Five Elements Needed to Style any Coffee Table

How does Pottery Barn make it look so easy and effortless? Well, the struggle is real. I am certainly no expert in this area, but having learned the very basic key elements to styling a coffee table, has made all the difference. Now, it doesn’t seem so intimidating.

The 5 must haves for a basic coffee table style are simple.

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Item 1, start with a tray. Trays are functional and stylish. They can be used for entertaining and organizing items on the coffee table. I purchase this tray at Home Goods (HERE) for $20. It brings in the natural wood color of my furniture and the black accents coordinate well with the coffee table.

Item 2 – books, three stacked books will do the job, using the rule of 3. Books are a great way to entertain your guests and who doesn’t love a great coffee table book.

Item 3- at least 1 candle to add ambiance and fragrance to the room.

Item 4 – a natural element such as flowers and/or a plant. Succulents are a great way to bring nature indoors. I purchase a set of 3 from Costco (HERE) recently and they have held up well so far.  Check out Pier One (HERE) for a beautiful selection of faux succulents.

Last item, is a decorative accent. I’m using a pedestal vase from Pottery Barn (HERE) with seashells we collected over the years as vase fillers. Bringing is personal items are a great conversation starter and a wonderful way to showcase items of meaning that may look odd elsewhere in the home. Pedestal anything looks great on a coffee table to add height and interest.

The coffee table is looking great, we can call it a day. We have styled the table using a half and half style.

Let’s try a couple other styles by adding onto what we have and see how it turns out. I added a third item,  a natural wood bowl from Home Goods (HERE).

Add an additional candle to it, and we have styled the table in a triangular style.

Let’s add one more space to the table, styling it in 4 quarters. I’m adding 3 more books and an additional candle. I also added coasters under the candle on the tray for height and function. The table is big enough to handle 4 spaces, and still leaves space for drinks and knick knacks.

That wasn’t so difficult after all. Thanks for stopping by and remember to follow along on Instagram!

Until next time!