The coffee table from the Meghan and Harry interview has divided the internet – which team are you on?
The coffee table from Meghan and Harry interview has sparked debate online with some saying it's way too low - which team are you on?
We watched Oprah Winfrey's interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in our millions. At Ideal Home, we had our eye on the decor choices in the stunning garden. The outdoor living room where the chat took place included a herringbone outdoor rug, woven armchairs, and that grey coffee table.
Related: Garden seating ideas for your outdoor living room
However, over on Twitter, people are saying that it was just all wrong. An interior designer, an architect and Ideal Home's digital editor settle the debate.
Megan and Harry interview coffee table debate
The debate all kicked off when a Twitter user posted: 'Stressed about the height of this coffee table. Too low to eat off. Just tall enough to accidentally kick your drink over whilst crossing your legs.'
Soon many Twitter users were chiming in 'Annoyingly low to have to reach down and pick your drink up too - so you'd just end up holding it the whole time. Utterly pointless bit of furniture,' a second said.
stressed about the height of this coffee table. too low to eat off. just tall enough to accidentally kick your drink over whilst crossing your legs. useless for playing hide and seek. just a terrible table. pic.twitter.com/W93Fg0IZl2March 8, 2021
'Plus it is the right height for a chocolate labrador to devour everything on it!' wrote another.
Wayne Greenway, Architectural Designer and founder of Greenway Associates, agrees. 'Yes, in my expert opinion the table used in the interview generally is too low,' he says. 'However, this type of table is not designed for drinks as it is a decorative piece of furniture. If any drinks or nibbles were to be placed on the coffee table to Meghan’s left then this would be at the correct height.'
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However, Lucy Henderson, head of interior design at My Bespoke Room, argues that the lower height of the large, solid table was key in making an inviting space. 'Adding a coffee table rather than a dining height table helps create an informal, relaxing outdoor living room,' she says. The choice of a round, low coffee table softens the overall look, combined with the organic feel of the rounded armchairs, which are also low in height.
Tamara Kelly, Digital Editor at Ideal Home, is also all in favour of the low coffee table. 'A coffee table is designed to be low so it doesn't overwhelm the space or distract from the larger, more prominent furniture pieces – such as sofas, sideboards, and bookcases,' she says. 'With the coffee table most commonly taking centre stage, the low-level design helps to balance the scale of the room.
'Let's not forget, it's not a dining table,' Tamara adds. 'A coffee table is primarily there to offer a handy place to set down your cuppa, display fresh flowers, house your scented candle collection, fan out magazines, display illustrated coffee table books and other small decorative objects.'
Related: 14 simple ways to improve gardens without spending a penny
Although it might seem too low at first as it's different from more traditional designs, we think it really works. If you have a busy home with toddlers and an energetic dog, it might not be ideal. But, if you're using a coffee table for its true purpose, going low will stop it from taking over the space.
Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.
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