How To Style A Coffee Table - Tips and Tricks to Make Your Home Stand Out

If you are looking to elevate your living room, styling your coffee table is one of the simplest ways to get heads turning. Unfortunately, the coffee table, despite its versatility, is often overlooked in favour of its larger furniture counterparts. The coffee has too often been seen as purely functional, rather than a piece of furniture that can pack a stylistic punch. What makes the coffee table truly versatile is that it is essentially a blank canvas that you can use to express yourself, your style, and your interests. 

If you have been searching for how to style a coffee table that looks professionally curated but still reflects your uniqueness, you’re in the right place.

In this House2Home blog, we will give you a step-by-step breakdown on how to style a coffee table, how to style the specific types of tables, and how to get to a place where your living space feels polished, intentional and effortlessly stylish.

The Essential Elements of Coffee Table Styling 

When designing your coffee table, there are a few things to consider. Often, the coffee table itself is stylish, but it is the elements you add to it that truly elevate it.

Consideration #1 - A Good Tray

Organisation in itself is appealing to the eye. Investing in a tray, whether it's round, rectangular, made of wood or metal, instantly makes your choices look intentional. A tray helps to keep things organised and clutter to a minimum. Whether it’s remotes, a candle, cards, or other small miscellaneous objects, a tray keeps everything neat.

Consideration #2 - Coffee Table Books 

What is a coffee table without a coffee table book? It’s in the name. Stacking two or three beautiful books that represent you and your interests is a great choice. With so many choices from architecture, film, fashion, photography, travel, art, and nature, the world really is at your fingertips for what you have on display. Not only do these books elevate your decor, but they also act as great conversation starters.

Consideration #3 - Pick a Statement Piece 

While some people will see the coffee table itself as the statement piece, for tables with a more subtle, minimalist design, you can add personality with a decorative bowl, a unique artifact, a sculptural piece, or a classy game such as chess or backgammon.

Consideration #4 - Flex Your Green Thumb

If you love nature or the feeling of plants in your home, adding fresh flowers, faux stems, or a small plant can add a natural texture to your coffee table. Greenery is a great way to make your space feel fresh and balanced.

Consideration #5 - Burn a Candle 

Who doesn’t love a great candle? Not only do candles add warmth and dimension to your space, but they can be easily elevated with their placement. You can use varying heights or leave a candle on top of your books to add layered styling. Have your space smelling lovely year-round with your favourite scent.

Consideration #6 - Play With Depth 

Through combining tall, medium, and low objects, you can create meaningful depth and movement on your coffee table. When done wrong, it can make the table look cluttered, but once you nail down your strategy, it really adds sophisticated variation.

Consideration #7 - Avoid Overcrowding 

It is essential that you leave some room to move. Having empty space on the table allows each stylistic choice to stand out, and keeps your choices looking clean and intentional. An overcrowded space is not enjoyable. 

How to Style a Coffee Table for Different Interior Styles

The beauty of a coffee table is in its versatility. Pick the table that actually speaks to you, your story, and your style. Whether it’s wood, metal, stone, glass, or a combination of the previously mentioned, there is always a coffee table for your space; you just need to find it.

Once you’ve picked your coffee table, tailor its styling to complement the interior aesthetic you’re going for. Some of the most popular interior styling choices for coffee tables include:

• Minimalist: If you live by the less-is-more philosophy, your coffee table and your home's overall design should reflect it. Think deeply, and narrow down your coffee table look to two or three carefully chosen pieces. Perhaps you choose a beautiful vase, a small stack of elegant books, or a chic tray that adds organisational flair. The goal at the end of the day is to create negative space and avoid visual clutter. Get the simplicity and balance that allows your coffee table to shine. 

• Modern: Stay current with an intentional design. Choose a sleek tray, a small stack of neutral-tone books, and one statement piece. Modern design is about choosing a restrained colour palette such as black, white, beige, or muted tones. Get those clean lines that emphasise your personality and organisational elegance. 

• Coastal: If you want that beachside feel year-round while sipping your espresso, go for a light, breezy colour palette, such as whites, blues, and sandy tones. Choose a weathered wooden tray, a collection of shells, or a simple glass vase. The goal of your coffee table style here is to make the living space feel relaxed and airy. 

• Bohemian: Mix and match to your heart's content to achieve that fun, eclectic bohemian feel. Play with textures, colours, and global-inspired pieces. What does this look like on your coffee table? Think a stack of vintage books, an ornate bowl, layered candles, all working with one another to capture a unique sense of style that’s sure to stand out. 

• Farmhouse: If you are chasing that countryside look, opt for warm, rustic elements to curate your coffee table. Wooden trays, vintage trinkets, and fresh flowers all create a cozy, warm, and lived-in charm. 

• Traditional: Symmetry is the name of the game in a traditional coffee table design. Opt for matching candlesticks, a centred floral arrangement, or a collection of class books. Materials such as crystal, polished metal, or ceramics are tailored to a traditional look that aims to create a timeless feel. 

How to Style a Coffee Table Step-by-Step

So, now that you have a comprehensive understanding of how to style a coffee table to get that designer-worthy look, let’s put this knowledge into practice. Here is an easy step-by-step guide to style your coffee table with confidence.

Step 1: Let’s Clear The Space

Clear your coffee table and give it a deep clean to remove dust, stains, and other markings. Easily seeing your coffee table’s shape, size, and layout lets you envision the space clearly before you begin styling.

Step 2: Choose Your Starting Point

What do you want your statement piece to be? This should go onto the coffee table first, as the rest of the design is built around this piece. Your chosen item could be a sculpture, a candlestick, a decorative tray, or a visually striking coffee table book. This starting point lets you choose how you want your style to be, whether minimalist, dynamic, or symmetrical.

Step 3: Add Height to the Table 

What is your tallest element going to be? This should come next. You could stack two to three coffee table books to build height, or use them to build a visually appealing candle stand. Whatever the item you choose, it should effortlessly blend in with your central/anchor item.

Step 4: Layer With Small Accents 

An easy way to add warmth and dimension to your coffee table is to add items like candles, beads, or small decorative pieces. Vary the heights to make the arrangement feel dynamic rather than flat. The right items add to a sense of visual progression.

Step 5: Bring in the Greenery 

If you want to really level up your coffee table design, consider incorporating an organic element, such as a small plant, a vase of flowers, or faux stems. Natural items can look cluttered, so make sure you pick greenery that softens the look while adding movement to the space.

Step 6: Make the Coffee Table Your Own

You want your coffee table design to be distinctly you. The choices you make should reflect your personality, interests, and story, whether it’s the books you choose, a vintage photo album of your travels, a souvenir from abroad, or a meaningful trinket. Each design choice should represent you and not someone else’s idea of what looks stylish.

Step 7: Take a Step Back

When you think you’re happy, take a step back and look to balance the negative space. Seeing the coffee table in full lets you remove anything that feels crowded. At the end of the day, empty space is just as important as decor, as it keeps your coffee both practical and polished.

Step 8: Adjust as Needed 

Make sure your coffee table remains usable after your design choices. There should still be more than enough room for everyday use, whether for drinks, remotes, or dinners. The key to beautiful styling is to keep everything feeling liveable and practical.

Tips for Styling Different Coffee Table Styles 

There is such a wide variety of coffee tables out there, each tailored to different preferences, spaces, and moods. Some of the most common shapes available in Australia include: round, square, rectangle, and oval. Each of these has its own specific characteristics that make styling them a unique experience and challenge.

Below are three of our biggest unique tips for styling each of the main types of coffee tables.

How to Style a Round Coffee Table:

1. Embrace the Curves: Have fun with the shape by selecting rounded decor such as a circular tray or vase. By playing into the curves of your round coffee table, you enhance visual harmony and prevent it from feeling angular and disconnected. 

2. Opt for a Triangular Layout: Since rounded coffee tables lack corners, a great design choice is to arrange items in a loose triangular formation. You can use a variation of heights to create dimension without cluttering the centre. 

3. Keep Things Airy: Because round coffee tables are often used in tighter sightlines, it is recommended to avoid clutter. Opting for a stylish tray to keep things organised and add a small greenery combination, you should be good to go.  

How to Style a Square Coffee Table:

1. Work in Quadrants: With your square coffee table, mentally segment the surface into four sections. Whether you want a symmetrical or dynamic feel, you can then style each of these quadrants to reflect that. 

2. Double Up for Balance: Many square coffee table designs emphasise the importance of pairs. Whether that be two candles, two book stacks, or two trays. 

3. Be Strategic: Square coffee tables carry a lot of visual weight, so it is essential that you don’t leave the centre empty. You can use a larger tray or a bold centrepiece to anchor the space.
   

How to Style a Rectangle Coffee Table:

1. Curate Visual Sections: When designing, break a rectangular coffee table into two-thirds. Style one section with an item, such as a tray, another with a book stack, and then leave an area essentially empty for functionality. 

2. Keep Height Varied: Because rectangular coffee tables are longer, varying the height prevents them from ever looking flat. You can mix in tall florals, medium-sized objects, and lower accents across the table to create an interesting visual mix. 

3. Keep it Flowing: If you line up everything on a rectangular coffee table, it’s going to look a bit awkward. Stagger your chosen objects slightly to keep the eye moving naturally across the table.
   

How to Style an Oval Coffee Table:

1. Choose a Soft Styling: The natural shape of an oval already exudes a fluid aura, so when selecting items for your oval coffee table, pick organic shapes and relaxed arrangements. Rigid symmetry doesn’t work here. 

2. Anchor the Centre: An oval coffee table, like a round one, really benefits from a central focal point. Whether you pick a candle or a floral arrangement, this will help make the table design feel purposeful. 

3. Keep Proportions in Mind: Oval coffee tables can sometimes feel narrow, so it is best to avoid picking bulky items. Lower-profile pieces overall will complement the coffee table's stretched shape.