How to Decorate a Coffee Table: 4 Styling Tips

March 1, 2020, 3:33 pm | Read time: 3 minutes

What is the centerpiece of your living room—the couch, the bookshelf, or the dining table? For some, it’s none of these, but rather the coffee table, sometimes referred to as a “coffee table” in modern terms. With the right decoration and arrangement, even the smallest coffee table can become a highlight.

Among interior experts, the coffee table is often considered the anchor of the room, serving as an eye-catcher among other furniture, rugs, and decorative items. If you assign such importance to the coffee table in the living room, you must also decorate and furnish it as best as possible. myHOMEBOOK offers four styling tips for coffee tables.

Before Decorating the Coffee Table

Before hastily buying a coffee table and some decor, consider the following questions:

What purpose should the table serve?
Should it be the focal point of the room or just an accessory?
What should be placed on it?

Choosing the Right Type of Table

The purpose of the coffee table somewhat dictates what type of table it needs to be. Should you be able to eat on it? Then it needs to be appropriately large and high. Should it simply add a visual accent to the living room? Then it should harmonize with the room’s style. Should it also offer some storage space? Then it’s best to buy a table with a shelf or drawers under the tabletop.

Also interesting: How to Furnish Your Living Room

Important: No matter what type of coffee table it ends up being, the height of the table must be in the right proportion to the sofa. If you have enough space, you don’t have to limit yourself to one coffee table; you can arrange several small tables together. However, they must match each other–if not from the same series–to create a cohesive look.

Here you will find content from third-party providers

To interact with or display third-party content, we need your consent.

In order to display embedded content, your consent to the processing of personal data, which can be revoked at any time (via the switch or via “Revoke tracking and cookies” at the bottom of the page), is required. Data may be transferred to third countries such as the USA (Art. 49 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). By switching to “on” you agree. You can find more information here.

4 Styling Tips for Coffee Tables

Once the right table is found, it’s time to decorate. Every coffee table needs:

Something Tall: A vase is ideal for this, which can be filled with fresh flowers or dried bouquets. Alternatively, a statue or a tiered stand could work. It’s important not to overdo it with the height. The proportions must naturally fit the table.
A Good Mix of Colors, Shapes, and Materials: For a well-rounded look, combine colors, shapes, and materials. If the table is rather simple, the decoration can be more extravagant. For decorative items, it’s best to choose several shades from one color family or deliberately set contrasts.
An Atmospheric Light Source: Candles, tealights, or delicate LED string lights provide the right decorative lighting on the coffee table, making the living room feel cozier.
Appealing Books: Coffee tables are hard to imagine without so-called coffee table books. These are often picture books with attractive covers. The content is a matter of personal taste. Books on fashion, photography, or travel destinations are particularly popular.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.