A coffee table is a low table designed to be placed in the center of a sitting area for convenient support of beverages (ahem: coffee!) and other decorative items (coffee table books, vases, whatever your heart desires). A coffee table usually anchors a room since it's typically centered with a sofa, and accessories are styled on top (the dessert to the table!). Fun fact: The terminology between coffee and cocktail is interchangeable. You can refer to it however you want. Some more formal vendors will also call this an “occasional table.”