While the coffee table does primarily serve as a functional piece in your living room, it’s not just for holding drinks; your coffee table can also act as a vignette in your space, offering your guests a telling glimpse of your interests and personality. Check out some of our favorite tips for how to decorate your coffee table so you can style your arrangement like a pro.

There are a lot of concepts you can play around with when it comes to arranging the infamous “catch-all” area of your living space, but it’s never a bad idea to have a few reliable go-to’s when exploring ways to both organize and add some personality to your coffee table.

One of our favorite methods for decorating a coffee table is to layer some or all of these items within your arrangement.

1. Corral your belongings with a tray.

Adding a tray is an excellent way to bring texture and interest to a coffee table while also corraling loose items.

Consider a tray that is slightly different in either material or color from the coffee table for added personality and reflection of your style. Wood, leather, shagreen, and brass are excellent materials to explore.

The size of the tray will depend on the size of your table, but generally 18” allows enough space for you to fit more than a couple of items onto it. Rectangular trays more easily accommodate book stacks, candles, and coasters while circle trays work well with a simpler arrangement and/or a smaller table.

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2. Find a vase or jar you love.

Vases are another easy way to add depth and incorporate your style into your coffee table arrangement.

Find a vase that reflects your personality and style. You can either play with swapping faux stems and greenery to complement the changing seasons or, depending on the size, you can leave it empty. Many of the larger vases look amazing on their own, like the Consider organic modern vintage water pot. This is a great option if you’re not wanting to worry about switching things out regularly.

(Quick tip: A bouquet of flowers from the grocery store can last up to two weeks when you place them in a smaller vase within a larger vase!) and feel free to switch things up with different florals and branches depending on the season, so we recommend finding a neutral vase that will complement every season.

If you go with a smaller vase, you can place it inside your tray; if you go for a larger vase, then more often than not, the vase would go outside of the tray. But, again, depending on the size of your tray and table, a larger vase can work well on a tray.

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3. Incorporate a candle and matches or coasters.

Set the mood in your living space by grabbing your favorite small candle and/or incense burning set and some matches and placing them together inside your tray along with a beautiful set of coasters. This arrangement comes in handy when relaxing or hosting an intimate gathering.

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4. Add personality and interest with coffee table books.

Featuring coffee table books in your space adds a very personal touch to any arrangement. Styled open or stacked, coffee table books give you an opportunity to show off your interests and personality to friends and guests.

We’ve done a handful of posts already on our favorite coffee table books, some of which are featured below. These make for great styling pieces closed but also add interest when they’re sitting open.

Added bonus: they make really great gifts, too!

5. Feature something sculptural for even more interest.

Here’s yet another opportunity to add some unique and inspiring artistic flair to your arrangement. Add a piece that’s sculpturally compelling and even dynamic – it can even be as simple as a decorative bowl or a set of our favorite beads draped or piled on top of a book stack or draped across an open book. You don’t necessarily have to strive for something practical here, just something that adds layers, interest, and depth.

It could even be a container to hold remotes or a deck of cards if you want something a bit more functional. Or you can have both a sculptural piece and a container, again, depending on the sizes of your pieces and how much space you have to play with.

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For those who want to know how to decorate a coffee table using a minimal approach:

If you favor the minimalist style for your coffee table, try choosing two vases in different sizes and place them slightly off-center on your table. You can add greenery or flowers, or leave them empty. You can also try our vintage watering pots, one large and one small, to pair together for your arrangement.

Don’t hesitate to explore any combination of the above items we’ve covered to achieve the exact minimalist look you want. A vase, tray, and coasters or a stack of coffee table books and a visually intriguing sculptural piece make equally simple yet sophisticated minimalist arrangements.

Learning how to decorate a coffee table is easy!

As you can see, all it takes is a little know-how to accomplish the look you want with your arrangement. These tips on how to decorate a coffee table will give you a great start for putting a styled look together that works well for your space and shows off your personality.

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