Here at Cannon Hill, we pay a lot of attention to things like the clearances between our table and other pieces of furniture or walls. We have our rules of thumb for how big a table ought to be depending on how a space is used, and floor plans often play an important part in the design process. A poorly-sized table will always be a source of frustration, so we implore our clients to take that part of the process seriously, and we always lend our expertise. In fact, one exercise we encourage people to try is to mock up the table with cardboard and set that cardboard up in the room, at table height, so they can get a real feel for how the piece will interact with the rest of the room and its traffic patterns. You might be surprised just how much insight that little investment of time can offer.

In a case like this one, where a coffee table serves both sections of an L-couch, we’ll size the table so that it’s within reach of each section without crowding the couch too closely, and that it’s just the right height for that particular couch. We always want our pieces to be beautiful and functional, in equal measure. After all, if you’re going to the trouble of getting a custom wood table, it’s only right to take the time to do things properly.