How to choose a side table: height, size, wood or stone
How high a side table should be next to an armchair, sofa or bed, why a round top of about 45 cm works in small rooms, and whether to choose teak or stone.
A side table works best at the height of the armrest or a few centimetres below, so a cup goes down without reaching up. A round top of 40 to 50 cm holds a book, a cup and a lamp and is easy to walk round. Our solid teak Side Table is Ø 45 cm and 50 cm high, from €1,400.
How high should a side table be?
Measure the arm of the chair or sofa it will stand beside. A common rule of thumb is a table at the height of the armrest or a few centimetres lower. Higher, and you reach up to put a cup down; much lower, and you lean over the arm to find it.
Our Side Table and Drum Side Table are both 50 cm high. That sits just below the 57 cm arm of the Easy Chair, and well below the 64 cm arm of the Armchair, which is made to slide under a dining table.
For a chair without arms, take the seat height as your guide and add 10 to 20 cm.
Round, and about 45 cm across
A side table serves one seat. Its top needs room for a cup, a book and perhaps a small lamp, and little more. A round top of 40 to 50 cm does that.
Round has two advantages in a small room. There are no corners to catch a knee or a bag, and you can walk past it from any side. Our Side Table is Ø 45 cm, the Drum Side Table Ø 50 cm.
Leave a hand’s width between the table and the arm of the chair, so the table does not rub the upholstery when someone sits down.
A teak top or a stone top
Wood is warm to the hand and a cup goes down without a sound. Our tops are solid teak, never veneer, finished by hand in Light Oak, Antique Oak or Wengé.
Stone is heavier and cool to the touch, and the extra weight makes a small table stand firmer. Both our side tables can have a top in Travertine, Crema Marfil or Dark Emperador. A stone top costs extra; the product page shows the price. Every slab is different in veining and colour, and how a stone top is sealed and looked after depends on the stone, so ask the maker.
Two constructions
The base is what you see from across the room. The Side Table stands on a single pedestal of layered teak, fluted along its length.
The Drum Side Table is built from 18 stacked rings of solid teak, each 2.5 cm high, in the shape of a barrel. It is the same construction as the Drum Coffee Table, so the two read as one set when they stand together. It ships assembled.
Beside a sofa, a chair or a bed
Next to a sofa, the side table stands at the end, by the arm, and the coffee table serves the middle. Keep the side table lower than or level with the arm.
Next to a reading chair, it holds the cup and the book, and sometimes the lamp. We show the Side Table beside our Lounge Chair and its Ottoman; all three come in the same three teak finishes.
Next to a bed, a side table works as a nightstand. The top is easiest to reach at about the height of the mattress top, so measure your bed before you choose.
How ordering works
Every table is made by hand in our own atelier in Bali after your order, in about six weeks. It then travels 6–9 weeks by sea to your door; we deliver within the EU. You pay in full when you order; if you would rather pay half up front, tell us before you order. Prices include VAT, one price across the EU, and shipping is extra. Within the EU we pay the import duties and VAT.
For the coffee table that goes with it, read coffee tables in wood and stone. A different height or diameter is custom made.
Questions
How tall should a side table be next to a sofa?
About level with the sofa’s arm or a few centimetres lower. For many sofas and armchairs that means somewhere between 50 and 65 cm. Our side tables are 50 cm high.
What size side table do I need?
For one seat, a top of 40 to 50 cm across is enough for a cup, a book and a small lamp. Our Side Table is Ø 45 cm, the Drum Side Table Ø 50 cm.
Can a side table be used as a nightstand?
Yes. Choose one whose top is about level with the top of your mattress, so you can reach it lying down.
How much does a solid wood side table cost?
Our Side Table starts at €1,400 and the Drum Side Table at €1,600, including VAT; shipping is extra. A stone top adds a surcharge, shown on the product page.
See the piece
Every piece is handmade in our atelier in Bali, in about six weeks, then shipped to your destination.