How to Style a Coffee Table

A coffee table is the centerpiece of every living room. Hence, getting the styling right is crucial. If you're wondering how to decorate that coffee table in your living space, here's how to do it.

Why is Styling a Coffee Table So Important?

Your coffee table is the focal point of the room. It captures the attention of whoever walks in. When coffee tables are nicely styled, they give off a sense of hominess and contribute to the room's overall aesthetics.

And while an empty coffee table might look bare, a cluttered one doesn't look good either. Therefore, you shouldn't use the table as a dumping ground for things that don't have a designated storage place.

You should find a balance between beauty and function. Are you wondering how you can achieve this? Read on to find out.

Tips for Styling Your Coffee Table

Don't Put Too Much Stuff On the Coffee Table

Don't have too many small items stacked up on the coffee table’s surface. Show off your coffee table’s surface by leaving ample space on the tabletop. A good rule of thumb is to have 40 percent of the coffee table occupied while leaving the rest of the space open for things that come and go, such as laptops, remote controls, and hot coffee.

Use a Round Coffee Table to Encourage Socialization

A circular coffee table is another smart styling technique since it influences the seating plan of your living room. You'll have to center your seats around the coffee table with people facing each other, encouraging socialization in your living room.

Use a Tray

To create more usable space on the table, you can limit your coffee table decor to a decorative tray. The tray will serve two functions. First, it carries carefully curated knick-knacks and helps focus the styling centrally or on one side of the coffee table.

Another advantage of the tray is its easy portability—you can easily move it away and use the table top to rest your feet or spread paperwork.

Use Objects with Different Heights

The accessories you put on your coffee table should have varying heights to draw the eye in and develop interest. You should consider combining tall items like a vase or candlelight holders with short items like bowls or lidded boxes. By contrasting the height of your accessories, you can create visual interest.

Get Scale and Proportions Right

Adjust the scale and balance of the decorative pieces based on the size of your coffee table and the rest of your living room décor. For example, accessories shouldn't be more than a third of the height of your coffee table, allowing you to achieve the right proportions.

And if you're decorating a large coffee table or if you have a spacious living room, you can use large bowls, vases, candlesticks, and branches. You should also balance shiny and matte, tall and short, and warm and cool tones to find a balanced mix.

Use Textures and Shapes

You can seamlessly add your coffee table to your living room's cohesive scheme. You want your coffee table to stick to the room scheme or repetitive tones and not appear overly conspicuous within the space. This will make it easier to decorate it.

To guarantee some variation, play around with the shapes of objects on display. These include sculptural objects, lidded boxes, accent pieces, glass vases, bowls, and bottles. By contrasting the shapes of your accessories, you get to avoid a lot of repetition in the viewer's eye.

Use the Table to Bring in An Accent Color

Do you want to bring drama to your living room? Consider using an accent color. This is essentially a unique color scheme used in small amounts to draw interest and add impact.

Based on your expected outcome, accent colors may contrast or complement the main shade of the room while adding emphasis to the overall scheme. Your coffee table can serve to bring an accent color to your living space. For example, a black center table can work as an accent color against a neutral background shade.

Bring in Something Bold

Include a bold statement piece that will serve as a centerpiece on your coffee table. It should be the tallest or largest object. You could use a large bowl, a tall vase, or a stack of books. If you prefer a vase, you could fill it with fresh or faux greenery.

Products to Style Your Coffee Table

•  Flowers:Your coffee table needs something organic to give it life. And flowers fit the bill. A bunch of calla lilies or hydrangeas can help warm up a center table.
• Vases and jars:They act as sculptural pieces on your tabletop. They may also be filled with water or greenery snipped from trees.
• Trays:Trays serve as a catch for small items like keys, remote controls, coasters, and more.
• Coffee table books:There's a good reason why they are named coffee-table books. They are usually left on display on the coffee table to promote casual reading. They can also make excellent conversation starters.
• Bowls:An attractive bowl filled with fresh fruit (like oranges, lemons, and apples) is an amazing way to incorporate the splendor of natural elements into your family room coffee table.
• Objects of different shapes:When adding decorative pieces to your coffee table, you should consider different shape variations. The accessories can be oval, rectangular, tall, or short. The contrasting shapes draw the eye in and attract the viewer's interest.
• Candle:Whether you prefer a scented or unscented candle, your coffee table is a wonderful place to incorporate the glow and vibes of shimmering candlelight.

The Bottom Line

A coffee table carries massive decorative potential that you can take advantage of to make your living room shine. Decorating your coffee table allows you to create a unique look. You can also routinely change the decorative pieces depending on what you feel like displaying.