Skip to content
Inspiration & Design Tips
Elevate Your Space with Style & Functionality
Discover expert insights, design inspiration, and the latest furniture trends to transform your home into a haven of comfort and elegance.

News

Liverpool console table in pale timber with a bare top and two panel legs, holding vases and a tray under a round mirror in an entryway
buying guide Why a Console Table Is 76cm and a Side Table Is 55cm
July 05, 2026

Put a console table and a side table next to each other in a showroom and they look like the same idea at two scales: same timber, same legs, same clean top. Buy the wrong one for the spot you had in mind and you find out quickly that they are not related at all. The whole difference is roughly 20cm of height. Every console in the Cedora range stands between 76cm and 82.5cm. Every side table stands between 55cm and 58cm. One is a surface for a person on their feet and the other is a surface for a person already sitting down. Key Takeaways Consoles run 76cm to 82.5cm high; side tables run 55cm to 58cm. Consoles are 36cm to 38cm deep, too narrow to work at and right for a hallway. The two 150cm consoles have no drawers; the two 120cm consoles have drawers and a shelf. Every side table is 55cm wide, so they all take about 0.3 square metres of floor. Sofa backs sit at 75cm to 85cm, which is what makes 82.5cm the behind the sofa height. A Console Is Built for Someone Standing Up The Liverpool Pine Console Table - Natural is 150 x 38 x 76cm, and the Oxford Acacia Console Table is 150 x 36 x 76cm. Both are as tall as a dining table and both are less than 40cm deep, and that combination tells you exactly what they are for. Thirty eight centimetres is narrower than it sounds. A dinner plate is 27cm across, so a console will hold one with almost nothing to spare, which is why nobody eats at one and nobody should try to work at one either. What that depth does buy is passage: in a hallway around a metre wide, a console leaves you more than 60cm to walk through with a bag of shopping. The pair of them are deliberately bare. No drawers, no shelf, just a top on legs, which leaves the floor underneath free for baskets, shoes or nothing at all. In a narrow entry that emptiness is the point, because a solid piece of furniture the same size would make the corridor feel half as wide. The black Liverpool does the same job while reading as heavier. The Taller Consoles Do a Different Job The Byron Acacia 3 Drawer Console Table and the Richmond Pine 2 Drawer Console Table - Natural are both 120 x 38 x 82.5cm. Thirty centimetres shorter in length, 6.5cm taller, and both carry drawers above an open lower shelf. That is a different piece of furniture wearing the same word. The extra height is what puts them behind a sofa. Most sofa backs land somewhere between 75cm and 85cm, so at 82.5cm these sit level with the back or just above it, and a lamp on top ends up at reading height for whoever is on the couch. A 76cm console behind the same sofa disappears below the cushion line. The drawers change the daily use rather than the look. Three shallow drawers on the Byron and two on the Richmond, with a shelf below both, turn the piece into the place where keys, sunglasses, dog leads and unopened mail live. Shorter and deeper in function, longer and emptier in the other two: pick by which problem the hallway actually has. The black Richmond matches the black dining pieces. Byron Acacia 3 Drawer Console Table [products-of-collection collection="console-tables" heading="Shop Console and Hallway Tables" limit="6" columns="3" columns_mobile="2" section_id="blog-console-1"] A Side Table Is Built for Someone Sitting Down Every side table in the range is 55cm wide. The Byron Acacia End Table is 55 x 55 x 55cm, the Oxford Acacia Side Table and the Liverpool Pine End Table - Natural are 55 x 55 x 58cm, and the Richmond Pine End Table - Natural is 55 x 50 x 55cm, the only one that is not square. Fifty five to fifty eight centimetres is sofa arm height, and that is not a coincidence. Sitting down, your forearm rests somewhere around 55cm to 65cm off the floor, so a table in this band is one you reach without leaning, looking or thinking. Anything taller and you knock the cup with your elbow; anything shorter and you reach down past the cushion. The footprint is the other half of it. At 55cm square, one of these takes about 0.3 square metres, roughly half the floor a chest of drawers needs and small enough to fit in the gap between a sofa arm and a wall that is otherwise wasted. The black Liverpool works the same way in a darker room. Liverpool Pine End Table - Natural [products-of-collection collection="side-tables" heading="Shop Side and End Tables" limit="6" columns="3" columns_mobile="2" section_id="blog-console-2"] Behind the Sofa, Under the Window, Beside the Bed Three placements cover most of what people actually buy these for. Behind a sofa, the 82.5cm consoles win for the reason above, and the 38cm depth means the sofa only has to come 40cm off the wall to make room. In an open plan living area that line of furniture is what stops the couch looking like it is floating in the middle of the room. Under a window, height is the constraint rather than the choice. Measure to the underside of the sill: a 76cm console fits under most and a 82.5cm one often does not, and a console that fouls a sill by 3cm cannot be fixed with cushions or a rug. This is the placement where people order the wrong one. Beside a bed, a side table is a genuine option and the maths is close. Mattress tops usually finish between 55cm and 65cm off the floor, so a 58cm table sits at or just below the mattress, which works for a glass of water and a book. In a spare room where one bedside table has to double as an occasional table for guests, it is the more useful buy of the two. Richmond Pine 2 Drawer Console Table - Natural The Australian Hallway Problem Entry halls in most Australian homes are about a metre wide, and in a 1960s brick veneer or a narrow terrace they are often less. That is the room a console table is sold for, and it is the room where the wrong depth turns a nice piece of furniture into an obstacle you resent every time you carry the washing basket through. Do the subtraction before you buy. A metre of hallway minus a 38cm console leaves 62cm of clear passage, which is comfortable for one person and awkward for two. Minus a 45cm sideboard it leaves 55cm, which is where you start turning sideways. That 7cm is why consoles are built at the depth they are. If the hallway is genuinely too narrow, the honest answer is to move the piece rather than shrink it. A console works just as well on the living room wall behind the sofa or on the landing at the top of the stairs, and a side table takes the entry job at a fraction of the footprint. A 55cm square by the front door still holds keys. Byron Acacia End Table Buying the Pair Rather Than the Piece Most homes end up needing both, and the ranges are built so they can be bought together. Liverpool, Byron, Richmond and Oxford each make a console and a side table in the same finish, so the entry piece and the lounge piece can be visibly related without being identical. They do not have to match, and there is a reasonable argument for not matching. The console lives in a hall the sofa cannot see, so a black console at the front door and a natural side table by the couch is two decisions rather than one compromise. What should match is the timber tone of the pieces that share a sight line. Whatever you choose, buy on the height first. Nobody has ever regretted a table because it was 10cm too short in length, and everybody notices one that is 20cm wrong in height, every single day, because their arm is in the wrong place. Between the console range and the side tables, the numbers do most of the deciding. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between a console table and a side table? Height, and everything follows from it. A console table stands at 76cm to 82.5cm and is used by somebody on their feet. A side table stands at 55cm to 58cm and is used by somebody sitting down. They are not two sizes of the same thing. How deep should a console table be? Between 36cm and 38cm on these, which is deliberately narrow. That is not enough depth to eat at or work at comfortably, and it is exactly enough to hold keys, a lamp, a tray and a vase while still letting two people pass in a hallway. Can a console table go behind a sofa? Yes, and the height decides how it looks. Most sofa backs land between 75cm and 85cm, so the 82.5cm Byron and Richmond consoles sit level with or just above the back, while the 76cm Liverpool and Oxford tuck a little below it. Can a side table be used as a bedside table? It can, if the height suits your bed. These are 55cm to 58cm, and most mattress tops land between 55cm and 65cm, so a side table sits at or slightly below the mattress. That is fine for a glass of water and less good for a tall lamp. What size side table suits a small living room? All of them are the same footprint, which makes this easy. Every side table in the range is 55cm wide, and the deepest is 55cm, so any of them takes about 0.3 square metres of floor. Choose on shelf and finish rather than on size. Related Posts How to Choose a Console Table: The Ultimate Design Guide Console Table vs Hall Table: Key Differences and Best Uses 10 Stylish Side Table Decor Ideas to Elevate Your Home Decor Stay in the loop Get styling ideas and early access to new arrivals, straight to your inbox.

Read more
White six drawer chest with a lamp and books on top in a bright bedroom with a window seat
EXPERT TIPS The Measurement Everyone Skips Is the One Between the Truck and the Room
July 04, 2026

A perfectly measured room still leaves a sideboard stuck in the hallway. The number that matters is the narrowest point of the whole path.

White panelled king bed frame with a leather bench at the foot in a bright bedroom with a harbour view
bed frames King vs Queen Bed Size: 30cm Wider, Not One Centimetre Longer
July 03, 2026

A king is a queen plus exactly 30cm of width in every range, with identical length. That makes this a room width decision, not a comfort one.

Why a 100cm Bedroom Mirror Stops at Your Ankles
bedroom furniture Why a 100cm Bedroom Mirror Stops at Your Ankles
July 02, 2026

A mirror is the one piece of bedroom furniture people buy on looks alone. It has no drawers to count and no weight rating to check, so the decision gets made on the frame and nothing else, and then it goes up on the wall and something feels off. What is usually off is arithmetic. There are six mirrors in the Cedora range: four squares of 100 x 100cm and two circles of 90cm. Those two shapes are not style options, they are two different pieces of furniture, and the chest of drawers underneath is what separates them. Key Takeaways Four mirrors are 100cm squares, two are 90cm circles, and nothing in between. The squares are sized for a 140cm chest, leaving 20cm of clear surface each side. Sitting on an 85cm chest, a square mirror cuts the reflection off near your ankles. Only the round Liverpool mirror lets you choose your own hanging height. Depth runs 4cm to 5.5cm, so none of them projects far into a narrow room. Four Squares and Two Circles, Nothing in Between The London Pine Mirror, the Manchester Pine Mirror, the Bristol Pine Mirror and the Newcastle Acacia Mirror are all 100cm wide by 100cm high. The London is 5.5cm deep and the other three are 5cm. In every practical sense they are the same object wearing four different frames. The other two are the Liverpool Pine Mirror - Natural and the Liverpool Pine Mirror - Black, both round, both 90cm across and 4cm deep. There is no oval, no tall rectangle and no leaner in the range, which sounds like a limitation until you notice that the four squares all exist for the same reason. The frames are where the ranges separate themselves. London and Manchester are crisp white with moulded detailing, the Newcastle adds a shaped crown across the top, and the Bristol runs a timber rail along the top edge that picks up the oak top of the matching chest. The Liverpool circles are the only ones with no painted white in them at all. The Squares Are Sized for the Chest, Not the Wall Every six drawer chest in the Cedora range is 140 x 45 x 85cm. Set a 100cm mirror on top of one and you get 20cm of clear chest surface on either side, which is not an accident. That is enough room for a lamp on one side and a tray on the other, and not enough for anyone to start stacking things in front of the glass. The London and Manchester mirrors are built to attach to their chests, so the two pieces become one unit and there is no gap collecting dust behind them. The Bristol and Newcastle are made to pair with theirs visually rather than mechanically. Either way the geometry is the same and the mirror inherits its height from the furniture. That is the part worth understanding before you buy. A mirror that hangs is a decision you make with a pencil and a spirit level. A mirror that sits on a chest is a decision the chest already made for you at the factory, and the only variable left is which wall the chest goes on. Manchester Pine Mirror Why It Stops at Your Ankles Here is the arithmetic that catches people out. A flat mirror shows you a point on your body reflected at half the height between your eyes and that point, which is why a mirror only has to be half your height to show all of you. A 100cm mirror is easily big enough. Where it sits is the problem. Resting on an 85cm chest, the bottom edge of the glass is 85cm off the floor. For someone around 175cm tall, with eyes at roughly 163cm, the lowest thing that bottom edge can reflect is about 7cm above the floor: your ankles, your socks, and not your shoes. The top edge at 185cm, meanwhile, is showing you about 16cm of the ceiling behind your head. None of that makes it a bad mirror. It makes it a mirror for checking a shirt, doing your hair and putting on earrings, which is what a bedroom mirror above a chest is genuinely used for at seven in the morning. It just means that if you want to see the shoes before you leave, that check happens somewhere else in the house. Newcastle Acacia Mirror [products-of-collection collection="mirror" heading="Shop Bedroom Mirrors and Chest Sets" limit="8" columns="4" columns_mobile="2" section_id="blog-mirror-1"] The Round Ones Solve What the Squares Cannot A mirror on the wall can go wherever you put it, and the Liverpool circles are the only two in the range that give you that choice. At 90cm across they are slightly smaller than the squares, but hung with the centre of the glass at 150cm to 155cm they sit at standing eye level, and the reflection then reaches far enough down to be useful. The shape earns its place in a small room too. A circle has no corners to crowd a doorway or a wardrobe, and it reads as lighter on a wall than the same area of square glass. In a bedroom where the mirror has to go on a narrow strip of wall between a window and a robe, that difference decides whether the piece looks placed or squeezed. The two finishes point in opposite directions. The natural has a warm oak toned frame that disappears into a light room, while the black is a matte contrast piece that draws the eye to whatever it hangs above. Both are 4cm deep, and neither needs a chest underneath to make sense of it. Liverpool Pine Mirror - Black What a Square Metre of Glass Does to a Dark Bedroom Australian bedrooms are frequently the worst lit rooms in the house. Builders put the living areas on the good aspect and leave the bedrooms facing a fence, a side path or a neighbour's wall two metres away. By four in the afternoon the room needs a light on, in a country with more sunshine than it knows what to do with. A mirror is the cheapest correction available. One square metre of glass placed on the wall beside or opposite the window collects whatever daylight enters and throws it into the corner that never gets any. The effect is strongest when the mirror can see actual sky rather than the reflection of another wall, so the wall you choose matters more than the frame you choose. It also does something for the sense of size that paint colour cannot. A mirror on the long wall of a narrow bedroom reads as a second window, and a room with two apparent windows feels wider than the same room with one. That is not decorating advice, it is the reason the piece is worth its wall space in the first place. Bristol Pine Mirror Buying It With the Chest or Buying It Later Two of the pairs are also sold as one item, the London Pine 6 Drawer Chest with Mirror and the Newcastle Acacia 6 Drawer Chest with Mirror, which is the simpler route if you know the mirror is going above the chest anyway. Buying the two pieces separately costs roughly the same and gives you the option to change your mind about where the glass ends up. If you are hanging rather than resting, the fixing matters more than anything discussed so far. These are timber framed mirrors, not lightweight plastic, and they need a proper wall fixing into a stud or a rated anchor into plasterboard. A mirror that comes down takes the wall with it, and in a bedroom it does that above a bed. The last thing to check is the reflection itself. Stand where the mirror will hang and look back: whatever you see there is what the mirror will show the room, every day, permanently. A mirror facing a window is a second window and a mirror facing a laundry basket is a second laundry basket. The bedroom mirror range gives you the shape and the frame, but the wall does the rest. Frequently Asked Questions How big should a bedroom mirror above a chest of drawers be? Narrower than the chest, and by a clear margin. The Cedora chests are 140cm wide and the square mirrors are 100cm, which leaves 20cm of clear top on either side. That gap is what stops the arrangement looking like a wardrobe door, and it is also where the lamp goes. How high should a bedroom mirror be hung? For a mirror hanging on its own, centre the glass around 150cm to 155cm from the floor so it sits at standing eye level. For a mirror resting on a chest the height is already decided: the chest is 85cm, so the mirror starts there whether that suits you or not. Can you see your whole outfit in a 100cm mirror? Not when it sits on a chest. The bottom edge lands at 85cm above the floor, which cuts the reflection off around ankle height for most adults. You get head, torso and legs to the shin, which is enough to check a shirt and not enough to check shoes. Do the mirrors attach to the chest of drawers? The London and Manchester mirrors are made to attach securely to their matching chest, and both can also be used on their own. The Bristol and Newcastle mirrors are made to pair with their chests visually. The Liverpool mirror is round and hangs on the wall. What shape of bedroom mirror suits a small room? A round one, because it takes less wall area for the same visual presence and has no corner to catch your eye or your shoulder. The Liverpool mirror is 90cm across and only 4cm deep, so it projects less from the wall than a light switch plate and a door frame combined.   Related Posts How to Choose a Mirror Chest of Drawers Height: Standard Sizes and Choosing Guide How to Style a Chest of Drawers: A Simple Formula Stay in the loop Get styling ideas and early access to new arrivals, straight to your inbox.

White dining table with a pale timber top and six matching chairs in a bright country kitchen
EXPERT TIPS What Does Pre-Order Mean When You Buy Furniture?
July 01, 2026

You pay now and the piece ships when the next container lands. The date on the page is stock arriving at the warehouse, not at your door.

White six drawer chest with a gold framed mirror and lamp beside a bed in a warm sunlit bedroom
How To Choose Pine vs Oak Furniture: At This Price They Are Not Alternatives, They Are Layers
June 30, 2026

Oak is 60 to 90 per cent harder than radiata pine and costs several times more. That is why most furniture uses both, in different parts of the same piece.

Black timber dining table with a matching bench and cream upholstered chairs on a pale timber floor
dining furniture How to Stop Chairs Scratching the Floor: It Is the Grit, Not the Chair
June 27, 2026

A dining chair leg concentrates 20kg onto an area the size of a coin. What cuts the floor is the grit trapped underneath, which is why pads need replacing.

Natural oak six drawer chest styled with a lamp and flowers on a patterned rug in a bright bedroom
Australian Homes Styling How to Organise Drawers When No Two Drawers Are the Same Size
June 26, 2026

Drawer interiors here run from 16cm to 24.6cm deep. That 54 per cent gap decides whether file folding works at all, before you buy a single divider.

Queen bed dressed in layered neutral bedding with a folded throw and two rows of pillows against a panelled headboard
bed frames How to Dress a Bed: the Frame Decides the Drop
June 24, 2026

Almost every guide to dressing a bed starts with the bedding. It should start with the frame, because the frame decides the one thing you cannot fix later: how far the quilt hangs down each side. A standard queen quilt is 210cm wide. Put it on a 162.4cm frame and it drops 23.8cm each side. Put the same quilt on a 171cm frame and it drops 19.5cm. That is a visible difference, and it is set before you buy a single pillow. So this runs in the order that actually matters: the frame first, then the layers, then the pillows, then the fold. Dressing a bed is about six decisions, and four of them are made by furniture rather than by textiles. Key Takeaways Quilt drop is set by the frame width, not the mattress width. Across these ranges that is 19.5cm to 23.8cm each side. Layer bottom up: fitted sheet, flat sheet, quilt, throw across the lower third, pillows last. Fold the quilt back about 30cm and put the pillows in front of the fold, never under it. A 120cm to 125cm headboard holds two sleeping pillows plus two Euros. Beyond that the back row vanishes. The Bristol is the only frame here with no footboard, which changes where the quilt is allowed to fall. Start With the Frame, Because It Sets the Drop A queen mattress is 153cm wide in every range. The frame around it is not, and the frame is what the quilt actually hangs over. Here is the whole set against a 210cm queen quilt. Range Queen frame width Quilt drop each side Footboard Bristol 162.4cm 23.8cm None. The foot stays open Newcastle 164cm 23cm Timber, shaped London 169cm 20.5cm Timber, panelled Manchester 169cm 20.5cm Timber, panelled Liverpool 171cm 19.5cm Upholstered Twenty to thirty centimetres is the band that reads as deliberate. Below about 20cm the mattress edge starts to show and the quilt looks bought for a smaller bed. Above about 35cm it pools on the floor. Every frame here lands at the lower end of that band on a standard queen quilt, and the Liverpool at 19.5cm sits right on the line. That is the one case where a king quilt is worth considering on a queen bed: at 245cm wide it drops 37cm each side, which reads as generous rather than as a mistake. Liverpool Pine Queen Bed Frame - Natural The Order, Bottom to Top Fitted sheet, pulled square. Corners diagonally opposite each other first, then the other two. Doing them in a circle is what leaves the last corner short. Flat sheet, wrong side up. The pattern faces down so that when you fold the top back over the quilt, the right side shows. This is the step most people skip and then wonder why the fold looks wrong. Quilt, centred by eye from the foot. Stand at the end of the bed and level the drop on both sides before you touch the top. Centring from the head end is guesswork. Fold the top back about 30cm. Take the flat sheet and quilt back together in one fold. That fold is the line the pillows sit against. Throw across the lower third. Folded to roughly a third of the bed length, sitting square, edges hanging just past the mattress edge. Pillows last, biggest at the back. Euros against the headboard, sleeping pillows in front, one small cushion if you want a full stop. That order is not a style preference. Each layer holds the one under it in place, so building it in any other sequence means straightening the quilt after the pillows are already on it. The Headboard Sets the Pillow Count Every headboard in this catalogue stands between 120cm and 125cm from the floor. That is the ceiling on how much you can stack, because anything above the top rail is not seen from the door and does nothing except get moved every night. Two Euro pillows at the back and two sleeping pillows in front is the arrangement that fits inside 120cm to 125cm on a queen. On a king, the same two rows work but the Euros go three across. Beyond that you are decorating for a photograph rather than for a room you sleep in. Material matters here more than height. The Liverpool and the Newcastle carry a fabric bedhead, so a pillow leaning against it sits softly and stays put. A painted timber headboard, as on the London, Manchester and Bristol, is a harder surface and pillows slide down it, which is a good argument for the Euro row doing the propping. We wrote up the fabric ones in two Cedora beds have a fabric headboard, and the height chart is in bed head size guide. Bristol Pine Queen Bed Frame The Footboard Decides Where the Quilt Stops This is the detail that separates the five ranges once the bedding is on. Four of them have a footboard, so the quilt has to sit inside the frame and the folded throw becomes the finish at the end of the bed. The Bristol has no footboard at all, just side rails and an open foot, and that changes the answer: the quilt is allowed to fall past the end of the bed, and a longer quilt looks better there than a throw does. If the foot of your bed faces the door, the open frame also reads longer, because nothing stops the eye at the end of the mattress. That is a layout point rather than a bedding one, and it is worked through in small bedroom bed ideas. [products-of-collection collection="bed-frames" heading="Shop Cedora Bed Frames" limit="6" columns="3" columns_mobile="2" section_id="blog-dressbed-1"] Four Mistakes That Undo the Whole Thing Quilt pulled over the pillows. It flattens the bed into one slab and hides the fold. Pillows go in front of the fold, always. Throw laid on at an angle. A deliberately draped throw only reads as deliberate in a photograph. In a real room, square and folded is what looks tidy on a Tuesday. Too many cushions. If the pile has to move to the floor every night, it moves to the floor permanently within a fortnight. Four pillows and one cushion is the practical ceiling on a queen. Wrong quilt size for the frame. A double quilt is 180cm wide. On a 169cm queen frame it drops 5.5cm each side, which shows the mattress and looks like exactly what it is. Size the quilt to the frame and the drop takes care of itself. Liverpool Pine Queen Bed Frame - Black A Two Minute Version On a normal morning nobody does six layers. The short version keeps most of the effect: pull the fitted sheet square, bring the quilt up and level the drop from the foot, fold the top back 30cm, and stand the pillows against the headboard. That is four movements and about two minutes, and it is the difference between a bed that reads as made and a bed that reads as abandoned. The full arrangement is worth doing when the sheets change, and it holds for about a week if the throw is folded rather than draped. If you want the styling side rather than the method, we covered that separately in how to style a bed. Frequently Asked Questions How do you dress a bed properly? Work in order from the bottom up: fitted sheet, flat sheet, quilt, then a folded throw across the lower third, then pillows from largest at the back to smallest at the front. Dressing a bed out of order is why the quilt ends up sitting crooked over the sheet. How much should a quilt hang over the side of a bed? About 20cm to 30cm each side, which puts the edge below the mattress but above the bed base. The number that decides it is the frame width, not the mattress width. A 210cm queen quilt over a 162.4cm Bristol frame drops 23.8cm each side, and over a 171cm Liverpool frame it drops 19.5cm. Should the quilt cover the pillows? No. Fold the top of the quilt back about 30cm from the headboard and let the pillows sit in front of the fold. Pulling the quilt up over the pillows flattens the whole arrangement and hides the layer you spent the most on. How many pillows should be on a bed? Two sleeping pillows plus two Euro pillows behind them is enough for a queen, and it is what a 120cm to 125cm headboard can hold without the top row disappearing behind the bed. More than four on a queen and you are moving pillows onto the floor every night. Does a footboard change how you dress a bed? Yes. A footboard stops the quilt and holds the drop at the sides, so the folded throw sits inside the frame. The Bristol has no footboard at all, which lets the quilt fall past the end of the bed and is the one frame here where a longer quilt reads better than a folded throw. Related Posts Bed Frame Sizes Explained: Standard Dimensions How to Clean a Fabric Bedhead Without a Water Mark What a Fabric Headboard Is Really Like in Summer Stay in the loop Get styling ideas and early access to new arrivals, straight to your inbox.

Two layout options for a compact open-plan apartment: a small dining table zone beside an island bench with stools
Australian Homes Styling Do I Need a Dining Table? A Practical Guide for Small Homes and Modern Routines
June 23, 2026

If you are asking whether you need a dining table, the short answer is no: not every home does. In a small apartment or flexible home layout, buying one by default can take up valuable room without adding much real value. Many people assume a dining table is standard, then realise they rarely use it. This guide helps you decide based on daily routines, work habits, hosting needs, and floor space so you can choose what actually fits your home instead of following convention. Oxford Acacia Dining Table 190cm What a Dining Table Actually Does in a Home A dining table is a shared surface used for meals, work, study, and everyday household tasks. In a well-planned functional home layout, it works best when it supports repeated routines rather than simply filling a room. In practice, a dining table can do more than hold dinner plates. It can help define a dining zone in open-plan homes, separate eating from lounging, and support multi-purpose usage throughout the week. That matters in homes where one surface needs to work hard. Eating Surface vs Lifestyle Anchor There is a difference between owning a table for occasional meals and using it as part of everyday life. For some households, the table becomes a routine anchor: breakfast before work, weeknight dinners, weekend catch-ups, or a place to reset between tasks. That is why the old idea that every home should have one no longer fits everyone. In smaller homes especially, furniture should earn its footprint. If meals mostly happen at the kitchen bench, on the go, or outside the home, the table may not be necessary. A dining table can also act as a central hub of the home, but only when people truly use it that way. If not, it often becomes an oversized surface with no clear role. Common Secondary Uses Beyond meals, a dining table is often used for: laptop work homework paying bills or admin crafts and hobbies casual hosting planning family schedules These extra uses add real value only if they happen often enough to justify the space. Byron Acacia Dining Table 160cm 5 Questions to Help You Decide If You Really Need a Dining Table If you are still weighing it up, the best answer usually comes from your current habits, not from what a home is “supposed” to include. Your lifestyle requirements should lead the decision. Use the five questions below as a quick self-check before you give up more room in a small-footprint living setup. 1. Where Do You Eat Most of Your Meals Now? Start with what already happens. If most weekday meals happen at a kitchen island, desk, sofa, or outside the home, a full dining setup may be lower priority. Weekend meals may be more relaxed, but daily patterns matter more than occasional intentions. 2. Do You Work or Study From Home Often? If you need a stable shared surface several times a week, a table may justify its place. This is especially true when your home does not have a separate desk area. Occasional laptop use is different from daily work that needs comfort, space, and a more reliable setup. 3. Do You Host Friends or Family at Home? Regular hosting increases the value of a table quickly. If you often invite people for meals, drinks, or board games, a table supports that routine well. If hosting is rare, a compact or extendable option may make more sense than a permanent full-size table. 4. Do You Need Open Floor Space More Than Another Surface? This matters a lot in studios, family living rooms, and homes where one room does many jobs. In open-plan living, every fixed furniture piece affects movement. If a table would block circulation, shrink a play area, or remove exercise space, the trade-off may not be worth it. 5. Will the Table Be Used Weekly, or Become a Clutter Zone? This is the most honest test. Underused tables often become drop zones for bags, parcels, laundry, and unopened mail. If that sounds familiar, a more flexible solution may suit your functional home layout better. Quick Verdict Strong yesYou eat at home often, work from home regularly, have children, or host guests enough to use the table every week. Probably noMeals usually happen elsewhere, hosting is limited, and keeping floor space open matters more. Middle groundIf you still want one, consider a compact or flexible alternative rather than a full traditional table. Richmond Pine Dining Table 190cm - Natural When a Dining Table Makes Sense, and When It Does Not Whether a dining table is necessary for modern living is not a question with one universal answer. For some homes, it is extremely useful. For others, it is just another object competing with movement, storage, and flexibility. The right choice depends on your lifestyle requirements, layout, and how often the table would actually be used. You Probably Need One If… You eat at home most days and want a dedicated meal surface. You work from home often and need reliable multi-purpose usage. You have children and need one place for meals, homework, and shared routines. You host friends or family regularly. You want a defined dining zone in open-plan living. You May Not Need One If… You live alone and rarely cook. You eat out often or grab quick meals on the go. Your kitchen island already handles meals well. Your home needs flexibility more than fixed furniture. A table would block circulation or reduce useful floor space. The Emotional Side For many households, a table becomes the central hub of the home. It can create routine, slow people down, and support shared time in a way other surfaces do not. That said, this value only matters if your household actually uses it. There is no benefit in keeping furniture out of guilt. If your home works better without a dining table, that is a valid and often smarter choice. The Best Alternatives If You Decide Not to Get a Dining Table There are several strong dining table alternatives for limited space, but they are not equal. The best option depends on comfort, flexibility, hosting needs, and how much room you can afford to give up. Some choices work well every day. Others are better as backup solutions. Option Space efficiency Meal comfort Hosting suitability Best for Main trade-off Traditional dining table Low to medium High High Families, regular home dining, frequent guests Takes the most floor space Kitchen island / breakfast bar High Medium Low to medium Quick daily meals, built-in seating setups Less comfortable for long sitting Fold-out / drop-leaf table High Medium to high Medium Renters, compact homes, occasional dining Requires setup and tuck-away effort Bistro set High Medium Low 1-2 people, corners, window nooks Limited seating and surface area Desk as dining surface High Medium Low Solo households, work-first layouts Blurs work and meal zones Coffee table dining High Low Low Occasional casual meals only Weak for posture and routine meals Banquette seating Medium to high High Medium Wall-side dining nooks, compact family use More fixed and layout-dependent Liverpool Pine Dining Table 190cm - Natural Kitchen Island or Breakfast Bar Kitchen island seating works best for quick daily meals, especially when it is already built into the home. It is one of the most practical dining table alternatives for limited space because it does not require another major furniture piece. The trade-off is comfort. It is usually less suitable for long meals, laptop work, or larger gatherings. Bistro Set A bistro set is a strong option for one or two people. It creates a more intentional meal setup than eating at a desk and fits well in corners, balconies, and window nooks. It is better for compact routines than for entertaining. If you host more than occasionally, it may feel too limited. Fold-Out or Drop-Leaf Table Among the best dining table alternatives for limited space, a fold-out or drop-leaf table offers flexibility without asking for a permanent footprint. It suits renters, compact homes, and households that only need a table some of the time. Its main weakness is effort. You need to open it, use it, and put it away consistently. Desk as Dining Surface Using a desk for meals is practical when work dominates the space. It is efficient and can reduce furniture duplication, especially in very small homes. The downside is that it merges work and eating too closely. For some people, that makes home life feel less separated and less relaxed. Coffee Table Dining A coffee table can work occasionally, but it is the weakest long-term setup. It may suit a movie night or takeaway dinner now and then, but it is rarely ideal for daily meals. Over time, comfort and routine usually become the issue. It is best treated as a fallback, not a full replacement. If You Do Want One, How to Make a Dining Table Work in a Small Space In a small apartment the issue is usually not the idea of a table itself. The real issue is scale, shape, and placement. A small home can support one well if it fits the room and daily use. Prioritise Shape First When thinking about how to choose a dining table for a small home, start with shape before style. Round tables often improve circulation because they soften corners and make movement easier. Slim rectangular tables usually work better in a narrow apartment floor plan. The goal is not maximum seat count. It is comfortable chair movement and clear walkways. Choose a Lighter Visual Profile In a compact room, bulky furniture can make the layout feel crowded even when it technically fits. Slim legs, open bases, and less solid-looking forms reduce visual weight, meaning the table feels less heavy in the room. This matters most in open-plan areas where one oversized piece can dominate the whole space. Consider Extendable or Multi-Purpose Formats If guests only come over occasionally, an extendable or flexible format is often the smarter move. It supports daily life without forcing your room to stay set up for rare occasions. This is where space-saving furniture becomes useful. The best tables for smaller homes support real routines first and special occasions second. Small-space checklist: Choose the right shape for the room. Protect walkways and chair movement. Keep the profile visually light. Size for daily life, not rare occasions. Consider extendable formats if your needs change. Liverpool Dining Table 190cm (Natural) Real-Life Decision Scenarios: Which Setup Fits Best? The right answer depends less on furniture rules and more on your household pattern, lifestyle requirements, and how your open-plan living space actually functions. Scenario 1: Solo Apartment Dweller If you live in a small apartment, rarely cook, and care more about open floor space than formal meals, a desk or island may be enough. A fold-out table is often a smarter backup than a permanent one. Scenario 2: Young Couple Furnishing a First Home If you share meals regularly and do not have an island bench, a compact round or small rectangular table can be worth it. It helps create a routine and gives the home a clearer dining zone. Scenario 3: Family or WFH Household This is where multipurpose furniture for dining and working becomes most valuable. If one surface handles meals, homework, workdays, and admin, a table often justifies its footprint very clearly. Oxford Dining Table 190cm Conclusion The clearest answer is this: you need a dining table only if it supports the way you actually live. Meals at home, working from home, hosting, and available floor space matter far more than tradition. For some homes, a dining table is useful every day. For others, it is smarter to skip it or choose a smaller, more flexible setup. If you decide a table does earn its place, compare shapes and footprints in the dining table range before you measure up. Related Reading Practical Dining Room Design Ideas for Modern Homes How to Style Combined Living and Dining Rooms: A Smart Guide 10 Creative Decor Ideas for Your Dining Room Wall Frequently Asked Questions Do I really need a dining table in my home? Not necessarily. A dining table is only essential if it supports your daily routines, such as regular family meals, working from home, or frequent hosting. If you have limited space and rarely use a dedicated table, flexible alternatives or kitchen island seating may better suit your lifestyle. What are the best alternatives to a traditional dining table? If floor space is limited, consider a kitchen island with stools, a compact bistro set, a wall-mounted drop-leaf table, or a multi-functional desk. These options provide a surface for meals and work without permanently claiming your valuable open floor space. How do I know if a dining table is worth the space? A table is worth its footprint if you use it consistently for activities beyond just dining, such as remote work, hobbies, or admin tasks. If it currently functions primarily as a "clutter zone" or remains unused, it may be time to consider space-saving furniture instead. Can I use a coffee table for dining instead? While a coffee table can serve as an occasional dining surface, it is rarely ideal for long-term use. It often forces poor posture and makes hosting difficult. If you must use one, choose a lift-top design to bring the surface closer to a comfortable dining height. How do I choose a dining table for a small apartment? Focus on shape and scale. Round tables often improve traffic flow in tight rooms, while tables with slim, open legs feel less bulky. Always measure your available floor space to ensure chairs can be pulled out fully without blocking walkways or room access. Is it acceptable to have no dining table at all? Yes, it is perfectly acceptable to forgo a dining table if it doesn't align with your functional needs. Modern, flexible homes prioritise usable space. If you eat out often or prefer dining at a kitchen counter, reclaiming that floor area for movement or relaxation is a smarter design choice.   Stay in the loop Get styling ideas and early access to new arrivals, straight to your inbox.

Natural oak six drawer chest under a round mirror with pampas grass in a bright city apartment
bedroom furniture How Deep Is a Chest of Drawers? Every One Here Is 45cm, and That Is Not a Coincidence
June 19, 2026

Chest, tallboy, bedside table: every case piece in this bedroom range is 45cm deep. The number comes from the width of a folded jumper.

Queen bed with layered neutral bedding between two timber bedside tables in a bright bedroom with a ceiling fan
Australian Homes Styling Small Bedroom Bed Ideas: Five Layouts and the Wall Each One Needs
June 17, 2026

Where the bed goes matters more than which bed you buy. Five layouts, each with the wall length it actually needs before it works.

White bedside table with an oak top holding a lamp, a clock and a small plant beside a made bed
Australian Homes Styling How to Style Bedside Tables: Simple Rules for a Functional Space
June 16, 2026

Your bedside table is the first thing you reach for in the morning and the last thing you see at night. Get it right and the whole bedroom feels considered. Get it wrong and no amount of styling elsewhere will save it. This guide walks you through the principles - clear, repeatable, and built around how you actually live.

Shop in VR Showroom

Step into the Cedora® Virtual Reality Showroom — where innovation meets elegance. Explore our curated collections in immersive 3D spaces, walk through lifelike interiors, and experience every design from every angle as if you were truly there.

Use below link to share your current cart