How To Decorate Coffee Table – Their versatility and usability make them a must-have piece for any designer wardrobe. They are simple but inherently stylish. And with their beautiful covers and graphic spines, they add color and personality to almost any flat surface in your home.
In short, coffee table books are MVP statement makers. And while their sheer size and high production values can come with a hefty price tag, you can actually curate your own collection on the cheap (stick to the end of this post for budget-friendly shopping tips).
How To Decorate Coffee Table
Not sold on their design value yet? Well, here are 10 reasons why coffee table books are an interior designer’s best friend, and why they can be your best friend too.
How To Style A Coffee Table Like A Pro
They can find work in every corner of your home, from entry console to dining room buffet, from kitchen island to guest bedroom nightstand, from home office to family room bookcases.
Stack a couple of coffee table books inside a tray to raise objects such as decorative boxes or bowls over the edge of the tray.
Interior designers love coffee table books because they can act as a base for so many decorations. On a fireplace, chest of drawers or desk, a stack of books becomes an elegant riser for a family heirloom, a jewelery box or a laptop.
Best Ways To Decorate A Coffee Table
Or take it to the next level: stack 20 or so books of equal size next to your sofa or accent chair to create a unique side table. Top with a tray and you have a handy place to rest the remote control or a drink.
Do you have more books than you know what to do with? Go big and stack anywhere from 30 to 50 in a single neat pile against the wall. Top with a beautiful potted orchid. When you’re sitting nearby, the bloom will be about eye level.
Designer Tip: Only make the tallest stacks with books that have serious weight and are nearly identical in size. Otherwise, your stack will look like a haphazard afterthought or, even worse, topple over in a heap. The key word here is “curated”.
Two Ways To Style A Coffee Table
Keep all your coffee table books in heavy rotation by swapping out the dark and dramatic books of fall and winter for the light and bright covers of spring and summer. Now, without changing anything else in the room, you’ve just achieved an instant update.
Here’s another reason stylists love this design staple. Coffee table books are pretty much childproof. Unlike glass paperweights or jagged geodes, little ones can’t do much harm to themselves, each other, or your decor with books they can’t even lift. That means it’s OK to arrange coffee table books on lower shelves or on top of an ottoman in the den.
Coffee table books are an affordable way to add pops of color to a room. Many stylists double down on color by creating a monochromatic stack of books – for example, all covers in pink or all spines in black with white lettering.
How To Decorate Coffee Tables & Ottomans
There’s a reason no one talks about decorating with matchbooks or finger bowls. First, both are a bit outdated. More importantly, unlike coffee table books, both are small and unassuming.
Coffee table books are meant to thump when you put them down. They are conceived, designed and printed to be admired from across the room and up close.
They’re great conversation starters and give visitors and diners some insight into your interests, whether it’s home design, fashion, cooking, wildlife or gardens (many people like to stack their coffee table books by subject).
Simple Tips For Decorating With Coffee Table Books (+ A Round Up)
They are a Pinterest board that you hold in your hands. Alongside Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Parts Unknown’, travel titles are an armchair traveller’s best friend, inspiring wanderlust and bucket lists.
Your biggest coffee table books should serve as the foundation when styling your bookshelves. Use them as bookends to anchor smaller books and lean them against the bookcase frame. If they won’t fit on your shelf standing up, stack them in small groups, perhaps topping the stack with a small framed photo or souvenir from your trip.
Always remember to store books like a librarian, aligning the spine with the front edge of the shelf, not pushing them all the way to the back.
How To Decorate A Coffee Table: Easy Designer Tips & Ideas
You don’t need to water them. Or hang them from the ceiling or mount them on the wall. Or place them next to an outlet. They are an accessory that requires little but keeps on giving. And unlike, say, lucky bamboo, Edison bulbs or word art, coffee table books are a here-to-be classic.
New coffee table books are not cheap. However, with a frugal mindset, you can find great books for as little as, well, a large gourmet coffee. Consider these sources:
Our designers wrote the book on interiors. Find a style that suits you and let’s get started on the next chapter in your personal design story. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to decorate a coffee table in four different ways! I’m all about budget
Tips To Decorate Accent Tables Like A Pro!
Decorating a coffee table doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need to have an expensive fresh flower arrangement every week, and you don’t need to buy an expensive coffee table. There are many ways to decorate a coffee table with budget friendly decor and still make it look amazing!
First, you will decide on a color scheme for the coffee table decoration. I usually like to keep it pretty neutral and throw in some pink shades, for everyday coffee tables.
If I’m going to decorate my coffee table for a season, I’ll usually choose a color that best suits that season. I like to mix up my coffee table decor during fall, Christmas and winter. Then I usually go back to my pink and green shades in the spring and summer months.
Coffee Table Styling Ideas
When thinking about a color scheme, consider not only what colors you love, but also what types of decor you already own that will match your color scheme.
I love the idea of keeping it neutral and then choosing one or two other colors to incorporate. Blues are always beautiful if you’re looking for an everyday color to include!
There are many decorative options to use on a coffee table. You can get creative by mixing items in different ways or adding a special decorative accent piece that you love!
Decorating A Large Coffee Table Online, 50% Off
Depending on how big your coffee table is, you can either make one, two, three or four groupings. My coffee table is very large, so I can make up to four groupings.
I have tons of books wrapped in white wrapping paper on my bookshelves. Sometimes I like to pull some books off the shelves and put them on the coffee table. Since they are wrapped in white wrapping paper, they have a clean, simple look on my table.
You don’t always have to invest in exclusive coffee table books, although I have some…more on that below.
How To Decorate A Coffee Table — The Decor Formula
This look is so easy because all the books look the same, so you really can’t go wrong decorating!
I originally bought this thin, long ball of dough to put under the top of my mantel, under my TV. I love it there, but sometimes I like to put it on my coffee table.
There are tons of different sized and different types of dough balls that you can use. The beauty of using a dough ball is that it is the centerpiece of the table, and you don’t need to style anything outside the dough ball.
Coffee Table Decor Ideas That Don’t Require A Home Stylist
As for decor inside the dough ball, I suggest either candles (if it has a flat bottom), fake stems placed on it, or moss balls. Antlers are also a staple for me and I love how they look peeking over the bowl.
Styling a tray on your coffee table gives you the opportunity to incorporate all the fun little decorative pieces you own!
This is a scaled down look from look number one as there are only two groupings. It’s also the most romantic look!
Round Coffee Table Décor Ideas For 2022
Whenever you use taper candles with hurricane candle holders, they always look soft and elegant, creating a romantic look.
I used my three coffee table books that I own in this look, which include Homebody, Fraiche Food Full Hearts, and Cozy White Cottage. If you want to invest in some coffee table books, just make sure you get hardbacks!
Some coffee tables do not have bottom shelves, and if that is the case for you, you can ignore this section!
How To Style The Best Christmas Coffee Table Decor
I either keep it empty, put an extra sofa cushion there or put my cozy knitted blanket there. Other ideas include stacking more books there or putting a bin or basket there. Decorating a coffee table is easy to do yourself and gives real personality to your living room. If you’ve always thought you needed a stylist to show you how it’s done, you’ll be glad to know that’s simply not true. Check out these amazing coffee table decor ideas and you’ll be ready to rearrange yours on your own.
Choosing just two colors for your coffee table decor ties everything together to create a cohesive look.
A small living plant is the perfect thing to put on the coffee table. I
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