10 Tips on How to Decorate a Coffee Table
Coffee tables are an essential part of any entertainment area or living space. While they are practical furniture pieces, offering an effective surface to place our drinks, they also serve as a perfect feature piece for any stylish room. Much like shelf styling and room styling have gleaned popularity, coffee table styling is a fantastic way to make the most of any communal space. Whether you opt for a simple coffee table design, a color palette to match the existing decor, or feature pieces like a vase of flowers or stacks of books, the coffee table can undoubtedly make a statement. When it comes to interior design, coffee tables have much to offer a room. In fact, a styled coffee table can take a room from shabby to chic in an instant.
Here we explore several tips to make your coffee table a real designer piece. If you have ever wanted to decorate your coffee table, these hacks are for you!
Keep Things in Balance
Balance creates an air of harmony in any room, and this is a key element to keep in mind when it comes to decorating your coffee table. Too many small knick-knacks can quickly give the coffee table a cluttered look, yet too many large items without enough variety can look cumbersome. You need to find a balance between the various objects to create harmony between different shapes, heights, and sizes.
An effective way to keep things balanced is to play with symmetry. Opt for a taller item such as a sculpture or vase in the middle and keep things on either side balanced. This might be a stack of books, bowls with petals in them, trinket boxes, or candles. Choose items that inspire you but always remember that balance is vital.
Create a Theme
A theme or a vignette is a way for your coffee table decor to tell a story, and this can tie things together and create a cohesive look. It can also spark conversation as guests sit around the table. A theme allows various items to connect, which can be done through color, pattern, shape, or motif. Perhaps your theme focuses on softer, curved, round shapes, and this is replicated through bowls, vases, candles, and the table itself. However, your display might also reflect your love for travel with various curios, travel books, and photo albums. Perhaps it is vintage in nature, with bespoke antique pieces, old books, and a mix of ancient and new. The options really are endless, and a coffee table design allows you to choose elements that inspire you. You might also select a specific color palette with pops of a vibrant accent color to add an air of luxury and drama. These accent colors might be repeated in other parts of the room to tie your design together and create cohesion.
Simplicity at Its Finest
Famed artist Leanardo da Vinci once said, “simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication,” and when it comes to the coffee table design, we couldn’t agree more. Simple designs don’t complicate things, utilizing stunning feature pieces, natural shades, and minimal decor to create a bold and effortless look.
However, simple doesn’t have to mean boring. Integrate simple white elements with fresh flowers, glass pieces, a luxurious rug, or a statement artwork. Simplicity allows the eye to rest but still boasts ultimate style. Add pops of color to your sofa with scatter cushions and blankets, or opt for fresh greenery juxtaposed with the neutral shades.
Combine Texture and Shape
A decorative coffee table is a great canvas, especially if you want to experiment with texture and shape. You can mix and match square shapes and round shapes to create a dynamic focal point filled with movement and excitement. Play with texture in the form of plants, fabrics, an artistic object made of wood or glass, and various flowers and plants. You can also opt for an interestingly shaped coffee table such as a round coffee table or an assymetircal design. This can modernise your living room and add interesting dimensions to the space.
Decorate a Tray
Trays are a fantastic way to break up the surface of larger coffee tables and can really add an element of intrigue to any room. Opt for rich golds, earthy woods, bold ceramics, and everything in-between. These add shape and excitement to the table and work as a fantastic surface on which to curate your design. Add plants, coasters, books, and sculptures to the tray. If you have an antique coffee table, this is a great way to protect it while adding some designer flare. If you love antique design, pop to your local vintage shop and explore what trays and trinkets they have on offer.
Consider Seasonal Switches
Happily, your curated coffee table can change with the season. This keeps things exciting all year long. Opt for shades of green and fresh blooms in those spring months, warmer pops during summer, and cooler hues in winter. You can have a lot of fun with color, and you can mix things up inexpensively with colorful candles, vibrant runners, or seasonal flowers. Find your inspiration from nature and allow your room to transform depending on the season. For spring think of lilacs and duck egg blue, for winter berry reds or emereld green, for summer peachy hues and coral touches, and autumn rusts, gold, or dark olives. Each season can spark fantastic inspiration and can dramatic change a room.
Create Effective Storage
Most of us could do with a bit more storage space, but did you know that storage space can be stylish and be a part of your coffee table? If you have a coffee table with space beneath it, opt for some trendy baskets and use these as extra storage for books, trinkets, remotes, devices, or even children’s toys. Several innovative tables around include those with hidden compartments, asymmetrical designs that pair up as a bookshelf, or those with tabletops that open up as lids (much like a box). If you need extra storage, consider how your coffee table might create some extra space in your lounge.
Three’s a Charm
Three might be a crowd when it comes to people, but it certainly isn’t when designing. The rule of three states that arrangements of three or odd numbers are far more appealing than even displays. Placing three features or configurations next to each other is particularly impressive on rectangular tables and can bring about great balance and style. The arrangement might include a box, a plant, a vintage magnifying glass, a stack of books, a sculpture, or a bowl. The options are really endless, and this gives you a fantastic opportunity to really express yourself.
Go Green
A coffee table is a fabulous place to dabble with some greenery. Opt for a stunning central plant, a wooden planter with seasonal shrubs, a succulent arrangement, or fresh flowers in a statement vase. Plants add frshsness and life to any room and aside from offering beauty, they can be super good for your health. Choose plants that purify the air an boost your mood for an added bonus.
Add Some Entertainment
While coffee tables can be styled in many innovative ways, they are also the perfect place for some entertainment. Add a deck of cards, an old-school board game, a puzzle book, or a zen garden to your table, making it a space that sparks fun when guests arrive.
Consider what Surrounds the Coffee Table
While decorating your coffee table is an integral part of home design, don’t forget the pieces surrounding the table, such as a snuggly rug that goes under the table. You might even choose an upholstered ottoman instead of a conventional table, and this could add exciting layers to the family room. These features can easily work with the decorative theme of the table and can tie together through color, shape, texture, and design. When it comes to coffee table decor, it’s also about the surrounding room and ensuring that the elements work together.
When it comes to coffee table design, there are so many fantastic options around. From bold, dramatic focal pieces that add an element of movement and vibrancy to the room to simplistic styles characterized by neutral shades, sandy hues, and clean edges, there are so many fabulous options around. Choose pieces that speak to your personality and remember, a stylish coffee table doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. Where possible, upcycle and reuse existing items, pick flowers from the garden, repurpose old books, or support local artisans.
Have you ever re-styled a coffee table? Let us know some of your top design
