It may sound silly that there are tricks to styling a coffee table, you just put some stuff on it that you like and voila ! Right? Sure you can do that, but if you want to style your coffee table like a pro and enjoy looking at it rather than thinking “what is it missing?”, follow these 3 simple tips for a perfectly styled coffee table that you will love and your guests will envy.
The rule of 3 in design refers to the principle that items grouped in odd numbers are more visually appealing to the eye, and interesting to the human brain as odd numbers tend to challenge us. When styling your coffee table, arrange your items in odd numbers, typically three, as coffee tables don't offer a ton of space for more. If you do happen to have a large coffee table, do two or three groupings of three, or a grouping of three and one large accessory such as a vase, bowl or sculpture. This "rule"isn't set in stone, rather a guideline, sometimes one single statement piece is all a table needs. Play around with your groupings and accessories until it looks just right.
Incorporating objects with various textures, shapes, pattens and sizes creates visual interest. Try to avoid being “matchy matchy” and use items that are different heights, widths, and shapes such as vases, sculptural pieces, books (which can be used to create height variations on coffee tables as well as shelving displays).
Coffee tables are meant to be functional, but they should also be beautiful. Don’t overcrowd your table with clutter, keep it simple and leave space for your coffee, beverage and to kick your feet up. Scale is important when styling your coffee table, if your table is small, don’t use oversized pieces that take over your table. And vice versa, if your table is large, use appropriately sized accessories, rather than many small pieces. If you prefer a minimalist aesthetic, use a single vase filled with greens or branches, or a large decorative bowl.
These simple tricks should help you with your coffee table styling, and remember, these also apply to shelf styling, nightstands, console and entry tables aswell. There is something to be said about blank or white space, that in itself is interesting. Try not to space objects evenly and in a row, rather group your accessories leaving some blank space to separate your pairings and place objects at varying depths on your shelves, tables etc. Below are some inspirational images of some of our shelf and other tables styling work. Have fun and happy decorating!
If you need helping planning your next design project, office or otherwise, reach out. I’d love to discuss it with you.
