Coffee Table Decor 101: Creating Designs You’ll Love

Styling your space is crucial to making any home your own. You’ll feel more at ease in a space that makes you happy, whether it’s colorful or neutral. However, it also means you’ll need to spend time really looking at each area and seeing how you can improve it. Coffee tables are so versatile, and there’s really no wrong way to curate coffee table decor. Still, if you want the most pleasant look possible, you’ll need to find a way to pull it all together. Here’s how to start cultivating decor that meets your needs.

How to Decorate a Functional Coffee Table

What are coffee tables for? They aren’t always just to look nice. Sometimes, you want to use this centerpiece of your living room, which means you need functional coffee table decor. Ideally, you’ll find things that add to the value of the space while also making it convenient for you to talk or do something. Here are some designs you could bring to a functional coffee table.

1. Stay Simple

A coffee table that’s too cluttered will look bad, and it won’t be a resting point for any guests or household residents. A simply decorated coffee table is more elegant and aesthetically pleasing, and you’ll also have more room to get things done. 

Some people use their coffee tables to eat, while others use them to read or write. No matter what you plan to use your coffee table for, a simple design would ensure there’s room for plenty of activities. Besides, minimalism has its own perks. By using simple designs and clean lines, you can achieve maximum aesthetic in less clutter. Fortunately, less clutter in the house often leads to less clutter in the mind.

White Ceramic Circle Vases: $25.99

2. Keep Books Nearby

Everyone has heard of the “coffee table book.” Basically, these books are intriguing ones that can help you start conversations and look pleasant when displayed in the center of your home. Depending on the size of your table, you’ll want an appropriately sized book that looks like it complements the space, not dominates it. The more interesting the book, the better it is as a centerpiece.

4 Pcs Decorative Books: $19.99

3. Include a Game

A coffee table is a table, first and foremost. If you want it to be functional, you also need to make plans for what will happen on that table. For example, if you like to host, you might put your favorite board or card game on the table. Board games promote fun, and they also decrease the risk of dementia by about 15%, which is perfect for any older adults in your home.

Once you’ve chosen a game, you can decorate around that centerpiece. Whenever you pull it out, you have a table ready to go. Just make sure everyone can sit around the coffee table to participate.

Tic Tac Toe Coffee Table Decor: $7.99

How to Add Decor to a Coffee Table

Styling a coffee table is a learning process. Every table looks different, so you may have to take different approaches to certain furniture pieces. However, you can look up inspiration online and find something close to what you want. When in doubt, follow these rules to cultivate the best coffee table decor.

1. Find Your Focal Point

Typically, your furniture will have one focal point that you build around. When styling your coffee table decor, you must find something that stands out and becomes the star of your furniture. Once you have your focal point, you can style around it — and choose colors most fitting for your decor.

Set of 3 Potted Faux Plants: $24.99

2. Include Various Heights

Different heights and sizes will keep your coffee table decor interesting. You may consider including a couple of books to add height to things that might otherwise be the same height. This way, you have a centerpiece that draws the eye rather than looks mundane.

White Ceramic Vase Set: $19.99

3. Use a Tray

A classy tray can level up your space. It contains your items and keeps them from spilling all over the coffee table. If you confine smaller things to just the tray, you don’t need to worry about having too little or too much. Plus, it helps you stick to clean lines and can coordinate a color palette for you.

Gray Wood Serving Trays: $34.99

4. Inject Some Personality

Your coffee table decor should represent you in some way. Whether you include your favorite colors or a meaningful art piece, your coffee table deserves to reflect who you are. It’s about aesthetics, but it’s also about cultivating something unique that means something to you. For example, you might lean toward a culturally significant coffee table book, like the one by Matika Wilbur that details every federally recognized Native American Tribe, that boasts the importance of your history.

Vinyl Record Drink Coasters: $14.99

How to Make a Cheap Coffee Table Look Expensive

When you’re on a budget, you can’t just go out and buy an aesthetically pleasing coffee table. It can be frustrating when your current furniture is mismatched or doesn’t fit your needs, but that doesn’t mean you should scrap it. You can turn even the cheapest coffee table into something beautiful using the power of decoration.

Never underestimate your design skills. Even if you feel hopelessly lost, you can look up coffee table decor ideas online to get a better idea of what would look good with your table’s shape and color. A pleasantly decorated space can affect your productivity and mood, and you’ll feel much more confident when you love how your place looks. 

Curating the Perfect Coffee Table Decor

Home decor is important, as it showcases who you are as a person while being aesthetically pleasing. You might have to distinguish between what’s beautiful and what feels like too much. However, if you love it, you can find a place for it in your home. Coffee table decor is an important part of your living room, as it’ll inevitably draw the eye. Cultivating a beautiful resting place for someone’s vision — one that can both be functional and pleasant to look at — is a skill. Try several combinations and see what you like best, front and center, on your table.