Style a Coffee Table Like a Pro
Photo credit: Chelsea Iverson @cmi.photography
I recently had the distinct honor of partnering with Pottery Barn to showcase their Warren 32″ round coffee table and some of their fabulous accessories in our home. As I was styling this space for its photo shoot, I realized I sort of have my own little formula that I follow when it comes to round coffee table styling. It also occurred to me that perhaps it would be nice to share that with others, so here it is!
Materials:
2-5 books, depending on size
Two “height” objects (two vases, two lanterns, a vase and a tall bowl, etc.)
A nicely scented candle—even better if it’s in a pretty container
A trinket or unique textural accessory
Styling a round coffee table:
In my mind, there are really two easy ways to style a round coffee table. One way is to center one to three items in the middle, and the other is to make use of the space and showcase all of your fun, interesting accessories. Since our round coffee table lives in our sitting room, it’s a little more of an adult space, so I like to do the latter when it comes to how I style this table.
I tend to make little piles of stylish books, aligning the edges at the center. Asymmetry creates a sense of intrigue, whereas symmetry is almost what the mind expects, so I like to keep my book stacks asymmetric, and then fill in the open spaces with my other objects.
When I styled my new coffee table, I wanted to use these vibrant faux lilac stems (all of our real lilacs outside have already come and gone, but I love the look of lilacs in the summertime). Since these are so tall, I thought of ways to step up to them by bringing in a variety of heights. I’ve included a full list of items below so you can mimic this exact look if you’d like.
To get the look we have in our sitting room, here are the items you’ll need:
Cane flower vase, Hobby Lobby (item not on their site)
Faux Xerographica—I found these for around $10 each at Hobby Lobby, but you can also find them on Etsy or on Amazon
If you’ve ever read an interior styling blog, you might be familiar with the rule of three (similar to, but not to be confused with the “rule of thirds” in photography and graphic design). The rule of three simply means that if you keep in mind the notion that odd numbers are visually more appealing for whatever reason (it’s been tested and studied!), then you will decorate in little clusters of three. When you look at the table above, notice there are three general clusters. The three clusters are each a set of three in and of themselves, too! For example, starting on the left, you’ll see a Louis Vuitton book, a textural vase with flowers, and a large candle. Moving to the right, you see a large bowl with three xerographica air plants in it. In front of that, there’s a Vogue Living book with a stack of coasters and some wood beaded garland piled on top. See? The rule of threes is easy and effective, right?
Some general tips to keep in mind:
Your coffee table is meant to be a place where you can place a drink, a small plate, and even your feet when you’re kicking back and taking a moment to relax. Don’t fill up the entire table with so much clutter that you can’t set anything else on it. Keep coasters handy so that any drinks you want to place on your coffee table books (or the table itself) don’t leave condensation rings.
Also, think about who will be interacting with your coffee table decor. Is the space on the formal side? Introduce nicer elements that are truly for show and piquing your guests’ interest. Is it a man cave? Perhaps an interesting book on whiskey or baseball will capture your audience’s attention. Are there little hands grabbing on to the coffee table every day? Choose durable or lightweight items that you don’t need to worry about being broken, or that won’t break little toes if they were to fall over the edge of the table.
Even though Joe knows not to touch the coffee table decor (good boy!), we decorated the main coffee table (really, it’s an ottoman) with a tray containing two empty rattan lanterns, some stacked books, and a lightweight faux floral arrangement from Michaels. Kid-friendly coffee table decor that’s also pretty is very possible!
Sometimes it helps to group items onto a tray that you position at the center of your coffee table. Most of the time, I observe that people don’t often have a variety of scales in their army of go-to accessories, so they’ll put a bunch of smaller items on a tray and wonder why it doesn’t look right. My advice here would be to remember the rule of threes! Rather than filling the tray with all these little trinkets, locate a vase or a serving bowl, some books, and choose your favorite small accessory to top them off. We once used a neat pyrite stone we found on a camping trip!
Consider texture and height: Mix woven materials, wood, and stone to create contrast. Stack books or magazines with the binding edges all aligned, and top with a candle, thrifted trinket, or a unique heirloom for a found, curated vibe. Draw the eye up by incorporating a tall, slender vase and filling it with some fresh florals or stems from the yard. If your home has little ones who might pull the vase over, opt for a wood or acrylic vase that’s less likely than glass to break, and fill it with faux florals.
Have fun decorating your coffee table! Feel free to leave any questions for me in the comments, and please share photos of your styled coffee table with me by tagging @nest.out.west on Instagram!
