The Secrets to Coffee Table Styling

The living room is the heart of a home. It’s a place for family and friends to gather, relax and spend quality time. So, when it comes to decorating it, the focus is on curating a layout and décor that encourages this. One critical piece of living room furniture that shouldn’t go amiss – is the coffee table. This piece is more than a complement to our couches. With the right design, material and size, a coffee table not only enhances a living room’s aesthetic appeal but is a crucial centrepiece that assures the room’s more functional and versatile. Read on as Forwood Design share coffee table styling tips to keep in mind when choosing yours. 

Organise with elegance

Keeping a living room tidy brings such tranquillity and peace! Trays and decorative boxes are a great starting point and can keep all your essentials and personal items organised. This could include remotes, matchbox holders, candles, drinks coasters, or any other small items that you like to keep handy.  

Layer your essentials and inject meaningful decoratives

What essentials you choose for your tray and/or box depends on your lifestyle. If you tend to have drinks in the living room, include some drink coasters that match the coffee table. If the living room is used for entertainment, a decorative box can be a practical object to store your remote controls. Another way to have your essentials in easy reach is by stacking a collection of your favourite books or magazines and displaying the items on top.

For superior decoration, opt for displaying flamboyant objects with interesting backstories! It is a place where people congregate after all and can spark some interesting conversation. You can select items that all hold a unique flair, yet work with synchronising the space too. For decorative objects, select the ones that reflect your personality. Boast your favourite flowers in a beautiful vase, an interesting sculpture or candles in decorative holders.

Consider the shape of your coffee table 

How to style a coffee table depends a lot on its shape. Before you begin, keep in mind the Rule of Three, which follows the belief that objects look better in a group of three. However, don’t limit yourself to only three objects on the surface. Instead, think of the Rule of Three as three footprints on the table top. For example, 3 different footprints could be: a stack of books with a decorative object on top, a tray (regardless of how many objects are on it) and a larger decorative like a sculpture or vase of flowers.

Tips for coffee table styling:

• Rounded coffee tables: as this surface boasts less space than others might, draw an imaginary triangle and place the objects on the vertexes. Another option is to try using an oval tray to organise everything at the centre or include something square or rectangular for a greater visual impact; 
• Square coffee tables: play with shapes here! You can display a round or octagonal tray, decorative bowls or flowers in sculptural vases. Consider dividing your square table into 4 quadrants for a better and more balanced organisation. Or include a square tray in the middle to create the visual effect of a frame on your table;
• Rectangular coffee tables: divide the surface into three parts to break the length, but don´t feel the necessity to space objects equally in each area. Consider the depth and place some objects closer than others. Don´t overfill the table, leave some areas empty clear;
• Oval coffee tables: try focusing on the centre of this surface. Considering the Rule of Three – include one greater item (like a vase of flowers, a lamp or a sculpture) and display two other objects around of differing heights, such as a stack of magazines with a stylish remote box on top and a set of candles in decorative holders.

To find more luxury accessories to improve your coffee table styling and the rest of your house, visit our website.