Tall Tables for Drey

Drey wrote in to tell us that she also loves the Hall Sofa from Unica Home but she's got a practical dilemma:

What sort of side tables would you put next to a lounge with such a high armrest? I ask because while my lounge isn't anything to write home about, it's got mighty high armrests like this one! Friends and family with coffee cups and biscuit plates never know where to turn to put them!!!!!

Drey didn't give us the dimensions of her own couch (which, I'm sure is very special in its own right) so I'll work with the Hall's specs. This lovely sofa has armrests which measure up to a height of 29.5 inches:

Hall Sofa

Searching around, it appears that most side/end tables have an average height of 18"-24", which could cause some "where do I put my cocoa?" consternation. Yet, you don't need to match the height of the sofa to make people comfortable. Tables that are too high would look weird and floaty. My advice is go look for something that raises up to 24"-27" and then work with accessories to help orient guests. The right lamp or vase can easily illustrate table level and don't forget that cocktail glasses or mugs add their own height.

Blah, blah, blah - here are some examples of tables I think might work:

Cooper Classics Gramercy Park Side Table, at The Table Superstore. $265 for 27"

Very classic, very grounded. It's one of the tallest ones I found but there's no way this would look teetery next to that sofa.

Jules Large Accent Table, at Crate & Barrel. $300 for 27"

This is the same height at the Gramercy table but it's on the opposite side of the spectrum, in terms of weight. It comes off as terribly delicate but the tripod anchor keeps it stable. I'm specifically drooling over the one-of-a-kind antiqued mirror surface (which has got to explain some of that price).

Dita Accent Table, at Target. $90 for 26.5"

Just a tad shorter than the previous two but a whole lot cheaper. And the shape is rather nice.

Espresso Nesting Tables, at EverydayFurnishings. No price listed for 28" (left) Westchester Nesting Tables, at The Bombay Company. $150 for 26" (right)

Nesting tables are a good idea because you can play around to see what works. There's no rule that end tables have to be symmetrical so I see no problem with splitting the set on either side of the couch. It'd be fun to hunt down the right accessories (a towering lamp on the shorter side; a tiny clock on the tall one) to balance out the picture.

Clever Wall Hanger, at Manufactum. 76 EUR for...whatev!

And if you're sick of falling short (hardy ha ha), you can always try these wall drawers which you can hang at any dang level you choose.

Good luck, Drey!