How To Style a Coffee Table

Earlier this month, we shared 8 of our favorite coffee tables, so now you might be wondering what to put on it?! While your coffee table styling will differ based on your household or aesthetic, there are some basic tips and tricks you can turn to for an instantly polished look.

I pulled together three different looks using items I had around my house to demonstrate! Let’s get started!

Plant + Tray + Candle

A living plant (or faux) is not the most expected item on a coffee table, but they last longer than a floral arrangement, and are sculptural and cool. Trays I use all the time - they help make the table not feel so vast, give a sense of “zones” and are a handy place to store the remote, coasters, your latest read, a decorative object, etc. I added a candle and a coaster to the table. A word on coasters - please buy something beautiful and not just cardboard ones. Natural stone looks lovely, or brass and wood. These are old but they are petrified wood.

Book + Bowl of Photos + Flowers

I used a large art book here in a similar way to the tray in the first arrangement. It helps give a definitive zone, but it’s also something beautiful to look at. It anchors a candle and pretty bottle of matches. I filled a decorative brass bowl with mini polaroid pictures - fun for guests to leaf through! You could also do postcards or something else collected. Just add a vase with some flowers. I cut these from my yard. Easy!

Books + Open Book + Natural Touches

I wanted to go a little more minimalistic and maybe a little masculine here. A stack of favorite art books, with one open to a particularly striking page. Great way to display art if you don’t have much wall space. Two handmade ceramic bowls filled with beach combing treasures, and a wooden sculpture. I like the juxtaposition of the man-made art with the found objects from nature. Using bowls or dishes that are vintage or handmade is a great (affordable!) way to collect small items for a bigger visual impact.