Augustine - Reclaimed Pine Coffee Table

A table for a three seater. In front of a two seater it will look oversized.

The rule of thumb. A coffee table should be roughly two thirds the length of your sofa, so this suits a sofa of around 220cm to 260cm.

Leave 40cm to 45cm between the sofa edge and the table. Closer and it is hard to get past, further and you cannot reach your cup without standing.

On a rug, the whole table should sit on it rather than half on and half off. At this size that usually means a rug of at least 200 x 300cm.

The balustrade legs, on a piece of furniture that has no back to hide.

Turned by hand rather than pressed or moulded, they have a depth of profile that a straight or tapered leg never achieves. On a coffee table this matters more than on almost any other piece, because it sits in the middle of a room and is seen from all four sides.

Reclaimed pine is a softwood with an open, expressive grain, which is why it takes patination so well. Decades of previous use leave a depth of colour and knot structure that no kiln process replicates. It marks more readily than oak, and on a weathered finish that is a feature rather than a problem.

The finish preserves the timber's history rather than imitating it. Knots and grain variation are left where they fell rather than filled or sanded away, so every table differs and yours will not match the photograph exactly.

The console table and sideboard follow in the same pine with matching balustrade detailing, if you want the collection.

• Hand-turned balustrade legs, sculptural from every angle rather than plain posts
• Long enough to anchor a three seater and two chairs
• Level with most sofa seats, which is where a coffee table should sit
• Reclaimed pine with grain and knots no new timber can replicate
• Marks blend in rather than standing out, which matters most on a coffee table
• A genuinely usable depth rather than a narrow ledge
• Part of a collection, so console and sideboard can follow in the same finish
• No two are alike, since reclaimed timber never repeats

Work in three loose clusters with clear space between them. A stack of books with a small object on top, a tray with a candle, and something living at the far end. Leave the middle clear so the table still functions.

The single most useful thing on a coffee table. A tray corrals remotes and coasters, and makes a styled surface look intentional rather than arranged.

Something tall, something low, something flat. Books laid flat give you a plinth to raise a small object onto, which is the trick that makes a surface look considered.

Warm pine wants warm neutrals. Off white, oatmeal, clay and mushroom. Dark glazed stoneware from pots and vases anchors all that amber timber. Cool grey drains the warmth and pushes the pine towards orange.

Use coasters. The one piece of care advice that genuinely matters. Reclaimed pine is absorbent, and a wet glass left standing will discolour the surface in a way that does not blend into the character.

Dust along the grain with a soft dry cloth, and wipe spills promptly rather than letting them sit.

Refresh with a clear furniture wax once or twice a year to nourish the timber and deepen the tone. Avoid silicone polishes and all-purpose sprays, which build up and dull the surface.

Keep it clear of a radiator and out of prolonged direct sun, which lightens the surface unevenly if only one end sits in it.

What to expect. Scratches and knocks accumulate and settle into the existing character. If you want a table that stays exactly as it arrived, reclaimed timber is the wrong choice. If you want one that looks better in five years, it is the right one.

Your table is checked before it leaves us and packed with the care solid timber needs. Allow 10 to 14 days, travelling with our specialist furniture courier, who will call ahead to arrange a time. Full details on our delivery page.

Want photographs of current stock, or help sizing the table against your sofa? Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right once it is in the room, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

0% interest-free finance is available at checkout, and our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere. Furnishing a holiday let? Ask about trade accounts.