Want to know how to style your coffee table?  We’ll show you how – here are our top tips.

Coffee Table Styling Alfresco Emporium
Coffee Table styling by Alfresco Emporium

It’s all about combining style with function.  Your coffee table has to look good but you have to be able to live with it too.

Coffee Table Styling Willow by Pottery Barn
Coffee table styling by Pottery Barn

Your coffee table is a flat horizontal surface, so you want to use objects that will add some height and depth to the table.  Keep the heights practical.  You don’t want to have to look around a tall vase of flowers to see the tv or talk to someone sitting on the other side of the table.

Coffee table styling by Max Sparrow
Coffee table styling by Max Sparrow

Boards and trays make a good base layer.  Trays are great for defining a space and containing a collection.  Books and decorative boxes are another great way to add height.  A pile of 3-5 in different sizes works well, starting with the largest on the bottom.  Boxes are also good for hiding things, such as the tv remote.  Now add personal items and decorator pieces for interest – choose different shapes and sizes.  These are what makes the display interesting.

Coffee table styling by French Dressing
Coffee table styling by French Dressing

Adding natural elements such as flowers, small plants, driftwood or shells helps bring the coffee table to life.  Candlelight is another element you can use to create atmosphere.  Small bowls and cloches are a great way to add height and hold collections.

Coffee table styling colours
Coffee table styling by Pottery Barn

Link the colours on your coffee table back to the accent colours in you room.

Coffee table styling all the elements
Coffee table styling by Max Sparrow

This coffee table has all the elements – the area has been defined by the large footed tray/bowl, leaving the outer edges free for putting things down (or putting your feet up).  Height has been created with different size candles, and they add atmosphere.  Natural elements have been added with pebbles, branches and pine cones, and the colours on the coffee table work back with the colours in the room.  There are even decorative birds and a cloche on the side table next to the sofa – see how one bird is perched higher than the other and there is greenery in the cloche?

 DIY Decorator’s Top Tips for Styling Coffee Tables

How to Style Your Coffee Table

We hope you found these tips useful.  Next time you’re faffing around with your coffee table try to create some of these elements in your styling and see what works for your table.

PS faffing is a term for re-arranging the pretty decor items in your home rather than doing what you really should be doing, like the housework.