Design Tips: Coffee Table Styling

Who doesn’t love a well styled coffee table? There are so many ways you can create functional versatility while adding in flavors of your own personality. Depending on the season of life your in (hello toddler moms), you’re able to make them as practical or formal as you want. We love incorporating coffee tables for many reasons. Besides their obvious practical functions like providing a place to set drinks or sore legs after a long day at work, they also provide a grounding focal point in the center of the room where guests, family, and friends gather around. When it comes to styling a coffee table, it can be a tricky task to know where to begin or what pieces to incorporate. We’ve rounded up a few tips and basic rules needed to style your perfect coffee table.

Things To Consider

Keep it simple. Its best to decorate and accessorize but don’t make it cluttered so space becomes unusable.
Objects look complete in groups. Pair accessories together in a group of two or three.
Play around with levels. Varying heights are great for creating interest and leading the eyes around the table.
Consider using different shapes. If your coffee table is a rectangle then add a round bowl or vase to provide curves for contrast.

The Process

When styling a coffee table I like to start with a base. A great “base” is what will ground some of your items together. One of the first things I reach for are a great collection of coffee table books. You can stack them for added layers or additional height for decor accessories. The next item I like to bring in is a trey or basket. These pieces are great for bringing in textures, such as a woven wood basket or a honed marble trey. They also make a great place to coral functional items like tv remotes, coasters, or candles. I then like to bring in decor pieces that add interest to the table, such as structural objects, stacked boxes, or unique items collected through the years. It can be fun to mix it up and use elements that reflect the overall design style of your space. It’s then time to add the finishing touch by incorporating a vase filled with greenery to your space. Vases will provide much needed height to a space and can be filled with flowers and greenery to bring in a refreshing, organic tone to the room.

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Designed By: Canvas House

Coffee Table Books

A curated collection of books becomes a solid base for accessories and the design on your coffee table. They also provide a way to show off your personality and interests. If you have a love of foliage and nature, try including books that focus on those interests. If you’re more interested in travel, find books that spark your travel bug while including beautiful photographs of places you’ve traveled or want to travel. Spaces are more fulfilling when we fill them with those things that align with ourselves.

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Treys & Baskets

Treys and baskets provide a beautiful way to create a functional place to store things such as remotes or other decor accessories. Much like coffee table books, treys and baskets provide a great base and grounding point for layering various accessories, decor, candles, vases, etc. Mix up your tray material to compliment the other materials you’re using.

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Candles

We love filling our spaces with our favorite scent and setting a cozy mood. Fragrances are so personal and can be a way of representing a part of who you are in your home, much like your signature perfume. Layer match cloches, boxes or wick trimmers near your preferred candled to create a collected feel.

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Decor Accessories

This is a step in the styling where you can get a little more playful and have fun with shapes, sizes, finishes, textures, etc. Decor adds the personality that can take a table-scape from simple to interesting. Fill empty areas with stacked boxes that add height, decorative knots or links that have a strong presence, or draped beads that add an organic feel.

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Vases and Greenery

A beautifully styled coffee table is never complete without greenery! You can spruce up your space with fresh cut flowers or display greenery that lasts all year long with realistic faux stems or dried florals. Beyond the fresh life they bring to the space, they also add in an organic element that every space can benefit from.