Coffee Tables

27/Apr/2025

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1. Wood

Wood construction is, as always with tables of any variety, the most common construction element. Versatile, warm, timeless, and rich, wood can be used in the vast majority of shapes, styles, and sizes.

2. Metal

Metal tables are the second most common type you’ll see while shopping. These are sturdy, and can be lighter weight than traditional wood construction. Metal allows for thinner legs and support structure, and can be crafted into surprising shapes.
metal coffee tables

3. Glass

Glass has gradually risen in popularity with modern manufacturing allowing for versatile, striking designs never before possible. While often connected via metal joints or support structures, some tables are 100% glass constructions.

4. Rattan

Rattan, or wicker, is often thought of as patio furniture material. However, modern application of the material allows for more luxurious, carefully designed furniture that not only withstands the elements, but looks perfectly at-place inside the home.

5. Acrylic

Acrylic appears like glass to the naked eye, but allows for the versatility and transparency of glass without the heavy weight and cost. These tables are some of the most modern examples you’ll find, with novel shapes that would compliment any modern setting.

Surface Material

The surface material of a coffee table is the part you’ll interact with most on a day to day basis. This is often the same material of which the table is largely constructed, but can also act in contrast or compliment a distinctly different frame.

6. Glass

Glass top tables are incredibly popular for a reason: they add visual space, a luxurious sheen, and are stain and water damage proof. Whether metal, wood, or other construction, a glass top adds a sparkle to any table.

7. Wood

Wood top tables feature the most rich, sensuous feel of any table. Whether treated, natural, painted, or even aged, a wood surface imparts a timeless, warm feeling in any space.

8. Metal

Metal table tops often accompany industrial styled designs, but can also appear alongside an array of build materials and shapes. Resistant to stains or water damage, and always cool to the touch, a metal top can be fashioned for timeless or distinctly modern looks.

9. Marble

10. Rattan

11. Leather

Leather topped coffee tables often arrive in the guise of a sort of ottoman hybrid. The material covers a plush cushioning, making for a soft surface where an owner can prop his or her feet up when not using the piece as a table. Often accompanied by wood drink trays for stability, these are a particularly unique strain of coffee table.
Leather topped coffee tables often arrive in the guise of a sort of ottoman hybrid. The material covers a plush cushioning, making for a soft surface where an owner can prop his or her feet up when not using the piece as a table. Often accompanied by wood drink trays for stability, these are a particularly unique strain of coffee table.

12. Pallet Coffee Table

For a more casual, inexpensive coffee table, consider a pallet coffee table. These work well in family rooms, rec rooms and patios. You can make it yourself or buy one on sites like Etsy. Pallets are idea for coffee tables because the entire frame is already built for you or you can take the pallet apart and start from scratch.
See more pallet coffee tables here.

Style

The full power of creative design has been unleashed in the world of coffee tables. This is where we get into the truly unique, specialized tables that can add a striking focal point to any living room. We begin with more familiar designs before moving into unknown territory.

13. Traditional

Traditional coffee tables are perhaps the most common seen to this day. With a style reaching back through the last century, their appeal is demonstrably timeless. Traditional tables will almost always be crafted from carved wood, and shaped into a rectangle or oval surface.

14. Contemporary

Contemporary is a very broad term encompassing a range of stylistic touchstones. In essence, it means any furniture that is styled “of the now,” evoking an up to date look, with novel features. The particular example here flaunts a transformative design, with a set of wedge shaped ottomans detaching from the main coffee table body.
Contemporary is a very broad term encompassing a range of stylistic touchstones. In essence, it means any furniture that is styled "of the now," evoking an up to date look, with novel features.

15. Modern

Modern is a term usually referring to a specific range of 20th century design philosophy, from the Art Deco and Bauhaus movements to mid-century style. It often emphasizes simplicity, clean shapes, and the blending of functional and aesthetic aims.
Modern is a term usually referring to a specific range of 20th century design philosophy, from the Art Deco and Bauhaus movements to mid-century style. It often emphasizes simplicity, clean shapes, and the blending of functional and aesthetic aims.

16. Rustic

Rustic style evokes the countryside in old fashioned times. The material is almost always wood, carved into simpler patterns than with a traditional or modern coffee table. Some examples have brass fittings, evoking a particularly bygone feel.

17. Coastal

Coastal style is meant to evoke an airy, natural beach house feel. These pieces often employ light toned wood, natural shapes, and an overall more casual feel than rustic or traditional tables.

18. Industrial

Industrial style evokes the purposeful look and feel of factory tools, utilizing metal and wood in more rough-hewn, sturdy construction. These can pair well with loft-style living rooms, or stand in perfect contrast to softer surroundings.

19. Vintage

This is a style purposely evoking specific, often quirky design philosophies from days past. Sometimes employing repurposed materials, from license plates to reclaimed wood, vintage coffee tables will have a kitschy, classic, unique touch that fits well surrounded by other vintage items.

20. Novelty

Novelty is another wildly broad term within the realm of style. These tables can take the form of anything from a glass pyramid to football themed pieces. The defining characteristic is that the table has a notable element defining it, outside of the actual material and shape itself. For our example, we chose this wheeled-cart style table.
Novelty is another wildly broad term within the realm of style. These tables can take the form of anything from a glass pyramid to football themed pieces. The defining characteristic is that the table has a notable element defining it, outside of the actual material and shape itself. For our example, we chose this wheeled-cart style table.

21. Novel

For a final category, we wanted to share a particularly striking table that was basically defied categorization. This brilliant piece was hand carved into an organic bean shape, and stands at 101″ long. Pieces like this stand far outside the realm of normal coffee tables, and stand as examples of the distance that imagination can carry a simple piece of furniture across.
For a final category, we wanted to share a particularly striking table that was basically defied categorization. This brilliant piece was hand carved into an organic bean shape, and stands at 101" long. Pieces like this stand far outside the realm of normal coffee tables, and stand as examples of the distance that imagination can carry a simple piece of furniture across.

22. Ottoman Coffee Table

A recent trend is to use ottomans as a coffee table. In fact, it’s so popular now that ottomans are sold as coffee tables or called “ottoman coffee tables”. See our 36 brown leather ottoman coffee tables for more examples.

23. Stacking Coffee TableStacking coffee tables have been around for years. They’re popular because they not only look cool, but are highly functional offering 3-in-1 coffee tables.

24. Folding Coffee Table

Folding coffee tables are utilitarian and great for saving spaces. They’re convenient, flexible, lightweight and portable. When not in use, you can hide them in the storage room and maximize space. Also, these folding style coffee tables are well-known for their durability.