Contemporary Coffee Tables

The coffee table, like the ottoman, owes its origins to the nation of Turkey. But unlike the ottoman, the coffee table has evolved so much since the 17th century it's almost become another species. Contemporary coffee tables are no longer the low framed, functional furniture items of the past. In fact, modern coffee table styles have surpassed their simple purpose nearly to the point of becoming art.

Contemporary Coffee Table Styles
There are many stylistic innovations that have accompanied the evolution of contemporary coffee tables:

• an increased fluidity of form, i.e. rectangular, square, round, oval, S-shaped
• greater spatial awareness, signified by freer lines and the adoption of both open and closed interiors
• the trend toward tiered and layered designs that increase the usefulness and surface area of contemporary coffee tables
• the use of malleable materials such as glass and metal that permit modern coffee table bases to adopt more abstract and sculptural styles
• the mixing of glass or stone tabletops with wooden or metal frames to enhance and complicate the visual texture of contemporary coffee tables

Decorating with Contemporary Coffee Tables
Yet aside from all these stylistic changes, contemporary coffee tables remain pieces of functional furniture that must be incorporated into a larger home decor. An excellent way to choose a modern coffee table that will complement the style of your living room is to focus on lines. You should already have a general sense of the "linear" qualities of your decor, whether they are fluid and sinuous or clean and geometrical. Contemporary coffee tables will usually look best in rooms that agree with their shapes.

You should also choose contemporary coffee tables with an eye to materials. Sometimes a contemporary coffee table in a modern style can fit even into a more traditional living room decor if it has a suitable wood finish.