Oak Coffee Table

Probably one of the rooms in a home that is most frequently used for entertaining friends that come over or just for chilling out on your own from a hard day's work is the living room. Most people when they are not sleeping or at work, they would be spending a lot of their free time in their living room. I know I do after an exhausting full day in the office! As such, furnishing the room properly is essential to provide some level of comfort. Aside from the couches and sofas, the other piece of furniture of great importance is the coffee table.

An often sought type of coffee table is one made from oak. The two main reasons behind this preference are because of the visual appeal of the wood (whether you choose a dark or light oak coffee table) and the durability of this hardwood. For those who are unfamiliar with the different varieties of wood, wood furniture can be generally categorized as made from softwood or hardwood. Although in a majority of cases, hardwood is sturdier and heavier than softwood furniture, this is not always the case.

Of course, oak coffee tables are not just for use in one’s home. They are also used in business establishments such as coffee shops to create a casual, relaxing environment, foyers of offices and waiting rooms at medical clinics. If you are considering an oak coffee table, whether for personal use or in a business environment, this hub will aim to provide some guidance.

The first thing you should be clear about is the maximum limit you are willing to spend on this sort of furniture. It doesn’t have to be an exact figure but a ballpark figure would be helpful as you can more quickly narrow down your options and focus on the affordable tables. You should note that the prices of oak coffee tables can have a big range. For example, a mission oak coffee table which has a medium brown warm color can cost around $157 whilst an antique oak coffee table can easily be $1800. So save yourself the trouble of being overwhelmed by the vast selections available by knowing your budget first.

Not all oak coffee tables are constructed with just pure oak wood. This is something you should check before making a purchase. On the cheaper end of the price scale, a coffee table might be made from some kind of engineered wood (i.e. Medium Density Fiberboard) and only be laminated or have an oak finish.

On the other hand, actual solid oak coffee tables can be significantly more expensive. If you are satisfied with just the appearance of an oak finish, then you can save some money by going for a fiberboard coffee table. However, if cost is less of an issue and you insist on a coffee table made from solid oak, ensure that the construction is pure oak. Some manufacturers might try to cut costs down by using a cheaper wood for certain components (e.g. backs of drawers).

On an even more expensive side of the scale, if you are a big aficionado or a collector of antique furniture from a particular era and you're not phased by price, then you would be interested in getting coffee tables made from solid oak with elaborate embellishments.

It goes without saying that the size of your living room will affect the size of the oak coffee table that you get. More specifically, the available space for the table is what you should measure. Ideally, you want enough space around the table to easily navigate between other furniture pieces such as the sofa or perhaps the television.

The shape of your living room is another factor to consider. If you have a fairly compact area which is often the case in an apartment, then a small round or square oak coffee table might be more suitable then a rectangular oak coffee table that may end up hindering convenient movement around the room. However, if your room is narrow and deep, then the rectangular table might be better instead.

There are also oak coffee tables of different heights so you should choose the one that will be comfortable to use. A coffee table that is taller than the entertainment unit on which the television rests may end up blocking the view of the tv. On the other hand, the coffee table that is much lower than the sofas may prove to be uncomfortable to use.