Living room · table placement
Coffee table size and sofa clearance calculator.
Enter your sofa length and the space between the sofa front and the furniture across from it. The calculator gives a coffee table length of about two-thirds of the sofa and the depth range that leaves 14 to 18 in on both sides. Inches or centimetres. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Sofa and space
Coffee table size
Worked example
An 84 in sofa with 66 in between the sofa front and the TV stand across from it. Length = 84 x 2 / 3 = 56 in. Depth: with 14 in of clearance on both sides the table can be 66 - 2 x 14 = 38 in deep, and with 18 in on both sides 66 - 2 x 18 = 30 in deep.
Method
Plain arithmetic. Length = sofa length x 2 / 3. Depth range = the space in front of the sofa minus twice the clearance, using 14 in for the deepest table and 18 in for the roomier option. The clearance is assumed to apply on the sofa side and the opposite side of the table; if one side is open you can use a deeper table.
Rules of thumb. The two-thirds length rule is stated by Castlery, Ash Deco and Chicory Home. Castlery and Ash Deco give 14 to 18 in between the table edge and the sofa; Ash Deco applies the same range to other surrounding furniture, which is why it is used on both sides. They are style guidelines, not standards.
Rule of thumb, not a standard. These are design rules of thumb from published decorating guides, not building codes or standards. Treat the result as a starting point and tape it out in the room before you buy or drill. Results are shown in both imperial and metric. Conversions use 1 in = 2.54 cm and 1 ft = 0.3048 m.
Sources, each opened 2026-10-08:
- Standard Dimensions for Coffee Tables (Castlery US): about two-thirds of the sofa length, 14-18 in between sofa and table.
- Standard Coffee Table Dimensions - Size Guide for Every Room (Ash Deco): two-thirds rule and 14-18 in clearance to the sofa or other furniture.
- The Ultimate Coffee Table Size Guide: Finding the Perfect Fit (Chicory Home): the two-thirds rule.
- NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically (NIST): lists 1 inch = 2.54 cm, 1 foot = 0.3048 m and 1 footcandle = 10.76391 lux.
Frequently asked questions
How big should a coffee table be for my sofa?
Castlery, Ash Deco and Chicory Home all say about two-thirds of the sofa length. For example, an 84 in sofa pairs with a table of about 56 in.
How far should a coffee table be from the sofa?
Castlery says leave about 14 to 18 in between the sofa and the coffee table, and Ash Deco says 14 to 18 in between the table edge and the sofa or any surrounding furniture.
How deep can my coffee table be?
Subtract twice the clearance from the space in front of the sofa. The calculator shows both the 14 in and 18 in versions, so a 66 in space allows a table up to 38 in deep with 14 in on each side.
Does the two-thirds rule work for sectionals?
Chicory Home applies it to the sofa or sectional the table goes with. Enter the length of the run the table sits in front of, and treat the result as a starting point.
What if the space in front of my sofa is small?
If the space is under twice the minimum clearance, the calculator says no table leaves the usual gap. A smaller ottoman or a different layout is the answer.