A coffee table is often a single, static object in the center of the living room. But it doesn’t have to be.

Instead, you could use a series of smaller, overlapping tables — or choose a design that offers multiple surfaces at various levels.

“For a room that you’re going to be entertaining in, multitiered tables are great to have, so you can put down different levels of hors d’oeuvres, or slide a piece over by someone who has pulled up a stool,” said Wesley Moon, a New York interior designer who is participating in this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House, which opens to the public on May 1.

Multilevel coffee tables can animate a room, changing its look and adding function. That’s why Mr. Moon often installs them in his clients’ homes.