I can't wait for you to post some pictures! Sounds like a fun project. Our coffee table is 21" tall. I guess I haven't ever considered it as being high because the sofa is on the chunky side too. I'll get a pic for you when I get back from taking DS to the pediatrician. Nothing like coughing, a runny nose, and fever to start the day. YUCK!

I can't post a pic of the table but it's 17 1/4" high. I think a lot of it depends on what you're going to use the table for. Mine's very big and has drawers, one drawer is like a desk drawer. I love to sit there and pay bills, etc. while watching TV. And even eating. :) It's not there for looks even though I love it, it's a practical piece of furniture.

Mine is 15" from floor..........a great height for putting your feet up and balancing a hot cup of tea.

Red

Here is a link that might be useful: Coffee table with leather top

I like lower coffee tables. If you want to see the legs, why not to put a glass top? I have a higher coffe table but with a glass top, so I can see the bottom, which is decorative.

Mine is 20 inches from the floor. It's actually a low end table I purchased about 20 years ago specifically to use as a coffee table as I've always personally hated low coffee tables. So I guess it's a little lower than a traditional tea table, but higher than a traditional coffee table. Seems like.

The one in our family room is 20" high and, to me, it doesn't look like a tall table. It's a great height for us to prop our feet up on, which we do a lot when watching a movie. The room's been changed around since I took this pic, but it's still the same coffee table in front of the same sofa.

The coffee table in the living room is 18 1/2" tall. It doesn't feel or look too short, IMO.

Thank for for posting this question. I'm in the market for a new coffee table and I have one that the kids have been using (very bad condition) just to check it out for size. To me it's too short (about 17"), but our couch sets pretty high and because if it's size (about 12' curve), it really dwarfs the table.

Our home has a total of three.

The main coffee table, in the family room, is 18" high. It measures almost 4 feet square but has a glass top so its' size doesn't seem overwhelming.

In the living room we have a traditional mahogany tea table which measures 25" high. It's only 18 x 28. For socializing with a glass of wine the higher top seems more comfortable.

The basement one is 22.5" high with an 18" round glass top. We have a sectonal there and the smaller table makes it easier to move about.

None of ours are used as foot stools.

If you wish to see them, follow the link from "My Page".

Thanks for all the input and the photos. Red your link doesn't work.
Senko, I have glass now, and the reason I don't want glass again is that the table is in a sunny room. In the winter the sun is low, and the oaks are leafless, the sun streams in and the top always looks cloudy and dusty. I got rid of the glass top in my kitchen for this reason(I posted photos earlier this week of our new kitchen table top) We also made new tops for our den brunch tables (2 of them) they were glass as well.
I was originally thinking of an insert of leather, stone or hammered copper on the top. The reason for this is I use this table in the winter for a few plants as well as my
Ming plant. The other plants can be moved, but the Ming must stay. It's been there for 10 years and loves the spot.

Lynn, I love the grill work in your table. I would also consider that if I could find a nice piece of grill work. It would serve two purposes, the plant wouldn't ruin the wood, and the decorative bottom would be visable.

As a matter of fact when we did the tables in the den, I was originally going to put grill work in the center, but Cliff wanted wood. The glass in these table was another thing that I windex-ed constantly cause they always looked dirty. Now I just feather dust them once a week :)
Please tell me the sizes of the rectangular tables you have. I was thinking of 22 - 24" wide x 44-46" long, however, I'm flexable on the size. Right now I have 36" x 36" with a beveled glass insert.
Please keep the advise and photos coming. I have searched the internet, and have not come across anything that is inspirational. You'll, are the best.

hi (waving) - Coffee tables run from around 15" on the low side to about 20" on the higher side. If you're making it, easy to line up comfortably with the height of the sofa when seated. That's usually 18" but varies as well.

The old-fashioned tea tables are in the 27-30" high range. That's a completely different look, usually makes the room more formal (depends on style) and usually also smallish -- say 30-36". They seem to be coming back (thank you Swedish look). If I remember your house correctly I think that would look very cool. Alternately, you could go with side-table height, about 25", or line it up with the height of the sofa arm.

fmroberts, thanks for the link. I love the tall table in your LR. I definitely want a tall table now, how tall do I want it, is the question?
roccogirl, You're right, taller is more formal, and it wouldn't hurt of get a more formal look in our LR. I have a high side antique table, which I want to remake a new top for as well -- because of water damage.
I found a pic of our current table. If you look closely, you can see the water damage to the wood on top.

I adore your current table! You know, that would look so great painted too.

Did you make that?! I shouldn't be surprised if you did as your projects always wow me.

Thanks Paint chips, No we didn't make that table. It was a present from my Dad. Cliff has been wanting to make a new coffee table for awhile now, and the reason I was putting it off was because I didn't want to get rid of the table.
Since there is some nice wood on that table, I plan on re-cycling it for other projects.
Joann

21" high table, and I get a lot of comments from guests that they like the extra height.

How how is your couch seat? It should probably be about the same. Some couches are 19" most are 20 or 21, some maybe higher?

I don't have a picture of it in place (the LR is too small for me to get backed up far enough to get a decent picture) but my coffee table is 21" high, about an inch higher than the couch seats. Our previous coffee table was about 18" which worked with our other couch but was uncomfortably low with this couch. We wanted a high one because we do everything on it - eat, use laptops, fold laundry, put our feet up. No, not all at the same time! LOL It is probably technically too big/chunky for the ~12x16' (rather optimistic measurement) room at 49x30" with two big drawers instead of lots of airspace beneath, but it fits the sectional that occupies two walls perfectly and gives us a place to put stuff that would otherwise be clutter, which was more important. Here's the catalog photo - ours is all the color of the top, without the painted base.

If you have a Hobby Lobby they have grillwork. There are made to be wall décor but could easily be set into a table top if flat on both sides. I have repurposed a lot of their wall décor.

Thanks you all for the advise, photos and sizes.
My sofa tops out at 18"
So, maybe between 20 and 21" high? ... and for the top size somewhere between 44-46" long x 27-29" wide?
As soon as we get the table base together, I'll play around with the top size, using our dining room table pads for a visual aid.
So far so good on making the legs... We're not experienced wood turners, but watch the wood turner on TV and picked up on how to do it. I made a full size pattern, and I must say, I like what we've done so far.
Your coffee tables are all very nice. Is there anyone else that can give me top dimensions?
linnea56 Thanks for the grill tips. I have a Michaels and Pier One that I can check.
I think I would prefer a solid top, (today anyhow, who knows what I'll want tomorrow!) however, that would depend on how visable the under neith would be with a solid top.
Please keep the photos coming, as I haven't worked out what kind of an edge I want on the top.
Thanks, Joann