Avoid This Mistake Putting a Sofa Table Behind a Couch
This post is sponsored by Wayfair.
We had one of those “I can’t believe we never thought of this before” moments this week in our living room.
Why did it take us this long to put a sofa table behind our couch? I have to admit though, we made a teensy little mistake at first. So I’m here to warn you before you do what we did.
Related: Entry Table Decor – How to Style Step by Step Like a Pro
I firmly believe decorating rules are made to be broken. (Part of the fun is being a design rebel sometimes, right?) But when it comes to choosing the right sofa table height to put behind a couch, the measurement rules come in handy.
I found this sleek solid wood console table from Wayfair that was the perfect style and fit perfectly in the small gap between our sofa and windows in our living room.
But it ended up being 2 inches too tall. That doesn’t seem like a big deal breaker, but it looked totally awkward, and it left the unfinished back exposed. Not a good look.
I snapped this fuzzy cell phone photo in disappointment and thought I’d have to replace it with a shorter table.
Related: How to Decorate by Avoiding These Common Mistakes
(Lola isn’t even amused.)
Thankfully, we chose a table style that allowed an easy fix! We just measured and marked 2 inches from the bottom of the table legs and cut them down with a hand saw to shorten it. Problem solved.
Sofa Table Measurements You Should Know
Ideally, your sofa table should be about the same height as or lower than the back of your sofa—within an inch is perfect.
As for length, aim for at least two-thirds the length of your sofa to keep things looking balanced.
For the depth, make sure you have enough space behind the sofa so it doesn’t obstruct pathways.
In our case, we never walk behind this sofa, so we only needed enough depth to fit it within the gap in front of our windows.
Another pro decorating tip: Don’t feel the need to fill every empty shelf and surface with decor. Do you see that lower shelf underneath the sofa table in the photo below? I left it empty on purpose so it wouldn’t feel cluttered. (Also, who wants to dust more stuff? Lame.)
Related: How to Start Decorating a Living Room
Storage
Even though we don’t need to walk behind the sofa, I did want to take advantage of the small amount of space for storage. Robert is an occasional gamer, and we had no storage solution for his gaming console controllers or game discs.
The small drawers in the console table were the best storage solution to take advantage of a tight space.
Lamps
I am Team Kill-The-Overhead-Lights all the way. The more lamps in a room the better, in my world. They’re so much cozier than a light on a ceiling.
So I found these modern ceramic table lamps from Wayfair that look just like a similar designer version for less than half the price.
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Related: Best Light Bulbs for Every Room In Your House
Related: The Greatest Coffee Table Books for All Interests
Books
I already had some coffee table books that worked beautifully here, but I just found these books disguised as storage boxes I think I’ll get next. They’re perfect for keeping remote controls hidden in plain sight.
Figurines
This horse head statue was a dapper little addition. Console tables are my favorite places to display an interesting sculpture, so I rounded up a few others I love below.
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Greenery
Every surface feels complete with a little greenery or some floral stems; just one burgundy hydrangea bloom did the trick on mine. Bring in some yard clippings to put in a pretty vase or go faux.
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Related: Where to Find the Best Fake Flowers That Look Real
Candle
Especially in the cooler months when it gets dark earlier and we’re inside more often, I love having candles spread around our living room.
This French vanilla candle smells amazing. The gold candle snuffer I placed beside it is pretty and functional too.
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Related: Easy Coffee Table Decor Ideas and How to Style Them
Console Tables for All Budgets
Here are a few more console tables I rounded up from Wayfair for every budget. They’re perfect in hallways, entryways, and dining rooms too, but I’m officially a fan of one behind this sofa in our home.
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Related: Best Luxury for Less Curtains & Window Shades
It looks like this console table may no longer be available on Wayfair, but I’m hoping I can find it online somewhere. Do you have a brand and/or collection name that might help me find it? Thanks so much!
Happy to help! I was able to find it here: https://rstyle.me/+RtrnatSSRYdFBbqC9hfhUA It’s from Sand & Stable.
Hi, I was wondering if you painted your inside
Windows black, does the outside need to be black also?
Nope! Not at all! Ours outside happen to be painted black, but there’s no decorating rule that says they have to be the same on both sides.