How To: Style Your Coffee Table

Featured By Alix Barnaud May 6, 2022 Interior

While Coffee tables are the centre of your living room, they often come as an afterthought. Once you’ve chosen your sofa and accessories, there are little creative juices left. In the age of Pinterest and Instagram feeds, it is easy to get caught up in the idea of what a coffee table should look like. Then, there is reality.

A well-styled coffee table should look good and remain so despite everything that life can throw at you. We’re talking about grubby hands to everyday objects that wriggle their way into your living room. Here are some tips to help you set the perfect coffee table.

Keep it functional

Your living room is often the hub of your home. From gathering with friends to cozy evenings binge-watching your favourite shows, a living room is made for… well, living. As pleasant as the perfect vignette may be, it will not last long if you do not take the buzzing of activities around it in mind when creating it.

Ask yourself what you really use your coffee table for. Do you often end your evenings catching on some work assignments? Do your children play around? Does your coffee table serve as a catch-all for electronics and remotes? Are you well-known among your friends for organising the best game and movie nights? Keeping your lifestyle in mind is the best way to create a display that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also sustainable.

For example, an elegant tray can be a decorative element and a convenient spot to keep track of remotes. Baskets stacked under the table bring texture while hiding leftover toys and books. Matching coasters are as beautiful as they are convenient. And a nice open space is the perfect place to lay your laptop – or your tired feet.

With this statement in mind, we build our furniture with resistant materials that are as functional as they are beautiful. For example, the engineered wood tabletop of our Ethan coffee table is scratch resistant and easy to clean so that you can use it without fear of messes.

Do not crowd your space

When it comes to decorating, large statement pieces have a stronger impact. By having a multitude of small elements, it can make your space feel crowded. Make a large piece – such as a big flower bouquet or art piece – the star of the show rather than cumulating little knickknacks. It is also an excellent excuse to change your display according to your mood or the season, keeping your living room looking fresh and exciting.

If you keep lots of things close by in your living room, many of them show up on your coffee table. For easy concealment, find a coffee table that includes both drawers and open shelves. We love how our Coco, Cuppa, and Muzi coffee tables include hidden compartments to keep your living room neat and organised.

You can also decorate only one side of the table so you can still use the rest for your everyday activities.

Divide to conquer

Large surfaces can be tricky to decorate without looking contrite. Often it is easier to divide them into smaller “zones” for better results. Keep the shape of your coffee table in mind while decorating. A rectangular setup is best divided into three areas. Meanwhile, round tables, such as our Tate or Bruny coffee table, will look their best with a triangular disposition.

It can help to tape sections off to keep track of the elements you want to decorate. You can also use decorative trays to anchor elements, which is also the perfect pretext to introduce colour and texture. Besides, it makes it easier to move out of the way when needed without disrupting your hard work.

Don’t forget that your coffee table should look good from all angles since it is most likely in the middle of your seating arrangement. Therefore, elements that only look good on one face – such as picture frames are better saved for areas that can only be seen on one side, like a shelf.

Introduce texture and colours

Thanks to their smaller size, coffee tables are the perfect place to add accent colours and texture without creating clutter.

The coffee table itself can be a focus element, such as the rattan accents of our Kona coffee table. Or, it can tie together with the rest of the room. You can also use decorative elements that can be easily changed. Think bright vases or colour coded coffee table books. They’re two easy ways to freshen up a room according to the seasons or your mood of the moment. Fresh flowers and greenery are also a perfect way to introduce an organic feel into your living room.

Make it personal

Pictures on social media often make it look like you will need a dedicated trip to the store to style the perfect coffee table. However, those curated set-ups often feel bland and cookie-cutter when taken out of context. Instead, don’t hesitate to shop around your home to create a coffee table as unique as you are, featuring meaningful objects and your taste.

It is likely that you already have everything you need around the house. From candles to travel souvenirs, a well-designed coffee table will catch your visitors’ eye. Plus, it’ll make you smile when you see these treasured memories.

Play with heights

Coffee tables, even large ones, often provide limited real estate. Therefore, the best way to style them is to use elements of different heights to create interest. Since you will most likely be sitting down when enjoying your display, work from that level for the most impressive effect.

Keep your display cohesive

Coffee table displays are the perfect place to let your creativity shine, but it is easy to try too hard and go overboard. Take a few steps back, and do not hesitate to remove pieces to make sure everything is in its proper place. Stick to a few colours matching your room’s theme rather than bring new ones in. After all, you can always change what is on display if you get tired of it without redecorating the entire room!

It is also a good idea to keep the rest of your furniture cohesive, by matching your coffee table and side table (our Tate side table and coffee table look great together). It’ll make your room look elegant and put together even if you go wild with smaller decorative elements.