What is the difference between a sofa table and coffee table?
Generally speaking, a "sofa table" is a tall, narrow table used
behind a sofa to hold lamps or decorative objects. A "coffee table"
is any table used in front of the sofa, ostensibly as a place to
set your coffee cup. That being said, any number of variations can
be used: "cocktail tables" are really just coffee tables used for
cocktails, and "end tables" are just small sofa tables, moved to
the ends of the sofa. There are no rules for these things, but do
remember to keep your lamps and decorations in proportion to the
tables that hold them - by no means should any table be overloaded
or unbalanced. Also remember to keep 18-20" between the sofa and
any table(s) in front of it, to avoid banging your legs. Keep all
electrical cords tangle-free and out of traffic. And don't be
afraid to think outside the norm for tables: chests, dressers,
trunks, baskets, cradles, even file cabinets can all be made useful
around and in front of seating. Or maybe you don't need a table at
all...