Are coffee tables a waste of space?

[PetiteMum]

I was contemplating getting one, but only because I feel its the done thing. When I really thought about it, we would use a footstool and a couple of side tables more...

Do you have a coffee table? Do you love it? or does it get in the way? Just curious!

Getting in the way. Side tables are a much better idea.

I have one, cost me £110 and it now lives in the shed. Its lovely but I was fed up of falling over it, looking at it full of shit, and the kids using it as a piece of playground equipment.
I now just hold it, or put it on the side/sidetable

we use ours as a footstall and a table i love them

DD uses ours as a stage. . It hasn't been used for anything else, so to be honest it probably has untill we re decorate this room in a couple of months untill it makes its way to the car boot fair.

Shame as I only bought it at the back end of last year and it wasn't cheap.

i have the one that was in my house growing up. it often features in my dreams, it's like a tangible version of my childhood. so yes, i do, and i love it. i would also love an ercol one. but not a modern one.

Couldn't do without mine! My glass of wine is sitting on it as I type.

I have square one with a glass top from Ikea, which is on large castors, so I can whizz it out of the way if necessary.

Our coffee table is an old trunk, so it's useful as storage as well - is stuffed with DVDs and CDs at the moment.

Am I the only one who far too often occasionally eats dinner in front of the TV?

I need the coffee table as somewhere to put my plate/cup of tea/glass of wine/laptop. I can't imagine not having one tbh.

I suppose I could put all those things on a side table but it would be much less convenient.

Sinkingfeeling- this is why I am contemplating getting a storage footstool instead.... Hmmmm

I don't like them because unless the room is massive, they can make it looked cluttered. And they always end up full of stuff. I bought a sofa with flat arms so my cup of tea can perch on there instead.

I love them - and I have just bought an ercol one on ebay.

I have one. It's glass-topped (and therefore constantly grubby) with a shelf-underneath. Plus it's just IN THE WAY and attracts random crap like bus timetables, nail scissors, dead batteries, etc. I flippin' hate it but I'm in a furnished flat. Can't WAIT to move out.

I love my 15 euro foldable one from IKEA. Actually folds in half. Great design and thus does not become dumping ground or get in way. Tends to migrate between rooms as need/ mood dictates.

I did with a tiny stool for years but now have a coffee table(eBay) and yes it is covered in crap. Books, magazines, pens cups etc. The under shelf has the children's paper and felt pens on it and that is a mess. But on the positive side I can now have all of the Indian takeaway spread out and pick at it whilst watching tv.

I love ours :) It's big enough to do a 1000-piece jigsaw on, and as it's not the dining table we can leave it there for a few weeks. Coffee, wine etc., tick. Putting your feet up, tick . Magazine/book that you're in the middle of, tick. Random stuff does get dumped too but now and again I just have a blitz.

We have a couple of wooden boxes stored underneath that have toys etc. in, so that's extra storage space too.

I had a jigsaw on a board under the sofa but discovered on getting it out one day that I must have hoovered half of it away

yep my son uses it as a great playboard as well, hate it!

We have a footstool that I paid £20 for on eBay a few years ago. I Love it, gets used for all sorts including blocking the door so the pooch can't get on the sofa to snore all night and as a stepping stone to hop from sofa to sofa