Tables. Whether its a vintage dining table, coffee table, side table or console table, so many of the most memorable moments in our homes happen around the table. No pressure when shopping for the perfect one then, right? A vintage entryway table can be a conversation piece, depending on the books and home decor you have stacked on it, a dining table can host a variety of dinners, parties and events, and a coffee table centers a good living room. So how do you pick the perfect one? As usual, we got you!

There’s nothing cooler than adding a vintage table to your first apartment or forever home! It’s even better if you can combine a stylish table with functionality, and help you organize your space. Whether the table you choose is a used, pre-owned piece, or a vintage table with lots of history, its important to invest in something with quality and style that will be a great addition to your home for years. So general guideline, when shopping for a vintage or used table, its important to know your room style. Is the room you're decorating modern? Mid-century? Maybe it's retro, or vintage and shabby chic? With a furniture piece that’s bound to be a focal point visually and a talking point for guests, we’re going to get you equipped for this shopping decision.

We’ll break it down by category, starting with coffee tables. So many factors can play into picking a coffee table, depending on your living room furniture. For example, the shape of your sofa, height of your accent chairs, etc, can play a roll in picking the right sized furniture. Did you know a coffee table should normally be about 16 to 20 inches tall? Another factor to note: the ideal distance from the edge of the coffee table to the edge of the living room seat is about 18 inches. And of course, if you’re furnishing a family living room, oval coffee tables are always the move because there are no safety issues regarding sharp table corners. If you’re decorating a small space, we always recommend glass coffee tables because the clear material is less bulky visually (picture the Cb2 peekaboo acrylic coffee table, here!). Going for a more rustic, warm living room? Warm wood tones are always a good option. For this, we love the West Elm Emmerson Reclaimed wood coffee table, and of course, we have it on sale. If you want to combine the two, we recommend a storage coffee table, like the west elm industrial storage pop-up coffee table. This one is classic in design, and the pop-up top allows you to work from your coffee table, or snack with guests. Finally if you’re going for a chic vibe, playing with different textures is always a good idea. The CB2 slab marble coffee table, for example, is classic in design, and the marble top gives any living room the on-trend feel. Also before we forget, nesting coffee tables are always a cool, chic look that save space and look trendy in any living room! The Ikea Vittsjo nesting coffee tables are great if you want to go for this look but don’t want to go for hurting your bank account.

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Side tables are also key when furnishing your first apartment or forever home. Side tables come into play whether they’re coupled around a sofa or a bed, or even an accent chair. Also called end tables, and in the bedroom, generally referred to as nightstands (But don’t be afraid to mix it up, even if its intended purpose is to be bedroom furniture or living room furniture! For example, if you see some killer nightstands but want them for your living room decor, we encourage you to go for it. Seriously, who cares what they were “intended” for, all that matters is that you dig it!). The only “rule” we recommend following is that you should always measure your furniture. For example, most sofa arms are about 2 feet tall, so a side table *should* be around that height. And if you’re going to put the table in an entryway, the guideline is to generally go even taller (about 30 inches) just for functionality. Again nesting tables are fun to use here, as you can change them around as you see fit. Our favorite side tables include the Ikea Malm nightstands (classic, simple and clean!) The West elm streamline side table, and if you’re lucky enough to catch them on the site, the West Elm terrace side tables have been in style for years and aren’t going out of style any time soon.

Moving on, we have console tables. These are normally around 30 inches tall, and are very multi-functional pieces of furniture. For example, throw one in with your dining room furniture and make it the perfect bar. If it has closed cabinet doors, you can even use it for storage for dish ware. A console table could also work as a bedroom for decor. And if you want to DIY your own make-shift vanity, throw a mirror on top and a stool in front of it, and it’s perfect. A console table is normally about 30 inches tall, btw, just for reference. There are so many great ones, like the CB2 marble and wood console table or the West Elm modern media console table. West elm in particular has so many gorgeous console tables like the Rosanna media console table, which sports gorgeous gold designs. The Ikea besta console table and cb2 chill media console table are also super popular, as well as the design within reach line media console table.

Finally, dining tables. Make sure you get the height right: we're talking about 28 to 30 inches so its not too high, unless you’re going for a counter-height dining room able, in which it should be 36 inches high. Popular dining tables we love? The West Elm modern expandable dining table, West Elm Emmerson dining table (reclaimed wood with a rustic vibe!), The knoll glass dining table, Cb2 marble high table, or restoration hardware wood extension table.