How to decorate your coffee table

With its central position in the living room, the coffee table is far more than somewhere to rest your drinks (or feet) — or at least it should be! Get a creative and professional look from our tips on how to decorate your coffee table.

Bare is Boring

Let’s face it, a bare coffee table does nothing for your interiors — in fact it looks downright glum and unimaginative. A close runner up in the dull stakes is a coffee table that becomes a dumping spot for remote controls and creased old magazines — your doctor’s waiting room could probably do better.

How to Style Your Coffee Table

Coffee table styling is a great way to enhance your décor, add interest and inject some personality into the room. There are plenty of ways of arranging your coffee table. Start by looking at the rest of the décor in your living room and style your coffee table to enhance it.

• Display Personal Objects

Arranging your coffee table with a display of objects that are special to you will go a long way towards adding a homely feel. Ideas include driftwood or pebbles found on holiday, antique or heirloom books with beautiful covers, trinket boxes or small ornaments with special meaning.

• Use a Tray

Using a beautiful tray is one of the best coffee table decorating ideas. Not only will it serve to break up a large expanse, but it also adds a polished, thoughtful look. Using the tray to hold pretty trinkets or as a base to focus the eye on candles and the like pulls the whole look together and prevents things from looking cluttered.

A chunky wooden or natural wicker tray adds a nice natural touch, whilst a geometric tiled tray is bang on trend. Using a mirrored or high gloss tray is a great way of adding glamour, plus the reflective surfaces will really sparkle under candlelight.

Finally, if you are still unsure of what style of tray to go for, a rectangular tray on a circular coffee table, or vice versa makes a nice geometric-style impact.

• Make it Cosy

One of a few favourite coffee table decorating ideas used by interior designers is to drape a throw or blanket over the coffee table. This is the perfect way to add a soft, sumptuous feel to the room and works best with low, padded coffee tables — plus the fabric you choose can be varied according to the seasons. For example, a wool checked throw looks warm and inviting in winter, whilst a linen with a fresh ticking stripe suits the sunnier seasons. Another plus point of this coffee table styling idea is that any clutter can be concealed beneath the coffee table and throw.

• Use Different Heights

Coffee tables and trays are both horizontal elements, so add interest by introducing some taller, vertical elements to your coffee table styling.

Use a mixture of tall objects, such as orchids or other tall floral displays and tapered candles, medium-height items such as glass bottles or stacks of books, and low-level pieces — tealights in holders or jeweled coasters, for example.

The height variation doesn’t have to be limited to the objects either – opting for a coffee table with a low level shelf allows you to echo the high/low look.

More Great Ideas

Still struggling for ideas for what to style your coffee table with — check out these for inspiration:

• Candles are a must for creating a welcoming glow. Choose colours and fragrances according to the season — spicy, warm scents and orange, red, green or metallic for the festive period, or floral and fresh in white or pastels for the summer. If you have young children or pets and are worried about the safety element, reserve them for special occasions or, better still, use a storm lantern, glass bell cloche or oversized lantern to house candles.

• Thoughtfully chosen coffee table books give a personal touch, and those with great-looking covers add to the overall look. An alternative to stacks of books is to lay them out flat and use them as bases for other objects.

• Stacks of decorative boxes look good and also provide a handy spot for essentials, such as remote controls.

• If you are aiming for a minimalist look but still want to indulge in a little coffee table styling, consider sticking to a monochrome colour scheme and use just one large statement piece, such as a sculpture or glass planter — or just a big vase of fresh flowers.

• Let your guests know they are in for a party by arranging a collection of cocktail equipment and good-looking bottles on a tray — useful and attractive!

• For an eclectic, quirky feel, arrange a collection of glass bottles all in a similar colourway— they will play some lovely tricks with the light on the surface of your coffee table.