When choosing the best pine coffee table, it's important to think about the color, shape and style that would coordinate well with the rest of your living room decor. With its typically light color and informal look, this type of table can fit in well with wicker or other light-colored furnishing materials. Although pine coffee tables are commonly sold in light-colored stain, there are other options available that may suit your preference, needs and budget better.
For instance, if your living room contains darker woods, you could choose a dark pine coffee table. Also less common, dark pine can be a good choice for a more formal look without the high price tag of cherry or darker hardwoods. It's important to keep in mind though that as pine is a softer wood, it tends to dent and scratch much more than hardwoods do. If you do want a dark pine table for your living room, but have trouble finding one you like, there is the option of getting an unfinished piece to finish as you like.
A pine table that is unfinished allows you to choose the closest match possible to your other living room furnishings. If you're looking for other furniture, you could choose other unfinished pine pieces such as an armoire and end tables. The stain you choose could then not only be applied to a pine coffee table, but the other items as well to create a matched set of living room furniture.
Another benefit of choosing unfinished pine is that you don't even have to be limited to wood stain, but could paint your coffee table an accent color. For instance, an oval colonial unfinished pine coffee table painted red may make an interesting focal point for a country-themed living room with red-checked fabric on the sofa. A plainer, clean-lined modern pine table finished in black, on the other hand, would be suitable for a more contemporary living room, yet offer a softer look than metal.
If a look even more rustic than the typical light-colored pine table would best suit your living room, then a knotty look can be a great choice. Knotty pine, with its natural knots and interesting imperfections, has an extremely rustic appearance that is ideal for country or lodge decor styles. Whether you choose a light, dark, knotty or unfinished pine coffee table, its shape should fit in well with the size and layout of your living room. A long coffee table looks best with longer sofas and can make larger spaces seem cozier. Round coffee tables can add interest to short, boxy living rooms.