How to Choose End Tables for Your Living Room (original) (raw)

End tables can serve many purposes. They can dress up a room, add a finishing touch, or fulfill a practical need, like supporting your lamps or providing a surface for beverages. For most living room arrangements, end tables are an essential player.

Even though an end table may not be a large piece of furniture, choosing one is no small task. Here are some things to keep in mind when looking at your options.

Consider how you want to use the table

You can find end tables that focus on aesthetics, function, or both for your home. If you want a mainly decorative end table, some of the most important factors will be quality and style. But for end tables with a purpose, you can find space for storage, display and more.

You may want space underneath your end table for various storage. End tables that provide shelving can be useful for displaying books, records or decorative items to add design and accessibility to your room. You can even get an end table with a magazine rack. But if you want to store things more discreetly, an end table with cabinets or drawers might be a better option.

You’ll also want to consider end table size. Even if you’re forgoing storage because you want a more open, decluttered feel, you still need to decide on the surface area you’ll need. Is this a small table for a drink, or does it need to have room for a table lamp? You can also use end tables to position speakers around your room or try out an end table that has speakers built into the design.

Weight the strengths and weaknesses of different surface materials

When choosing an end table, you’ll want to consider how the surface material can affect wear and tear, water damage and cleaning issues.

Wood end tables are a common and beautiful choice for many rooms. Wood material offers stability, classic designs and multiple shades. But wood can be easily susceptible to water damage. So, if you want to avoid rings left behind from glasses, consider keeping a set of coasters handy.

Plastic tables are often made to look like wood, but they’re actually made from plastic or paper materials glued to unfinished wood or particleboard. These can be lighter and more water-resistant than natural wood, but they may look cheaper if accidentally damaged or exposed.

Glass end tables are the most stain-resistant and waterproof surfaces, but they can be easily marked by fingerprints and water residue. So, it’s essential to clean glass end tables regularly. If you have active children, glass-top end tables may not be the best option as they can be easier to break.

Metal end tables offer stability with a stylized look. With reinforced metal frames, metal end tables can inspire industrial, retro, or clean styles with a solid structure. However, many metal end tables may lack storage options.

Consider your overall style and color scheme

Of course, a major component of your final decision will be how the end table (or end tables) go with your other nearby furniture. In particular, an end table should complement the style of any coffee tables or console tables you may already have in the room. Some materials may mix and match well, like glass and metal. But if you want a cohesive look, you may prefer to choose one table style for the whole room.

If you’re choosing a wood end table and have other wood in the room, like bookshelves, you’ll want to make sure the two kinds of wood don’t clash. Even a TV stand can have a strong enough presence in the room to consider for décor.

Finally, if you’re using your end table to support a lamp, you might want to choose similar styles for the two items together. For instance, a contemporarily designed lamp might fit well with a modern or mid-century end table.

So, if you want to find the best end table for your room, prioritizing function, material, and style will help you narrow down your choices. Whatever type of end table you choose, make sure to prioritize the features that are most important to you.