We are honing in on what we’re bringing with us with the move and what we’re selling in our upcoming yard sale but let me tell ya what I know for sure, our coffee table is coming. I really fell hard for this coffee table a while back and I’m really hoping it fits well in our new home (the room MAY be a little large, but we’re going to try!). Coffee tables are one of those items that I believe to be essential for any living or family room space and I’m sharing 4 reasons why you need a coffee table in your life (if you don’t already have one).

1. Coffee tables can ground the room

The right sized coffee table will keep the rest of your furniture from floating away! It can connect furnishings and bring a room together just as it can bring people or an evening together. It feels really natural to gather around something, doesn’t it? We want our living space to be focused on conversation so we face the furniture inward, and center the coffee table to really ground the attention on each other.

Coffee Table, Wicker Tray, Rug, Linen Sofa, Velvet Sofa, Leather Chairs, Tree Art, Table Lamp, Shade Floor Lamp, Two Arm Floor Lamp, Leather Ottomans

2. Practical for hosting and lounging

We LOVE hosting. Love it (if you can’t already tell from our recent game night post). We’re so excited to be able to host even more in the future as we meet new people in North Carolina and a coffee table is a NECESSITY when it comes to hosting. Coffee tables really allow for setting up a game board, holding snacks, or give people a place to set their drinks. We want our guests to feel at ease in our house, and hope they interact with our furniture and our home, and a coffee table is a great place to start.

Usually on Friday nights we gather the girls and head down to the basement with a board of goodies and enjoy a good movie. Down there we have more of an ottoman type of coffee table where we can set our food or kick up our feet. It’s functional but also really cozies up the room.

See our family room before and afters here!

3. Perfect for housing other decor pieces

Coffee tables are not only really functional and practical pieces to have in your living spaces, but they can also serve as a place to house other beautiful and functional decor pieces – a nice amber candle for the senses, botanical stems for added height and greenery, gorgeous coffee table books to flip through, and a basket to corral and add texture. These look pretty, but they can also be conversation starters!

You can see more of our last living room here!

4. Incorporates a variety of finishes and materials

Typically in a living space you’re going to have a lot of textiles and fabrics – think curtains, sofas, chairs, throw blankets and pillows, rugs (must I go on?). Bringing in a coffee table allows you have a variety of materials and finishes. Whether it’s wood, brass, metal, glass, marble, concrete, rattan, or whatever else you can find. Use this as an opportunity to tie in an element from another room, or maybe a repeat material you already have. When a room is feeling particularly, dark, I like a lighter piece. If there’s no black–bring in a dark coffee table. Want to add some warmth–something wood!

You can see more of our reading room in our last house here!

Now onto the fun. There are SO many incredible coffee tables at every price point and we are putting our seal of approval on the ones below. We have three different boards at three different price points and they’re all listed from lowest to highest. (We spared you anything over $1000, because honestly, they’re all pretty beautiful and THAT IS NOT HELPFUL! Ha! I would love to see how you style and interact with your coffee tables so please do share and tag on Instagram.

1. Wood & Cane $159
2. Shaker $169
3. Kenton Pedestal $170 (not a coffee table, oops!)
4. Marisol $179
5. Claire $199
6. Bluff Park Round Wood $220
7. Faux Concrete and Wood Cordova $247
8. Live Edge Wood Sansur $299
9. Pleasant Grove Round Marble $320
10. Stratford $329
11. Hailie $339
12. Hazel $349

1. Sydney $370
2. Streamline $399
3. Spoke Marble Graphite Metal $399
4. Strut Trestle $411
5. Astoria $499
6. Sundried Ash Reclaimed Wood $499
7. Swole $549
8. Cypress Point $570
9. Round Wood $571
10. Dyna $575
11. Fraiser Ottoman $650
12. Kasen $650

1. Kiefer Pine Wood $698
2.Horseshoe Ivory Lacquered Linen $699
3. Rocklin Round Reclaimed Wood $699
4. Benchwright $799
5. Yukon Grey $799
6. Rocklin Reclaimed Wood $799
7. Ovitt $800
8. Pascal $899
9. Jaela $900
10. Otto $900
11. Staal Cast Aluminum $979
12. Maragate Reclaimed Wood $998
13. Henderson $998
14. Chapman Mable Oval $999
15. Devon $999

Looking for more Essential Decor pieces? Check out these posts on benches, simple frames with large mats, and wood pedestals.