:3. A coffee table that is two-thirds the width of the sofa makes for an aesthetically pleasing look. If you have less space, you can go smaller or use multiple smaller tables to reach the two-thirds measurement, but provide the flexibility to separate them when needed.