Different Ways to Style your Coffee Table

A collage of pictures of a white living room with a coffee table.

A fireplace and coffee table in a living room.

You can always display your favourite collection on the coffee table. You can use the antiques as well as other souvenirs that you have collected from your trips abroad and use them to decorate your coffee table. Sometimes minimalism can work such as by using a vase of flowers and complementing it with some kind of accessory. Displaying copies of People and Cosmopolitan can make your decoration look neglectful.

A living room with a coffee table.A living room with a coffee table and a fireplace.

By putting a throw on your coffee table which is surrounded by armchairs in vintage floral designs can give a space a cultural context. Designers like Suzanna Kasler say that they have been inspired by weaving of African and British traditions and aesthetics. This then create a place which is luxurious and comfortable.A coffee table adorned with a tray of flowers in a living room.

A glass coffee table.

Add natural elements

When you come across large coffee tables you can always layer them with a tray. These coffee tables then don’t feel massive as the tray breaks up the surface. Natural elements like antique wooden bowls and horn magnifying glasses add a history to a room and these rooms because of such elements become functional. The décor adds a different dimension of the furniture and creates soothing neutrals in the space. The art and the objects change the whole structure of the room and one can always remix the objects from one room to another.

Related: Coffee table alternatives you should check

A living room with a coffee table.

Compositions of varying heights create an aesthetic appeal in the room. Objects can be arranged in an artful manner. This decoration is best when a wooden table has a glass top.
A living room with a pink coffee table.

Nesting tables

Nesting tables can be used together or alone, nestled as one piece or spread out to make a unique tri-level coffee table.

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The Serenity of the Coastal Bedroom
A living room with a blue couch and a cowhide rug, featuring a coffee table.
Example of nesting tables

A living room with a blue and white decor featuring a coffee table.

Items should have the right size

When it comes to coffee table styling it’s important to use items that are the right size. Items should have enough visual weight that they don’t get lost, but they should never be so big that they overwhelm the space or disrupt the functionality of the table. There should still be room to put down a drink, book, remote control, or whatever else makes sense in your home.

A coffee table with books and flowers on it.

Displaying too many objects

One mistake that people often make with their coffee table is displaying too many objects of similar sizes. Breaking up the surface with a comparatively large object can do wonders for the overall feel of your room—try displaying an oversize vase with tall branches or a large bowl to give your space a more dynamic look.

A coffee table in a living room.

Above are a few ideas on how to decorate your coffee table. Just the decoration of the coffee table can change the whole demeanor of your room.

You don’t want it to be too perfect or cluttered to the point that there’s no space left to make it practical, but you don’t want it to be a messy holding area for keys, mail, and last night’s take-out boxes either.

With just these few tips, it becomes easy to compose an arrangement that is both functional and visually appealing. Here is what to do – and what not to do – when considering your coffee table decor and styling.

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