How to Style a Coffee Table

Hey Friends! 
I am so thrilled to be participating in Beth from Home Stories A to Z’s blog hop called “How to Decorate.”

How to Decorate Button

I am joining 25 other fabulous bloggers to talk about all kinds of decorating ideas, tips, and tricks.  It is such a fun series to follow. 

If you are joining me from Jessica’s blog, WELCOME!  I LOVE Jessica (and her accent.)  Have you ever heard her talk?  It’s a hoot.  She gets a kick out of my southern accent too. Smile

Okay.  I digress.

Now let’s get to my decorating topic!

coffee table collage

Two pieces of furniture that many of us buy when we get our first place to live is a couch and coffee table.  Ya just gotta have them.

If you only had these two pieces of furniture in your house, you would still be set.  The couch could also serve as your bed, and your coffee table could do double-duty as your dining table.  Smile

But hopefully most of us have passed those days and have been able to add more pieces of furniture to our homes.

And since we don’t have to use our coffee table as a kitchen table, we can now have fun styling it!

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But where do we start?

I used to think styling a coffee table was difficult, but it really isn’t.  Here are 5 easy steps to styling your coffee table.

Step One:   Add a tray to your coffee table to organize some of the items in steps two through five. 

trays

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Step Two:  Place some books or magazines on your table that are interesting for you or your guests to read.

books

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Step Three:  Bring your coffee table to life with fresh flowers or greenery.

flowers

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Step Four:    Set out one ore more decorative accents that are unique to your taste and could be a conversation starter for your guest.

  accent

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Step Five:   Either for ambiance or the smell, add a candle to your coffee table.

candle

 

Now here are some inspiration pictures of my favorite coffee table styling…

cute coffee table decor {the pink peonies}

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Do you see all five of the steps on each of these coffee tables? 

Inspiration: Coffee Table Styling (I don't like these flowers, but everything else) source

See if you can spot them.

Cait Weingartner’s Chicago Studio Tour // fresh flowers // coffee table styling // photography by Stoffer Photography

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Here’s a little test…

What is missing on the coffee table in this picture?

coffee table styling

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Did you say fresh flowers or greenery?  If so, you are correct!  Smile

I love that coffee table, but fresh flowers or greenery would really bring that space to life!

Coffee Table Styling - Spring floral + stripes  - Lynda Quintero-Davids

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Now of course, you will not be breaking any laws or decorating rules by not following all of the five steps to style a coffee table mentioned above. Smile

But if you have trouble figuring out what to put on your coffee table, these steps will help you get started.

Now it is time to jump on over to the next blog in this blog series.  You are in for a real treat!

Click HERE to visit Cyndy from The Creativity Exchange.

Have fun!

Here is the entire How to Decorate series…
Day 1:
1. Beth, Home Stories A to Z: How to Find Your Decorating Style
2. Courtney, A Thoughtful Place: 5 Gallery Wall Styles
3. Stacy, Not Just A Housewife: How to Decorate with Plants
4. Myquillyn, Nesting Place: Turning a House into a Home on a Thrift Store Budget
5. Donna, Funky Junk Interiors: How to Turn Worthless Junk into Home Decorating Must Haves
Day 2:
1. Melissa, The Inspired Room: The Secret Ingredient Every Room Needs
2. Jessica, Four Generations One Roof: How to Decorate with Container Plants
3. Traci, Beneath my Heart: How to Style a Coffee Table
4. Cyndy, The Creativity Exchange: Tricks for How to Zone in on the Perfect Paint Color
5. Laura, Finding Home: 5 Ways to Personalize Your Home

 
 
Day 4:
 
 

19 Comments

  1. You hit all the tips perfectly and I love how you laid it out step by step! Right now my coffee table has all of those elements going on plus some extra “accessories” such as legos, dirty tissues, and a swim suit. Sigh. Can’t look like a magazine all the time though right? Thanks again for joining my How to Decorate Series!

  2. Love the coffee table ideas! Will be using them. How about giving us some ideas for a console table thats against the wall. Thanks for your inspiration! ;)

  3. I am so a tray kinda girl myself! I’m only left with a small side table now due to desiring more floor space, but you can bet my side table as a little crate filled with flowers… :)

  4. …unless you have a two year old, then look for items that can be thrown but don’t break. Beach balls?

  5. These are great! Can you possibly do the this same thing for the entry way? Because I just redid my coffee table and used items from my entry. Haha!

  6. yay I have 3 of the 5 and the orchids are closer to a brighter place so I can add those anytime. Guess I had better scout around for the “candle factor.” yippee

  7. Beautiful. Great ideas but the one thing you did not address was a round coffee table. But hats what I have…with nothing on it. I could use some ideas. Very different . I don’t just want one thing sitting in the middle

  8. I personally favor nothing on my coffee table. However, I have a dog who’s tail could wipe the table off with one swipe, so…

  9. A couch and coffee table are the two pieces of furniture I don’t own anymore!! Left my couch behind when I sold my house b/c it was to heavy to move and I was storing what I had and sold my coffee table in a “moving yard sale”. I get to start out all over when I get set up somewhere!!! I am enjoying reading the decorating series in the mean time

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