Tips for styling your Coffee Table like a Pro!
- Arushi Malhotra
- Jul 22, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 22, 2020
7 basic ingredients, a personalized item and a few tricks are all you need to turn your coffee table into a piece of Art.
Your coffee table is usually the focal point of your living room. It is the one piece of furniture which is extensively used by your family as well as your guests. So whatever you put on it will definitely get noticed! Apart from setting a tone/style for the rest of the space, it also speaks tons about your personality. The accent pieces you chose to keep on it may act as a great conversation starter as well.
Nothing can refresh your living room as quickly as a coffee table makeover- a few updates are all you need that can make all the difference. So, lets get started!
Do you find it difficult to style your coffee table? No matter what you put there, something or the other always looks off. Do you often ask yourself questions like how many accessories or accent pieces do I need? Did I overdo it? Is it still functional?
Sounds familiar?
If so, read on and I will help you put together a vignette that will instantly make your living room insta-worthy!
Here's what you will need (you can chose whatever you like from the list below and combine them to create amazing looks!)
Books or Magazines
Keeping books and magazines on the coffee table is a great way to speak your style and personalize the space. Stacking 2 or 3 books or magazines not just help you in achieving height but also gives that organic feel to the vignette. Do not forget to coordinate your books with the color scheme and theme of your room to establish a cohesive look and feel.
A coffee tray or Bowl
Apart from being functional, trays and bowls act as a powerful decorative element in your space. They help in tying the different decor items kept on a table together and makes it handy to remove and relocate them in case you need some extra space on your coffee table.
Do not forget to chose a tray or a bowl having a shape that is different from the shape of the table (For eg. chose a circular tray for a rectangular table). Also, do not shy away from experimenting with different materials like mirror trays, marble trays, wooden trays etc. to match your style.
Candles
Candles are one of my favorite decor items. They don't just look beautiful but they instantly create a warm and soft psychological effect in the space as well.
To have an added effect, I personally recommend that you use scented candles instead of regular one (Let's tap on not just the visual but olfactory sense as well!)
Something natural or Organic
Use something natural/ organic to bring life and warmth to your vignette. It could be anything from the nature- shells, wood, flowers, stones, coral.
You can even get small pine cones or shells from your beach day and put them in a bowl or a basket. Something that is inexpensive yet extremely efficient when it comes to personalizing your space.
Throws and table runners
Adding a runner or throw blanket instantly warms up the space making it super cozy and homely. Try experimenting with different colors and prints that will make the room instantly pop and help tying the theme together.
Accessories / Personalized item
This is the part where you get to personalize the space. Add fun knick knacks on the table be it a chess board, miniature animals/ birds, journal, colourful wool balls, beaded neckpiece, match box, ash tray, chess board- whatever you like.
Just make sure that it is unique, something that means something to you or something that has no meaning at all but can add as a great conversation starter. Do not shy away from experimenting here and have some fun!
Flowers / Plants
Flowers and plants instantly bring life to the room and makes the vignette fresh and welcoming. Try choosing colours that match with the theme of your room.
I strongly recommend that you chose fresh flowers and plants over artificial ones. In case you are alergetic to flowers or find it difficult to maintain them, chose fabric flowers over plastic ones to get a more natural look.
How to assemble (Time for some tricks and tips!)
Break up the shape- Depending on the shape of your table, divide the space in different shapes (divide your square table into quarters and a rectangular table in thirds etc.)
Treat your layout like a triangle- This not only helps in keeping a focal point for your vignette but also makes it efficient ( you will have space all around it for 'functional' use).
Rule of odds- It is simple and an efficient way to group your things together in odd numbers- 1, 3, 5 or 7 in number with 3 being the most pleasing to the eye. Items stacked vertically act as one unit.
Vary your items in height, shape, texture and colors to give your eye a nice movement and keep things interesting.
Donot forget to maintain balance- even out your tall vases with something shorter and of a different shape, have something spickey to balance out smooth surfaces etc.Keep the 'visual weight' in check.
Layering- This helps in adding depth and dimension to your decor (both vertically and horizontally). Add a piece of small decor next to a stack of book or magazines, add a bowl with beaded neck piece on top of your stack etc.This instantly draws the attention to the object.
Determine a colour scheme/ theme/ style for your room and strictly stick to it.
Use the bottom- in case you have coffee tables that have a bottom, anchor it to your deign. Donot turn it into a space for dumping stuff instead use larger decor items or storage baskets to make it efficient yet stylish. Instead of working in odd numbers, it is beter to create a group of two to make it more efficient.
In the end, keep the space clutter free and happy styling!
Let's make it insta-worthy!
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