Coffee Tables with Storage

A coffee table with built-in storage earns its place in a busy living room – somewhere for remotes, board games, magazines and the small detritus that builds up between cushions. Our collection covers lift-top tables, drawer-fitted designs and shelf-and-drawer combinations, in oak, walnut and powder-coated steel.

A standard 100x60cm coffee table with two drawers offers around 30 litres of usable storage – about the volume of two large box files. Lift-top designs offer more (50-70 litres) by using the full body of the table, but tend to be deeper and visually heavier in the room.

Drawers are best for small loose items – remote controls, coasters, pens, charging cables. Open shelves suit books and magazines you want to see. Lift-tops handle bulkier items like board games and throws. Many buyers end up wanting one drawer for daily clutter and a shelf or two for what's displayed.

Choose a design with legs – steel or timber – rather than a solid box base, which lifts the table visually off the floor. Light timber finishes and matt paint also reduce the visual weight. A coffee table with storage doesn't have to be a chest – the well-designed ones look as light as a regular coffee table from across the room.

Aim for the tabletop to sit between 2cm below and 5cm above the seat cushion height. That makes it useable for placing a glass without leaning awkwardly forward. Most sofas have a seat height around 42-46cm, so coffee tables in the 38-46cm range will sit right.