Glass And Oak Coffee Tables
Buy the best glass and oak coffee tables selected and recommended by interior designers. By Caroline Patterson.
When it comes to coffee tables, combining some wood with a glass top can give you the best of all worlds. As handy as coffee tables are for holding drinks, displaying decorative items and sometimes as an impromptu footrest, they can make your space look smaller. A glass coffee table will visually trick you into seeing a larger, more open space. And if glass can seem a little cold on its own, pair it with a wood base to add a touch of warmth to the room.
Glass And Oak Coffee Tables
Buying Guide
Caroline Patterson
Interior Design Expert
Caroline is a young, New York-based interior designer and home decor writer, obsessed with textiles and designer furniture. Backed with rigorous training from a prestigious design school, as well as a profound understanding of material quality and fabric care, she offers spot-on advice on how to furnish your place with reliable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing pieces.
To find out how tall your oak coffee table should be, measure the height of your sofa’s seat. Keep in mind that your coffee table’s height should generally be 1-2 inches lower than your sofa’s seat. So, if your seat is 16 inches high, a 14” or 15” tall oak coffee table will be your best bet. Alternatively, a taller seat height would call for a taller coffee table such as 21 inches.
An oak coffee table with glass top is highly durable as long as the top is made of tempered glass. Oak is a commonly used hardwood for crafting furniture and makes a sturdy base for your table. It is also highly resistant to everyday wear and tear and is less likely to warp if placed in direct sunlight.
The key to this table’s durability is the top being made of tempered glass and not regular glass. Regular glass, although strong, easily breaks, chips, and scratches. Tempered glass tops are harder to damage. In addition, when they do break, the glass splits up into small, round-shaped pieces without sharp edges.
Oak paired with tempered glass makes a durable, long-lasting, and beautiful coffee table.
Oak coffee tables with glass tops can easily be paired with various interior design styles because of their versatility and elegant simplicity. These living room staple pieces can be found in a multitude of shapes and designs, be it a cross leg base, an ornate frame with intricate details, or a simple, rectilinear silhouette.
They can give a modern feel to a traditional living room, complement contemporary decor, and fit right in a rustic decor scheme, depending on the coffee table’s design and wood tone.
A classic living room would call for a dark oak finish, whereas a warm oak shade looks best in a less formal setting, such as mid-century modern, transitional, and minimalist. For a modern and contemporary space, a white oak coffee table with a glass top would be ideal.