Why There's Simply No Need For A Coffee Table Anymore

When you walk into a living room setting, there are a few items that you expect to see: a couch, probably an area rug, and (in many cases) a coffee table. While coffee tables have been a popular mainstay of living rooms for years, it is becoming increasingly apparent that these furniture items are no longer necessary. From taking up precious space to being difficult to maneuver around, there are better options than coffee tables worth considering.

The idea of a coffee table isn't all bad — people need a place to put their cups, books, and TV remotes, after all — but the reality is far from ideal. Placing a sizable piece of furniture smack dab in the middle of your living area disrupts its flow and can seriously cramp the physical space, making it harder for people to walk through. It's also a known fact that clutter is drawn to flat surfaces like a bee is drawn to pollen; positioning a flat, empty surface in your living room is sure to invite more disorganized piles. Even if you pick the perfect coffee table, you'll probably have to de-clutter it regularly to keep your space looking clean.

On top of all that, there's the issue of cleaning around the coffee table. Crumbs, hair, dust, and other debris will inevitably wind up underneath it. In order to have a clean area, you'll need to periodically move the table in order to thoroughly clean where it was positioned, which could be challenging depending on the size and weight of the coffee table.

More wide-open space and fewer pieces of furniture to clean around sounds like a breath of fresh air. But if you're ready to ditch your coffee table, where are you supposed to place the items that would normally live on it? The answer depends on your lifestyle and design preferences. Anyone with kids and pets knows extra storage is key to managing clutter, so replacing your coffee table with a trunk could be a great solution with a vintage vibe. Trunks come in a variety of sizes depending on how much surface area you need, and while they'll still need to be moved and cleaned under from time to time, many trunks sit directly on the ground, meaning fewer crumbs will be swept underneath.

If you'd prefer something that can serve as a footstool as well as a surface for placing drinks, a pouf or ottoman paired with a tray on top is as easy to use as it is to store when not being utilized. Some of these even come with built-in storage, too, like this IKEA ottoman that organizes clutter in small spaces. And if you want an ideal alternative to a coffee table that will take up less space that still gives you multiple usable surfaces, nesting tables can give you two to three mini-tables that fit neatly under the largest one.