Making your tables add up

Where would our interiors be without occasional and coffee tables? The names given to them seem to belittle the good work that these invaluable pieces of furniture undertake within our homes on a daily basis.

They are an important consideration in any scheme, not just because of the visual effect that they have, but because their use and placement are central to creating the perfect environment. It is for this reason that they can be some of the most difficult pieces to source and need to be carefully integrated when designing your scheme.

The first consideration when looking at tables has to be the purpose they will be serving. In larger rooms with more isolated pieces of furniture, it can be useful to plan in a number of occasional tables located near to chairs and sofas. These provide handy surfaces to allow the placement of drinks, books and magazines (not to mention a home for the myriad of remotes), ensuring that householders and guests alike do not feel uneasy in their easy chairs.

In a smaller environment, it is best to opt for a single coffee table and to place this in a reasonably close proximity to the seating to serve the same purpose. The proportion of a coffee table is particularly important to ensure that it does not look out of kilter with the seating in your room. There is not exact science to this, but as a rule of thumb I would usually try to find one that was just under half the length of the overall dimensions of a sofa (measuring to the extent of any arms).

You should aim to have around a 45cm gap between a coffee table and sofa or chair. This will ensure that furniture does not appear cramped. It is also a good practical amount of space to allow people easy access to the sofa without having to disturb others.

The height of your table must also be appropriate to your sofas and chairs. A coffee table should be approximately the same height as the level of your seating, whilst side tables need to pass the “mug test”. To define this height, sit in your chair as you normally would and drop your arm over the side whilst holding a mug. Measure the height from the floor that you can easily lower your arm to and use this as a minimum guide when choosing your piece. The maximum height should be just below the arm of the piece of furniture which it is being placed next to.

Occasional, or side tables, also allow you to add feature table lamps throughout your sitting room. The type of “pooled” lighting table lamps provide creates a more intimate environment, in contrast to harsher overhead lighting. It can also be useful as task lighting, allowing individuals their own light source for reading by.

Where side tables are placed around the periphery of a room lamp cables can easily be run to sockets behind furniture. However, if your scheme requires the siting of tables away from a wall then you need to give careful consideration to the provision of floor sockets. These avoid unsightly wires and potential trip hazards.

Do not neglect considering the potential storage options available.

The area taken up by a table can provide significant space to hold books, DVDs and general ephemera. Tables with integrated storage such as shelves maximise your display space, whilst those with drawers provide areas to hide necessary, but visually unappealing items.

To help get your creative juices flowing, here are a few of my favourite designs of the moment.

* If you have a modern home and want plenty of flexibility the Adjustable Shuffle Table by Tradition of Copenhagen should fit the bill. You can create your own table design by arranging the seven brightly coloured blocks (£399; www.stylishlife.co.uk – 01269 822288).

The charming shapes of the Paris Square Table are probably recognisable by anyone and will create a feel of this most romantic City in the heart of your living room. The table top is made of stainless steel so could even be used outside (£277; www.metaldesign-furniture.co.uk – 020 8144 6621).

* Design classists will surely appreciate the Embrace Coffee Table by John Green. This award-winning piece was originally created for a competition to design a modern take on the Isokon Penguin Donkey (an iconic table designed in 1939 to hold Penguin Books). It is manufactured from veneered plywood in the UK (£285; www.shoponyourdoorstep.com – 01843 808061).

* Storing books is a problem which has also been neatly solved in the Revolving Bookcase by Iain James. This classic design is the perfect solution for a traditional home (£1,375; www.iainjamesfurniture.co.uk – 0115 973 4481).

* For something a little off the wall, I would head straight to Brighton POD, a website which specialises in pieces by British designers and craftspeople. My love of “all things Alice” means I could not resist the brash humour of the Flamingo Side Table (£275; www.brightonpod.com – 01273 890990).

* Whatever options you decide upon, the key to occasional furniture is to use it to provide enough surface space to make your guests feel comfortable whilst still allowing them to walk easily around your room.

* Jamie Hempsall, BIID, is an award winning interior designer. You can visit him at www.jamiehempsall.com or contact him on 0800 032 1180.