The side table is one of the hardest-working pieces in a home. It holds your coffee, your book, a lamp and your phone, and it quietly shapes how comfortable a sofa or armchair feels. Get it wrong and you're stretching awkwardly for your cup. Get it right and it becomes one of the most characterful pieces in the room.

1. Get the height right

This is the rule designers follow most closely: a side table should sit level with the arm of the sofa or chair beside it, or up to about 5cm lower. Most sofa arms sit between 55 and 65cm, so that's the range to look for. Too high and it looks awkward; too low and you're reaching down every time you put a glass down.

Beside a bed, match the table to the height of the mattress top, give or take a few centimetres.

2. Match the scale to the seat

A deep, generous sofa can carry a chunky, solid table. A slim-armed occasional chair looks better with something lighter and more open. As a rule, the tabletop shouldn't be deeper than the arm of the seat it sits beside.

C-shaped tables are a clever solution in tighter spaces. The Astra Marble C-Side Table (pictured above) slides over the seat or arm, so it works as a laptop or coffee perch without taking up floor space.

3. Use material to add contrast

Side tables are small, which makes them a low-risk way to introduce a new material into a room. If your sofa is soft linen, a hard, cool surface like marble creates a lovely contrast. If the room is already quite polished, a carved timber or ceramic table brings warmth and texture.

For a statement, the Caldera Marble Side Table has rich brown veining and real sculptural weight. In lodge-style or earthy interiors, the carved Crater Stool / Side Table and the Sputnik Accent Stool double as extra seating when guests arrive.

For a lighter, more playful look, the Nami Scallop Side Table has a soft, wavy edge, and the African Drum Side Table brings handcrafted character to a reading corner.

4. Don't be afraid to mismatch

Matching side tables either side of a sofa can look formal and a little dated. Try two different tables of a similar height instead: perhaps marble on one side and timber on the other, or a round table paired with a square one. The room instantly feels more collected and personal.

5. Style it with three things

A side table looks best with a simple edit. Designers often use a three-part formula:

• Something tall: a lamp or a vase with a few stems.
• Something flat: a small stack of books or a coaster.
• Something personal: a candle, a small bowl or an object you love.

Then leave space. A side table needs room for a cup of tea, so resist the urge to fill every centimetre.

6. Think beyond the living room

Side tables work hard all over the house. Put one in the bathroom for towels and a plant, in an entrance hall to drop keys, on the stoep beside a lounger, or at the end of a bed. Small ceramic stools like the Vesta Ceramic Stool are especially versatile, working indoors and on a covered patio.

The short version

• Keep the table level with the sofa arm, or up to 5cm lower.
• Match the scale of the table to the seat beside it.
• Use a contrasting material: marble against linen, timber against polish.
• Two different tables either side of a sofa look more collected than a matching pair.
• Style with something tall, something flat and something personal, then leave space.

Explore our full range of side tables, or send us a photo of your space on WhatsApp and a designer will help you choose.