Coffee Table Styling: 3 Ways to Add Decor to Your Coffee Table

Styling idea 1

I'm starting with this white planter from the Target and Studio McGee Spring Collection. I love the texture and shape of this planter, and I think the color is a perfect contrast for the wooden coffee table.

Because I have two crazy toddlers, one of my favorite things to do when I decorate is to use thrift books. They don't break; they can be thrown around all over the place, and if they rip, they're not an expensive piece for me, so they're the perfect piece of decor to use. Typically, when you go to the thrift store, they only cost a dollar or two. If you ever purchase expensive home decor books, you can put those in higher areas. Places where the kids don't touch.

When you search for these books, spend a couple of minutes going through all the books, take off the cover, see what colors you have, and go with a color in mind. Typically, I go for beige, light gray, and black colored books. Another thing that I also love doing is to repurpose items.

The two bowls I placed on the books are a salt container and a mortar. I decided to move it over to this little tray here. This is very minimal and simple. It's still functional. There's still space around the coffee table that you can use on a day-to-day basis, and if you want to go even a step further, you could even do a large tray instead to keep everything in the center so it's not moved around. Typically, smaller kids can't get to it when it has a little bit of a raised edge.

Styling Idea 2

So, moving on to our second styling option here. So, for this one, I went ahead and added two faces. My larger one is from a vintage shop here in California. I added those two with an asparagus bush on the larger one. Next, I added a cute little rattan tray or woven tray with some stuff. Then, my beautiful thrifted books are right in front of it. I decided it was just a little too busy in that tray.

I love decorating, but sometimes I feel like it might be just a little too busy, and I change things. So I went ahead and did that, removed everything from the tray, and added two candlestick holders instead.

If you have kids, you could get some plastic candlestick holders and spray paint them black, and you have something safer.

Styling Idea 3

So now, moving on to our last styling, this is my favorite. I did this for spring, and I've loved it since. I missed it for a little bit. I left it for this little piece of a gap that I had before I started decorating for fall.

I added this beautiful, tall, clear vase I got at Hobby Lobby for about $20. Then I added these beautiful curly stem leaves with water to make it look much more realistic, and I loved the look. Right next to it, I love the idea of having an open magazine. It makes it feel more lived-in and just cozier. So I went ahead and placed that.

On the other side, it replicates what's on the other corner to add more books. So there's an open magazine on one side and then books on the other. I played with it a bit, trying to figure out what would look best. Ultimately, I left the books in that corner and then the box over there because that's typically where we sit. I want that at arm's reach for the remote and anything else we want to hide in that little box.

This is the look for coffee table number three, my absolute favorite. I love the minimal look. Nothing here can break. The kids were playing around with that box. They didn't pull it off the coffee table. They were just pulling everything out of it. Even if they drop it, it's just wood, so nothing will crack. They can't reach that glass container in the middle. So I just love this one.

Coffee table styling

I hope that you guys enjoyed my thoughts on coffee table styling. What ideas do you have? Please share them in the comments below.