Oak Coffee Tables

What an oak coffee table is made of, and why it matters

Every table in this range uses oak, and most also list MDF among their materials. In practice that usually means a layer of oak, or an oak finish, laid over an engineered board. A wide top, often near a radiator or a sunny window, stays flatter on a board core than on solid boards, which can cup or open at the joints as the heating goes on and off. Before you buy, check the specification for which parts are oak and which are board: it decides whether the top can be refinished one day or should simply be protected.

Which oak coffee table finish suits your room

Most of our oak coffee tables have a brown finish, and many have a wood finish. Brown warms a grey or cream room and holds its own beside walnut or dark-stained pieces. A wood finish is the quieter partner for pale floors, linen and light rugs.

Oak has a golden undertone, so it sits happily with other golden woods and with brass, and less comfortably beside red-toned woods such as cherry. A few of our tables add black or brass, which can pick up dark window frames or warm metal light fittings elsewhere.

What rattan, steel or leather changes on an oak coffee table

Many of our oak coffee tables pair the oak with rattan. Where the rattan is an open weave, light passes through it and the table looks less solid than an all-oak design. The trade-off is upkeep, since a weave gathers dust and crumbs and does not like sitting against a radiator.

Some of our tables pair the oak with steel, which suits a room that already has metal in its light fittings or chair frames. A few add leather, which brings a softer feel and wants an occasional leather conditioner to stay supple.

Scandinavian oak coffee tables and the rooms they suit

Most of our oak coffee tables are Scandinavian in style, and some are more broadly modern. The Scandinavian look relies on restraint: oak as the main timber, pale walls, plain textiles and space around the table so it never crowds the sofa. Leave the top largely bare, with no more than a tray or a stack of books, because the grain is part of the look.

For a different mood, a few of ours are classic or mid-century modern in style, and we also stock a rustic design and an industrial piece.

Keeping rings, stains and sun marks off an oak coffee table

Oak is rich in tannin, which reacts with iron and steel wherever there is moisture and leaves a blue-black stain in the grain. A damp tin or a cast iron plant pot left on oiled oak can mark it within hours, so stand anything metal or wet on a coaster or tray.

Check whether the top is oiled or lacquered. An oiled top will take a ring from a wet glass left to sit, but it can be cleaned and re-oiled at home; a lacquered top sheds spills, though a scratch through the lacquer is harder to hide. Oak tends to deepen in colour in daylight, so move trays and bowls now and then to avoid a paler patch where they stood.

Placing and moving a large oak coffee table

Oak is a dense timber, and some of our oak coffee tables are large, so lift yours rather than drag it, with a second pair of hands. Dragging scores wooden floors and works joints loose, and felt pads under the feet or base stop a heavy table creeping across tile or boards. Timber carries visual weight too: a closed oak base looks bulkier than its measurements suggest, so in a smaller sitting room choose a table raised on legs or with an open shelf, which keeps more of the floor in view.