You probably have seen side tables in most living rooms, dens, and similar rooms in someone’s house. You may have noticed, though, that there are times when they’re aesthetically appealing and other times when they’re not. What you may be noticing is feng shui, or the way that objects are situated in a room to create a desired effect.
There are some ways that you can use side tables that work well and others that don’t work so well. We’ll briefly discuss both right now.
Don’t Have a Side Table Sitting By Itself
The reason side tables are referred to as side tables is that they are meant to sit alongside something. They are usually intended to sit beside a larger piece of furniture, such as a couch or futon.
If you erect a side table by itself with nothing around it, it looks strange. Side tables are relatively small, and setting one up with nothing immediately around it causes an effect that’s unpleasant or peculiar to the eye.
Set a Side Table to the Side
This sounds obvious, but it merits talking about just the same. When setting up a side table, you will want to set it at the side of another, larger piece of furniture. You should not put it in front of the larger piece of furniture or behind it.
Side tables, which are also sometimes referred to as occasional tables, are meant to sit alongside a larger piece of furniture so that they can get the most use. If you set one in front of a couch, it can block someone from sitting on that couch. If you put the table behind the couch, it’s difficult to access.
Keep Side Tables Out of the Way of Traffic
When you set up a room, you want there to be obvious lanes of traffic along which people can walk when they enter or exit the room. There should be nothing blocking those lanes of traffic, and that includes side tables.
Don’t Overdo It with Objects on the Table
When you set up a side table, you do not want to overwhelm the table with objects. Presumably, you want the table beside the larger piece of furniture so people can use it. They can set their drinks there, or you might place small bowls of food with snacks on the table.
You can also add small, decorative objects, but don’t put too many on there. You might set down a few small, attractive objects for decoration, but make sure you leave enough room for people to set their drinks and bowls for snacks.
Don’t Forget the Coasters
You should also put some coasters on each side table. You don’t want anyone setting their drinks directly on the table, or it can leave those unsightly rings and permanently damage the wood.
If you follow these rules, you should be able to get the best use out of your side table. You can own one and enjoy it for years.
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