Finding furniture to fit small rooms can be a tough task at times. In fact, one of the most common complaints I hear from clients is that they struggle with finding furniture to fit in tight spots like in small entry ways, or next to a pass-through doorway, or in small bedrooms.

Yes indeed, small rooms can be cozy and charming, but they can also be nerve racking to layout when function is needed most.

The good news is, there's a way to get that coveted function and still have a stylish and ‘style-specific’ piece of furniture.

The answer is a demilune table.

They’re also referred to as half moon or half circle tables.

I LOVE to recommend demilune tables for small and tricky rooms.

You may have heard a person referred to as “the hardest working person” for some reason or another. Maybe they’re excellent at their job, or they seem to always get things done effortlessly.

That’s how I feel about demilune tables. They’re the hardest working furniture by far.

Here’s my top favorite reasons why you need a demilune table in your small or tricky room.

Demilunes Fit Perfectly Near Pass-Through Doorways

I have firsthand experience with this. In my home, I have a pass-through doorway going from my living room to my kitchen.

My house is small, and this doorway is adequate size: slightly wider than a bedroom or interior door, but not as grand as a cased opening or archway.

Anyway, the doorway is off-center, leaving me lots of room for my sofa and end tables, but only about 4” of wall space on the other side. Still, the space would feel empty without something there.

The trouble is a rectangular console or shelf would stick out too far into the walkway and the last thing I would want to do is side-step a bulky piece on my way to get snacks when I’m binge-watching Stranger Things or Cobra Kai.

My solution? A glass demilune console.

The rounded front curves back on the ends and is the deepest in the center.

That means I get a generous surface for my wildly over-grown philodendron and some tchotchkes, but I can easily navigate around the table near the doorway and my entryway.

So, if you have a narrow doorway or a spot like this that’s too small for a bulky table or floor shelf, think about using a demilune for some stylish functionality.

Demilunes Tuck Nicely into Tricky Corners

I had a client last year that had a tricky fireplace that stepped far into the room.

It is a stunning feature in the room, very grand and dramatic but its articulation into the room was a huge challenge because it created these deep recesses on both sides.

My client struggled mightily to find a way to balance the visual weight of this large fireplace and add some storage.

In this case, I used two cabinets that mimicked the shape of the fireplace itself.

This time it wasn’t about a tricky or small space, but rather it was about finding two matching pieces that would highlight and reinforce the shape of the fireplace.

Up until this solution, the fireplace was very imposing, and it felt almost too large for the room.

By adding the cabinets on either side, it gave the fireplace context as a focal wall.

However, the addition of the cabinets elongated the composition of the fireplace wall.

To create more visual balance, I added two demilune tables behind the sofas that flanked the fireplace. This created balance between the seating group and the fireplace wall.

demilune sofa table — Michael Helwig Interiors

I chose the demilunes because I wanted pieces that were easy to navigate around because the seating was close to several pathways through the room.

Because of the floating seating configuration there wasn’t room for end tables, so the demilunes added a functional surface behind the sofas as well.

2 demilune sofa tables — Michael Helwig Interiors

Demilunes Come in Many Styles

Getting back to another reason why demilunes are the hardest working furniture around: you can easily find one to match your style and décor.

If you’re traditional, there’s tons of options in various wood tones or painted finishes.

Contemporary? How about a glass or metal demilune?

Farmhouse or Industrial? There’s demilunes that mix metals and woods to give you a rustic and/or industrial aesthetic.

Transitional? You will find lots of options that have beautiful wood tones with simple, unfussy lines.

Eclectic? A demilune table is the perfect unique piece to add a bit of whimsey and personality to a mis-matched room. Love it!

Demilunes Are Perfect for Pathways

As a designer of small and tricky spaces, I am always trying to figure out the best ways to add stye and function for my clients.

One of the ‘trickiest’ spots to place furniture and storage is in pathways.

These are the places in a room where you must have unobstructed access into a hallway, or through a narrow room, or in between the outside entry and through to adjoining rooms.

These are the places where you might think there’s no room for anything because it would be in the way.

Again, the last thing you want to do is to add the hassle of scooting around something that will make the journey through main pathways hazardous or inconvenient.

These spots are the exact right place for a demilune.

Why is that?

It’s because demilune style tables, consoles, or cabinets are usually not very deep.

They give you that generous surface, but because they round back on the ends, they fit these tricky spots well.

They’re almost the perfect optical illusion. You can see there’s a piece of furniture there, but the curve tricks you into navigating past it without feeling crowded by it.

Demilunes are Multi-Functional

In addition to being one of the most ideal pieces for tricky spaces, demilunes work very well in several different applications.

Let’s say you have a living room that has a floating furniture configuration like my client from last year. Maybe you’d like a simple occasional office set up, but the only viable spot for a “desk” is behind the sofa.

A demilune console is a great option that would double as a sofa table and an occasional desk. Pop a backless stool under this console and you have a multi-functional console/desk when needed.

How about if you have a master bedroom where the bed is in between two doors. One door is the entry and the other is the closet door or master bath.

The bed is positioned in between these two doors that need to be accessed daily or more.

Two small demilune tables would be perfect on either side of the bed because they will be easy to navigate half awake, in the dark – no sharp corners to squeeze by.

Perhaps you have a small guest room where there isn’t enough room for a big, long dresser that takes up a lot of depth in the room.

This is another perfect spot for a demilune cabinet that might be long and shallow giving you and a guest adequate drawer space without taking up a ton of space.

Narrow dining room? Or maybe a pass-through dining room with multiple doorways?

A demilune that fits snugly against the wall with a curved front for easy navigation is the ideal solution!

See what I’m talking about?

Small, tricky rooms, narrow pathways, multiple uses… Every one of these challenges can be overcome by using a demilune table!

If you know the size of your room, you’re sure to find one of these gems that will fit your style perfectly and give you oodles of functional storage and display space that every room needs.

Up Next:

Gateleg tables are one of the most versatile pieces of furniture to have in a small, awkward, or tricky room. It’s important to think in terms of multi-function for rooms with challenging layouts. I’ll show you nine ways you may not have thought of to use a gateleg table.

Yes Please!

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I write about small space design and decorating, sustainable furniture options, positive self care and a variety of do-it-yourself home décor.

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“Michael Helwig was top-notch, very professional and responsive to my needs. He allowed me time to explore ideas and try out a variety of combinations until we found the perfect fit. Michael provided detailed information and offered beautiful ideas to make my dream living room become a reality. The furniture he sourced has totally transformed my living room space. Everyone that has seen my new living room has one word, WOW! A special thank you to Michael for a wonderful experience.”

— Karen B.

“Michael was very knowledgeable and guided us, with great patience and good humor, through the process of designing our dining room and helping us find the perfect sleeper sofa. He offered really helpful advice when we asked questions - which was often - but at no time did we ever feel pushed. He helped me when I felt like I couldn’t make one more decision. When my new furniture finally arrived I realized everything down to the pillows was perfect. I couldn’t be happier!.”

— Sarah H.

Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.