I don't have end table's per se anymore because I have a very small LR (11'x12') and too much stuff to store that requires us to actually see it to use it. I got a decorating book for Christmas 1 yr. after seeing the decorator on a talk show. In it she suggested layering tables so I gave it a try & like it.

On one end of the sofa I have the top cabinet part of a glass front hutch that is just deep enough to store our DVD's and a small metal cocktail table to hold reading material and a drink or snack plate. There is a floor lamp on that side.

On the other end I have a narrow console table against the wall facing that end of the sofa that holds a table lamp & knick knacky stuff on the top and games and puzzles on the other shelves. I have a dark wood pedestal cocktail table table between it and the sofa. Slightly larger than the other one.

Both are lightweight enough for me to pick and move if I need too to get something.

Everytime I tried a traditional end table I felt that the scale was somehow off w/ the size of the LR. Sort of like Goldilocks and the 3 bears. Too tall, Too short, too big making the room cramped, too small to hold anything or left an awkward space look open as if I didn't know what to do w/ it.

Depending upon your decor, almost anything can be an end table with the right size. Smaller....Trunk, stacked large books, ottoman, bench, folding leaf table, console table as Foxes mentioned. I'm using all of these in some form for LV, office and BR. One with books stacked to raise a lamp, plus a floor lamp. I'm big on drawers, shelves and storage ability at hand.

To me, end tables are the most functional items of furniture in the room. I'm sitting here on my sofa, coffee to the right, a few books I'm in the middle of reading and a reading lamp--all on the end table. I guess I do use it like a desk (pens in the drawer and all) but if this end table didn't exist, I'd have to invent it.

I agree with Indy. We have a coffee table plus two end tables (none "matching") and I use the coffee table mainly for my feet :) and the end tables for my drink, the remote, etc.

If you don't use the room much, then don't bother with end tables if you don't think you'll need them. You could do a floor lamp on either end of the sofa, if you need lighting, and a coffee table in front of the sofa. I do think it would look odd to have a living room with NO tables.

I like end tables because of their practicality as mentioned above.

In the FR, we don't have a lot of width so we have a narrow low bookcases by each arm which we use as end tables and they get well used with drinks and food and newspapers and mags and such. For lighting, we have a taller bookcase which we use like a sofa table with the lamps on it, as the back of the sofa faces the kitchen area and we need a "room divider". It too is very practical..crammed with newspapers and decorating magazines which seem to multiply! (The big lamps DH made from tank shells from when he was in the army.)

I think there are plenty of ways to have an end table and lamp without it looking 'out of date' . I would not hesitate to have them if it's going to make your room more comfortable for you.

In the library, we didn't have room for end tables as we used the built in book cases to create a nook for the sofa.

If you look under the shelf in the book case, you'll see a dark rectangle. That is actually a marble slab, that matches the marble surrounding the fireplace, which pulls out so people have a place to put their drinks. There's one on each side.

We use small tables next to DH's recliner and my sofa.

Sometimes, if the sofa or chairs are "floated" in the room - not against a wall, you won't see a table because there is no electrical pod in the floor for a lamp. But, IMO you should still have a table of some sort for company.

Annie, I love your home. You've decorated it for function without skimping on the beautiful details. I could move right in without changing a thing.

.When we started hosting our church group regularly in our home. I bought 2 sets of nesting tables that sit as 2 end tables normally. They separate into up to 6 small tables. Now everyone has somewhere to put their books and drinks other than the central sofa table. Can't imagine using a room without somewhere to put a drink.

I didn't realize that the lack of end tables was a fashion statement. I thought it was people being clueless.

I can't tell you how many times people have posted a photo of a living room with no end tables and no lamps and have asked for help to "finish" the room. They know something is missing but they don't know what.

I think you need to do what makes the room work for you. What makes the room work for the way you use it. I am one who doesn't think you "need" end tables on either end of a sofa. But maybe that's the way things work in our home - and some others might feel the need. I would never use matching "end tables" but that is just my personal choice.

In our great room, we have a table on one end of the sofa. On the other end - I'm one of those with a huge basket. Comes up just to the arm of the sofa. No lamp on that end of the sofa but the sofa floats in front of a large window and the room has lots of natural light. There are small tables by each of the three arm chairs in that room. A floor lamp behind the chair that my hubby uses. I use another chair when in that room. The two of us rarely use the sofa in that room. We also do not use a coffee table in that room. LOL I throw all the rules out the window! It's what works for us and the way we use the room. I have pieces I can bring out when entertaining - if needed.

tina

I spend a lot of time browsing Houzz. I noticed that there are many rooms that have nothing but a coffee table. That just seems silly to me. I read or use my ipad all the time when I am in the living room. I enjoy my weekend morning coffee there. I HAVE to have tables and I have to have reading lamps.

Use Houzz to get ideas but then make your space yours by adding your style to the room. I think a pair of end tables looks beautiful in a traditional or formal setting.

Annie, I love what you did with adding the bookcase perpendicular to your sofa to use as a table. I had my small block front chest situated the same way beside my loveseat until I moved it to the end of our sofa.

Thank you monablair, so nice of you to say.

Thanks holly-kay. We find them so practical, yet nice and narrow to keep traffic flowing around our tight space. (We would've made the house a few feet deeper but we had site issues...setback in the front, wetlands in the back.) I probably should get doors on the fronts of the bookcases though as what's inside is not attractive... I put my purse there and sunglasses and keys and all kinds of carp. I should probably deploy more baskets to neaten up the look.

graywings, I agree with you. I see these rooms and wonder what people do to see at night. If they're only using overhead lighting, no wonder the rooms don't feel warm and welcoming. And IMHO, that is no way to read if you want to read at all.

And I have been a guest in homes with no place to put a drink down...gets esp awkward when they serve snacks too...I'm not that good at lap juggling. On our deck, I got 4 small stacking square tables which can be put together in various shapes to create a large coffee table for all to use or can be deployed at chair side so people can put down drinks and snacks and such.

Lovely as always, Annie!

I really like end tables, if for no other reason than a place for table lamps. Like others have said, I've been to homes with NO tables (not even a coffee table), which means drinks go in some strange places at parties. I'm not sure why they don't use at least those little folding tables when guests come?? We sometimes use those even in addition to the tables we always have out.

Take Houzz with a grain of salt. Those photos are staged. If people are copying the looks, they might miss the point that some furniture the people actually use are missing from the shot. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!

I also like end tables. Because of our layout, we only have room for one table for the sofa and love seat. Generally, I prefer smaller end tables and floor lamps. Mainly bc I'm a klutz and would knock down Table lamps :)

I don't think they are passé as much as people currently are using non traditional end tables and smaller scaled tables. Like garden stools, rain drums, etc. I have a tea cart as an end table.

End tables are really a fun part of decor bc they can be relatively inexpensive and you can repurpose many vintage items into end tables, for example an old sewing table.

What has become passé is the sets of coffee table and end tables that all match.

We really only use the room on Christmas Day. We have a big crowd then and thatâÂÂs where we keep the tree. IâÂÂm really not too worried about places to put drinks - we have plenty of TV trays that could be used then. I was more concerned about where to put lamps, and whether the room would seem unbalanced if I used only one end table and not two, or if I used 2 tables but they differed in scale - one being a regular wood table and the other metal and glass. Here are the tables I am considering.

http://www.caracole.com/gallerydetails?id=276&ref=gallery&ViewAll=True&zid=3&gid=&type=style&s=&temp=Y

http://www.sherrill-occasional.com/catalog-detail.php?id=234

Option #1 - use the wood tables on either end with lamps. I worry that would be too crowded.
Option #2 - use the wood table on the end near the entry and the metal/glass table on the other side (corner next to FP). I could do one table lamp on the wood table and either a table lamp or floor lamp on the other side. Would that appear unbalanced?
Option #3 - use the smaller metal & glass tables on both ends with table lamps. The table lamp I have picked out is slim - base is probably not more than 5 â but shade is 17âÂÂ. Do you think the table is too small for the lamps - it is 12â wide.
Please give your opinions! Thx.

It's not that end tables are passe'. It's that matching sets of tables are passe', and have been for a long time for living rooms. A successful, interesting room is one that appears to have been assembled over time, with collected objects. What many designers aspire to do is make sure the room doesn't look brand new.

2 matching end tables and a matching coffee table is not the way to go, however, you do want to have enough horizontal surfaces to accommodate entertaining, lighting and reading and that may mean, smaller tables, or accent pieces that add texture to your room and support a drink when necessary. It may also require adding a lighting source to the top of a tall cabinet to provide general illumination for the room. Always required is good task lighting for reading in a comfy chair.

I have matching end tables and a large coffee table that doesn't match, and I love them.

I couldn't live without them. My husband's table has his law journals, and my table has books & my iPad. Basically His & Her's.

The coffee table is made to put feet on, sit on, and even stand on. Which I've done all three. :)

If you post pictures and a diagram of your room, people with really good eyes for this sort of thing will have something to train them on. I personally love rooms with a mix of surfaces of different heights, shapes, materials sizes. It's all in how everything comes together.

In the meantime, though, just words describing 12" table, 5" base, 17" shade are drawing a vivid picture--of that lamp landing in the canapes on the lap of one of your guests. I think you need another answer to your space issue. :)

A 12" wide end table wouldn't be enough room for my wine glass or coffee cup and my elbow. That size might work in a small den where you are more cognizant of the small area.

My coffee table and my one end table do match - but that's because nothing else in the room does.

LOL. Yes, Rosie - I see where the lamp might sound like an accident waiting to happen. But I tried to tip it and it is very stable because its base is stone. Here is a pic of the lamp.

I will try to figure out how to post my room layout.

Here is my room layout. The sofa and tables will go on the long wall opposite the window. The sofa I am planning to purchase is 80" wide. I also plan to have two 29.5" wide chairs facing the sofa.

Also note that the ceiling slopes up from the window and the wall behind the sofa is 2 stories, partially open to the updatirs hallway.

Any comments and/or suggestions welcome!

numbersjunkie, I think your plan should work nicely with the end tables you shared placing the wooden one at the far side of the sofa from the fireplace and the metal one near the fireplace. I'm in love with the wood end table.

My take on end tables is when folks started bringing their furniture away from the walls, end tables with lamps fell to the wayside since most homes do not have outlets in the floor to plug in lamps placed on those tables.

When looking at Houzz you need to keep in mind that many of the photos are of builder and designer showcase houses and are staged. Look carefully, and you'll notice that personal items are missing or it looks like no one lives there or you can't imagine how someone would live there!

Have you ever looked at a spread in a decorating magazine and noticed that things were moved around when they took a photo of the room from another angle. It is like playing Where's Waldo with the foot-stool, lamp or vase of cut flowers!

I also thought many of the Houzz pictures looked like the spaces were staged and not "real". I think they minimize the pieces used to make the room look large.

I really do love the wood table, although it didn't excite me at first when the store design consultant first suggested it. I hope I can use it. I have never seen it in person, but the wood sure looks pretty in the picture!

I have been shopping in a number of stores, and last weekend I went to Ethan Allen to look at tables and accessories. The designer there seemed very interested in "seeing my space" and she seemed to understand my vision so I agreed. I did tell her that I already had most of my pieces picked out but she didn't seem to care. It will interesting to hear her opinion on the end table issue.

We definitely need side tables in the areas where we watch TV, read, or just lounge around. In our smaller living room I have a floor lamp with a small tray/ table built in and it suits our needs perfectly since it provides extra lighting but also has enough room for a coffee cup, remote control, and magazine. On the other side of the sofa I have the Walker Campaign table from World Market. Love that one, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Walker Campaign Table

IMO it's dangerous to make assumptions about style from looking at pics online or in magazines. Often they are not reality and styles and trends vary so much over time and regionally that it can drive a person crazy to try to follow what's in or passé. The current thinking of less is more influences design more than function.

When I became serious about editing my house I decided I could dispense with end tables and only have a coffee table. I found the look too 'bleak' for me so they are now back. I like to decorate with accessories and without end tables there is nowhere to put them. I have eliminated probably at least 80% of my accessories so use fewer now but find them essential for my 'decor comfort'.

Balance is an important concept in choosing and arranging furniture and the 2 tables you've chosen have different scale and proportion so you would have to use other elements to create balance. It will be interesting to hear what the ID says.

Love the lamp you've chosen and I see no reason it can't sit on the table that is 12" wide. When shopping, keep in mind the style of your sofa and how the end tables will look with it. Also make sure the end tables aren't too light or heavy (in design/style) for the rest of the room.
My FR has nesting triangle tables and a drum style side table, along with a glass & iron coffee table....so I'm one that likes to mix things up. : )

In my family room I have 12 inch tables.....they are called "chair side" tables. There is room for a lamp, a cordless phone and a drink coaster. Or a lamp, cup of coffee on the coaster and a small book. Suits our room because we have recliners and these tables are beside each of them. Tables are leather top with dark wrought iron legs....coffee table is a carved wooden truck from Guatemala.

Justgotabeme makes perfect sense on the effect of "floating" furniture on extra pieces. Of course lamp cords became a problem. Plus, in many homes using only half, or even less, of the available space, trying to cram all the usual furniture in the middle might look like something more inclined to sink than float.

Numbersjunkie, you're right, of course. Those wonderful lamps would be very stable, and no one would be walking by that far corner. For whatever reason, I was imagining people swinging around the end of a couch.

I'm not one of those with the "eye," sadly. I have to set things out. Until the eyes weigh in, though, I like the idea of mixing up the tables and the way the Tray-Bien would look from the doorway.

Regarding the Sherrill, I notice there's a 2" difference in the heights, minor, and if you didn't like it in place you could simply slip a base under it in the corner to lift it up. The larger problem seems to be the proximity of the fireplace to the corner. Would you set it longways a few inches out from the wall (so the lamp would have room and match the other end)? That would show it off, and I'm guessing its dainty scale would work well for you there. Otherwise, another option might be something like Wifisker's standing lamp table.

FWIW, whichever you choose, regarding your question, I'd want a table for sure in the far corner, slightly more iffy for openness reason at the doorway end, but still. A table would encourage people to settle in rather than perch temporarily on the arm before the folding trays were brought out.

Thanks, anele.

rosie - good point about the location of the lamp. If I did only one lamp I was thinking that I would put on the side away from the fireplace. We have 2 lamps now (or we did before we emptied the room to have hardwood installed), and I almost never use the one by the FP because its too far out of the way. If you notice the layout, the LR is sunken so the "entrance" is really an 11 ft opening with 2 steps to the main level. I don't think it's likely to get bumped, especially if it is on the larger wood table.

I originally planned to use the glass table between the 2 chairs facing the sofa. I might still do that and use an end table that matches the cocktail table on the FP end. Its a little smaller than the wood end table - oval like the cocktail table. And its only 1 inch different in height.

My concern is that there is too much on that wall. Starting at the edge of the FH hearth, if I allow for the size of both tables and the sofa, it leaves 25 inches. Do you think that will look too crowded?

Here is a link that might be useful: End Table Cocktail Table

Do you need a table at the fireplace end of the sofa on a regular basis? If not then you could always bring in a small decorative table when you have guests that might need a place to set a drink.

Without an end table, where would you put the books and the drinks?

Forget what is or is not "out", do what works for your life style.

Numbersjunkie, nothing like trying to imagine decorating a space you'll never step in. For a life you don't know. I've always liked the feeling stepping down into a living room gives it.

The fireplace end just strikes me as the kind of place someone might sink into to be a little out of the way and observe the more active parts of the room. If another chair were close by on the other side of the fireplace, it wouldn't isolated in the corner, but a great place to chat with friends. If there were only one person to the left who was often turning to the front and left, then it'd be a quiet place to relax and observe. There always seems to be someone who seems to prefer that. Either way, I'm imagining the the usual set of comforts would be welcome.

As for your question, if that left-over 25" is on the doorway end, I see what you mean. People entering one of the ways into our living room break around the end of the sofa that's floating out ahead. Technically there's room for a table, but they'd have to cut sharper, so no table and no lamp, even though I'm a dedicated lampie.

I was speculating that perhaps the Sherrill would be so dainty and open that it might sit lengthwise on the wall and overlap the hearth a bit without looking crowded?

Oval's my favorite shape. IMO, the world would be a better place with more ovals in it. Just because it's so graceful. Regarding crowding, though, if it were only a matter of visual crowding, a piece or pieces that blended with the wall might make that go away. Especially in the far corner.

Well, somebody forgot to tell me they were out of favor, and explain how 10 people sitting in all the available places in my LR could share one cocktail table for drinks.

Ya know what happens when you have no end tables?

Ya know what happens when you have no end tables?

{{!gwi}}

It looks like the room is large enough to do a christopher lowell "cross linking device" like a backless sofa in the middle to create 2 conversational clusters...one facing the fireplace and one facing the window, yet people can see across it so it doesn't visually divide the room, but it provides lots of seating. Especially if the room is used for big gatherings. Backless sofas may seem weird at first until you realize you are actually putting a single bed in your LR which can be incredibly comfortable for stretching out to read or nap too.

[Traditional Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by Chicago Architects & Designers Burns and Beyerl Architects

[Contemporary Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by Denver Interior Designers & Decorators Possibilities for Design Inc.

Thank you all so much for your ideas! Annies idea about a floating sofa/bench is very interesting and unusual.

The decorator form Ethan Allen just left. I like her a lot, and she is a real decorator and not just a sales person. She told me a sofa would just not work in my space - which is probably why I hated my old layout so much and was struggling so much with the layout issues.

Her proposed layout was for 4 chairs in front of the fireplace. That is something I had originally considered, but someone talked me out of it. She thinks the tall wall to the left of the FP should have tall bookcases, and a bench in front of the window. It probably means I will have to abandon some (or all) of the pieces I had originally selected, but I think I will pursue that alternative.

She also had some suggestions for other changes to my paint colors, etc that made a lot of sense. Meeting with her again next week at the store to look at fabrics, etc.
We'll see.

Well, sounds like fun. Especially cutting loose from old notions. I reread what you'd written, and since it's not a large room and holds the tree at Christmas, going with the light way you use it will allow you to make it as visually attractive as possible all the time. And you've already OD'd on clutter in there.

Please come back and show us what you're doing.

BTW, I love the function of those floating backless sofas. In a larger room like those shown, especially the top one, they can be used from both sides and don't wall off different conversation areas from each other.

My husband really likes the 4 chairs idea, and we are going to the store tomorrow so I can show him the bookcases that would go on the FP wall and also see what else the designer has put together. They have a 15% off sale through this weekend, so I may at least order the bookcases. Not so sure about getting the chairs from Ethan Allen, $1K each is too rich for my blood,

Maybe I will actually have the room together by Christmas! Will share when I have it finished! And thank you all again for your comments and suggestions!