A Guide to Style your Coffee Table like a Pro

A coffee table is a staple in most living rooms. It’s the perfect spot to set drinks, keep your favourite book, and admire when you’re lounging in your loveseat. Coffee tables are also an opportunity to showcase your personality, with your favourite objects, books, florals and more. This guide will teach you how to style your coffee table like a pro with different materials, colours, shapes and sizes.

The first thing you want to do is clean your table thoroughly and remove any clutter that might be on it. The idea is to get rid of anything that does not serve a visual or practical purpose and to keep things that make you feel good. This also becomes useful when it comes to being able to use your coffee table to set your glass or occasional appetizer plates and ensure the table is as chic as it is functional.

Find harmony and balance with larger objects that will help anchor the coffee table. Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice that identifies five elements: fire, earth, metal/gold (yin), wood/green (yang) and water. Consider these attributes when you’re styling your space to ensure balance in all areas – including your coffee table! Choose larger objects rather than many trinkets, (of course you can have one small detail) but ensure the main “subjects” of your table are minimal, yet impactful. 

Your coffee table is an excellent object to use to reflect the season you’re in. Add a pop of colour by using colourful textiles, candles, flowers or greenery. The colours you choose should take into account the mood and feeling that you want to create in the room, and you can also include accessories that are relevant to the aesthetic or time of year. 

Curate the centrepiece of your living room with beautifully designed accessories and coffee table books. A very quick (always chic), and easy way to update your coffee table game is to select new books or art magazines. Create flow by stacking books in groups of three or four for a more orderly look, and choose decor that can work around this theme.

If you like having a bit more content on your table, adding a Pinterest-worthy tray to the top can be an excellent way to increase storage for magazines or books that are lying around while still looking stylish. Trays not only look beautiful and add a pleasing aesthetic to your arrangement but also make everything look put together, elevating the space. A large vase or candleholder could also be your focal point so you can keep the tray and add one of these objects to add visual interest and height. 

A contrasting palette works wonders when adding some accessories to your coffee table. If you have a dark stained coffee table, then try some white accessories like books or vases and vice versa for light coloured tables. Try contrasting colours and textures when adding items such as lamps and flowers, and look at the rest of your living room as well to ensure the items you place work in harmony with the overall aesthetic. 

A whimsy detail never goes unnoticed. Placing a personal object on your coffee table adds an element of surprise and makes for great conversation starters. A vintage camera, interesting vase, provocative table read on Photography, Art are excellent sources of whimsy that will also look aesthetically pleasing. Fun fact: Female-figure candles are very big this year… 

Adding a plant to your coffee table is an easy and inexpensive way to breathe life into the space, instantly. Not only does it add a pop of colour to the setup, but seeing and being around plants helps you feel more calm and relaxed, They also look incredibly lively and fresh on your coffee table, and are an easy complement to your interior.

You can also create interest with different textures, patterns, heights, and colours (if using more than one colour). For coffee tables, the most obvious texture is wood which will anchor your space and act to balance out all that black on top. Mixing patterns means you don’t have to put everything scaled together at one height, so if you need more variation but still want an overall design theme: think about two totally different fabrics side by side instead of trying to find three matching items at the same scale or height placement. Experiment with height by arranging multiple items of your choice at different heights, something as simple as a glass vase with flowers can be elevated just by using books underneath. 

Psst, and don’t forget about the bottom of the table! Balance your styled top surface with an interesting area rug as decoration. Et voilà, your coffee table is ready to be admired by your guests and loved by you.