Guides and breakdowns on coffee table styling is one of the more popular topics on design blogs, and for good reason. Call them what you want - living spaces are where people primarily spend their lives (apart maybe from the kitchen) and guess what lies smack dab right in the middle of that room? That’s right: not only are coffee tables functional, they are also an anchor item of furniture that’s hard to miss. So, for those that care that their coffee tables are pretty and functional, figuring out how to decorate them properly is crucial.

I don’t know about you, but whenever anything is important, I suddenly get all anxious and overwhelmed about it - including coffee table styling! But instead of stressing, this post is going to break the decorating process down into TWO simple steps. So, I’m going to make you a promise - just give a little trust, okay? Here it is: I guarantee you that, if you follow these steps, coffee table decorating is not that hard. In fact, it’s pretty dang fun!

Step 1:

Divide + Conquer

Before you go and start decorating your coffee table with random objects, first thing’s first: clear it of any decorative or functional (read: remotes) items. You’ll need a blank canvas for your artwork!

Once you clear off the table top, now we can get down to the two-step process. One: divide your coffee table into quadrants - i.e., equal parts to the entire whole of the table’s top surface. Breaking down the entire coffee table top into equal parts will guide you on the placement of decorative items, how large these items can be, and really, it just seems to make the whole thing a ton more manageable.

Now, dividing the top into equal parts necessarily depends on the shape and overall size of the coffee table. Here’s what I mean: with a larger size coffee table, you’ll have more quadrants or equal parts of the pie, and with a smaller table, there’s obviously less surface to divide and work with. See the picture above? It’s a rectangular coffee table, and it’s about 56 inches in overall length. Because I like decorating with sizable items, I divided the coffee table into two halves, and started from there. Generally, rectangular coffee tables can be divided into two decorating spaces, but sometimes - if the table top is really, really long - you can find yourself with three equal parts.

With square coffee tables, you want to divide the top’s surface into four little squares. In the picture below, I clearly delineated four smaller, equal squares from the overall surface size for my little vignettes.

Now we get to the slightly more complicated bit - dividing a circular coffee table. Here, you can go one of two ways - divide the circular top into thirds (like a pie chart) or cluster all of your decorative items into the center, creating one, large vignette. Below, the coffee table’s top is plainly divided into thirds, with each piece containing its own stylistic moment.

To wrap up step one: simply measure the overall surface of your coffee table top and divide in equal parts to determine the placement and item type of your decor.

Step 2:

Layer, Layer, Layer

Now for the fun bit! Much like styling other vignettes, decorating comes in LAYERS. Not like seventeen levels or anything, but, to achieve that collected yet curated look, you’re going to style the coffee table in two to three tiers of decor.

Before you start, it’s a good idea to inventory all the decorative items you have that might be styled on the coffee table. It’s messy, but I usually place all my decor that might make the cut on the floor nearby the coffee table - it’s easy to see everything and swap stuff out as you go.

To begin, you start with your base decor - generally something you lay horizontally or some type of substantial decorative item. Think coffee table books, trays, or even large boxes (see the picture above). This layer should take up most of each of the spaces you’ve divided up into the smaller, equal parts of the entire table top. There should also be space between the base layers you’ve laid down - i.e., give each item space to breathe and the eye to rest between the little vignettes.

In the picture above, I’ve used coffee table books, trays, and a box as my base layer. All are laid horizontally, and from there, I build up and layer more decor.

Next, add on the decor! Here, you want to alternate colors, shapes, sizes, and types of decor. It might sound like a lot to juggle, but as long as there’s variation within each small vignette and as compared to the other vignettes, you’re good to go. Every once in a while, take a step back to view the whole shebang. Does each small vignette weigh substantially the same in terms of decor? Does each tell its own story, with interest through variated shapes, sizes, and colors? If you can answer yes to both of those questions, then you’re on the right track. If no to either of them, see how shifting or swapping out a decorative item impacts the little vignette and the whole coffee table top.

It might take a little trial and error, but to me, that’s the fun part - coffee table styling is like putting together a really cute, three-dimensional puzzle. Still confused? Or just want someone else to do it for you? I feel you! Go relax, and inquire about our design services below!