While you might play it safe on the sofa – for fear you’ll end up resenting your adventurous four-figure investment this time next year – the side table is one low-stakes piece of living room furniture where your splashiest design instincts can come out to play.
They’re made to party, with room for a cocktail, some fun reading material, and little else. And, like handbags or footwear, they turn a fairly straightforward function into an excuse to get fancy. House of Leon’s Ojai Valley Side Table folds a magazine stand into its sleek, mid-century angles; Anthropologie’s Charlie Judarn Side Table dresses up storage with a canvas-printed inlay. Pierce & Ward’s Burled Finish Cart for West Elm, meanwhile, shrinks the drinks trolley to side-table proportions, ready to follow the evening wherever it goes.
Extra surfaces are hardly a new concept, though Oklahoma City-based interior designer Kelsey Leigh named them a 2027 living room furniture trend for frequent entertainers. Even the most generously sized coffee table has its limits once drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and everyone’s screens join the festivities. ‘Extra tables make an easy spot to drop their phones,’ she says. ‘They’re intentionally multi-functional and help the space feel livable and adaptable.’
Be it a perch for lamps, lattes, and coffee-table books, or a spare surface for the consummate host, these side tables bring a little excitement to the business of putting things down.
The Cut is all about Homes & Gardens helping you invest in pieces that feel current now, but won’t date as trends shift. Finds that elevate a room today and still feel right years from now. Whether it’s a sculptural accent chair or a chic pendant light, our editors will curate an edit that balances style, longevity, and quality. Consider this your shortcut to smart, beautiful shopping.
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