Anya Hawkins's blog : Why Oak Coffee Tables Are a Great Investment

A coffee table is a long, low table that's designed to be placed in front of (or next to) your sofa or chair, in the room that you use the most. This is most commonly the living room as this is where we tend to spend the majority of our free time at home. It’s used to support or store various items that you use through the course of your time in this room.

For example, if you’re grabbing dinner while watching your favourite show, your dinner plate can be left on it after you have eaten until you catch a break to take it to the kitchen. It's also the ideal place to stash your reading materials and remote controls when watching TV. As you have probably guessed by its name, tea and coffee cups are also commonly placed on one of these low tables so they’re always within easy reach.

Due to its practicality, this piece of furniture is sure to be one of the most important pieces of furniture in your living room for your day to day life. Who knows, maybe this piece of furniture could even become the centrepiece of your living room, because it is something that looks good and is practical to have around, making rest and relaxation time even more enjoyable.

In order to prevent these items (especially cups) from scratching and damaging the table, it may be a good idea to purchase a good quality set of coasters or even a small runner or decorative table cloth. These can be placed on top of them to avoid any ring stains from cups, as well as surface scratches and other damage.

What designs can you find?

Coffee tables come in all shapes and sizes. For instance, tables that are round, square, hexagonal or even triangular are available from stores on the high street or online. They can be high or low, large or small, and the right one for your living room depends on how much space you have available and the kind of designs you like. Retailers offer a variety of styles that will suit any type of living room, so whether you want something traditional or modern you will find a coffee table you can be proud of.

Designer furniture stores are more likely to have classic and minimalist designs with high-quality materials. Being made from high-grade materials by highly skilled artisans and craftspeople, a limited number of these coffee tables will be created and you can expect them to be more expensive than mass produced goods. High street stores are probably going to have more standard designs using common, more affordable materials. This allows these sorts of tables to be lower in price as they are mass-produced on a large scale with cheaper materials, thus cutting down on production costs.

Another unique place in which you can look for tables is at second-hand shops, including charity shops. The variety of tables available here is sure to be vast. From glass to oak coffee tables, you are sure to not be disappointed as you won’t find variety like this at such low prices elsewhere. So if you’re looking for a one in a kind table then shopping at charity shops and furniture auctions is probably the best option for you. Whilst the tables at these stores and auctions would have already been used, they are still in excellent condition as the shops won’t take them if they are damaged or deemed as non-resellable. This way, you can be sure that you will still be receiving a great table, just without the cost of buying brand new.

How can you cut down on your spending?

Coffee tables (and any other item for that matter) are much lower in price at charity shops and other second-hand places than what the prices would be if you were buying new. This is great if you are tight on money, want to shop more sustainably, or are just more thrifty. You never know what kind of bargains you are going to find. Who knows, if you’re lucky you might find one of these designer coffee tables mentioned earlier at half the price.

As well as the money you will save purchasing your tables from here, another benefit of shopping in this way is that you could put the money that you have saved on some additional pieces of furniture or decorations. Additionally, purchasing used furniture is also far greater for the environment. Recycling and upcycling are far more preferable than purchasing new items that use up new materials and place a strain on the environment every time that a new piece is made.