Is your coffee table looking a bit drab and unexciting? As the centre of your living room, it ought to be beautiful, inviting and stylish on top of being practical. Start with a clean, clear table, then follow the below steps for a perfectly styled coffee table in no time!
1. Judge a Book by its Cover
They’re called coffee table books for a reason – a couple of attractive hardcover books make a wonderful addition to any coffee table. Beautifully bound recipe books are a great option, and placing them here ensures that they are kept close at hand and near the kitchen too! Two books are ideal (three is the max), one stacked on top of the other, with the largest book on the bottom.
The Broadsheet Melbourne Cookbook by Pan Macmillan
2. Go Green
Add colour and life to your coffee table with a bit of greenery, whether it be a small potted plant, a vase of gorgeous flowers or some adorable succulents. Don’t want to deal with the maintenance of caring for the real thing? Artificial plants and faux flowers have come a long way and are a convincing and realistic alternative.
Concrete Succulent Pot - Medium by Whitewick Home
Small Butterfly Orchid in Square Pot by Rogue
3. Show Off
To introduce a bit of personality, style and character to your table, choose 2 – 3 decorative accents to put on show, such as a scented candle, sculptural item or other piece of décor. Create visual interest and variety in heights by placing at least one of these items on your stacked books, and the other/s on the table.
Concrete Apple Sculpture by Amalfi
Frangipani Soy Candle by Whitewick Home
4. A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place
Use a tray, decorative box, serving dish or other similar item to store practical objects that you want to keep within reach, such as coasters, remote controls etc… It doesn’t even need to be a container, just an item that creates a defined space for these objects, keeping the rest of your table top clutter free.
Mortar Trays, Set of 3 by Amalfi
5. Step Back
Step away from your table and check that it looks balanced and well-spaced. Make sure the items you’ve chosen complement each other in some way, but have their own unique qualities so that they aren’t too matchy-matchy eg. pick items that are in a complementary colour palette, but are made from different materials and have various textures. Consider whether the books and other items you’ve used on your coffee table tie in well with the rest of the room so that you create a cohesive and unified look.
Natsumi Coffee Table by The Design Edit
Ready to start styling? Browse our carefully curated Coffee Table Decor collection, which includes our favourite pieces for transforming your coffee table.