Will this Sintered Stone Tea-Integrated Coffee Table fit my Singapore home?
It is tempting to buy a luxury item with a marble look and a built-in tea station for S$3,090.00, but many shoppers face a hard reality: they bought a table that looks nice online, only to find it does not fit in their room. This question-and-answer guide gives you the exact numbers you need before you commit.
Because it is not listed on the standard catalogue line, we need to look at typical sizes for this specific two-layer design. Most two-layer double-top tables of this type are 120cm wide by 60cm deep by 45cm high. The top layer holds your teapot and cups, and the bottom layer is 120cm wide, 60cm deep, and 30cm high.
You must measure your space to 10cm clearance on all sides. That means you need a space of at least 140cm by 80cm just for the table footprint. If your space is smaller, the table will look cramped and you will not be able to sit comfortably around it.
A typical 2-room HDB living room is 3.6m by 4.0m. In that small space, a 120cm wide table is going to take up almost the entire floor. You will not be able to walk around it easily without bumping into the sofa. It is too big for a 2-room unit.
Most 3-room HDB living rooms are about 4.0m by 4.0m. A 120cm wide table will fit, but you will have very little room left for movement. If you have a TV stand that is 1.8m wide, it will make the space feel tight. It works, but it is a close call. It is not recommended if you want to walk around it easily.
Yes. A 4-room HDB living room is typically 4.5m by 4.0m. A 120cm wide table will fit with plenty of room. You will have 130cm of walking space on one side and 280cm on the other. This is the sweet spot. It looks luxurious and still gives you enough room for a sofa and footrest.
5-room HDB units have larger living areas, usually 5.0m by 4.0m. This table will be a bit small for the space. You might feel that it is not as large as the room, and that it looks a bit lonely. If you want to make a big statement in a 5-room unit, you might want to look for a 140cm wide table.
Condo units vary widely. A one-bedroom condo in Toa Payoh with a 10 sqm living area will be too small for this 120cm table. A two-bedroom condo in Punggol with a 25 sqm living area will fit it well. You need to measure your specific living area.
The total height is 45cm, so it will not be a problem for any ceiling. The built-in tea station has drainage, so you do not need to worry about water pooling on the table.
The table is heavy. The sintered stone top and wood base will weigh about 30kg to 40kg. It is not light enough for one person to move around easily. You will need two people to move it, especially if you are rearranging your furniture. The "easy move" claim in the catalogue is not true for a 35kg sintered stone table.
Sintered stone is not porous like natural marble. It does not absorb water. This is a good thing in Singapore, where the humidity is 80% or more for most of the year. You can leave tea on the table and not worry about the stone being damaged. The wood base, however, needs to be protected. Make sure you wipe up any spilled tea quickly, and do not leave a wooden tray on the base for long periods.
If the wood base is not sealed properly, it could warp in a very humid environment. Make sure you ask the seller for a guarantee that the wood is sealed and treated for Singapore climate. You should also keep the table at least 15cm away from the window during the rainy season to avoid direct water splashes.
Yes. It gives you 120cm by 60cm of storage space underneath your tea station. This is useful for storing your tea accessories and any books or magazines you want to keep on display. It saves you from needing a separate bookshelf.
Sintered stone is very scratch resistant. It is harder than natural marble. You will not need to worry about your tea cups scratching the surface. It is a very good material for high-traffic areas.
If you have an open-plan kitchen and living room, you need to make sure the table does not block the path from your kitchen to your living room. It will create a natural boundary, but you need to make sure you have at least 100cm of clear walking space on one side of the table.
A 35kg table will not be a problem for any HDB or condo floor. The weight is distributed over a large area, so the pressure per square centimeter is very low. You will not have to worry about the floor breaking or the table sinking.
Buy it if you have a 4-room or larger HDB flat, or a two-bedroom condo with at least 20 sqm of living space. Do not buy it if you have a 2-room or 3-room HDB flat, because you will be very tight on space. Always measure your space first.
MIDHILL, a leading Singapore retailer of high-end furniture, also stocks this model. You can visit their store to see the actual size and weight. Do not rely on the catalogue photos. Always measure, measure, measure.