How To Style Your Dream Coffee Table At Home With Sweet Decor's Top Tips
Your coffee table isn’t just a spot for your remote control or half-finished cup of tea, it’s a focal point of your living room. With a few simple styling tips, you can turn your coffee table into a visually stunning centrepiece that reflects your personality and enhances your decor.
Step 1 - Start With a Clean Slate
Before anything else, clear off your coffee table completely wipe it down and get ready to play around with some different ideas. Having a blank canvas to work with helps you visualise what works and what doesn’t. When you think you have a look you're happy with leave the room for a minute or so then walk back in and see how it feels at first glance. I always do this and it really helps me with my decision making.
Step 2 - Create a Foundation
Firstly start by adding a base layer that grounds your items. This could be a styling tray, a stack of books, or a decorative cloth piece. Trays are especially helpful because they add structure and can group smaller items together for a more cohesive look.
Step 3 - Balance Height and Scale
Add elements of varying heights to keep the eye moving and make the arrangement feel dynamic. Think tall vases, short candles, and medium-height sculptures or jars. The key is to avoid too many objects of the same size.
Top Tip: One tall item (like a vase or plant)
One medium item (like a bowl or box)
One low item (like a stack of books or a small tray)
Step 4 - Layer With Books
Books are a coffee tables best friend and are essential to the overall look. Stack 2–3 stylish books to add height and interest. Choose topics that reflect your interests or hobbies, like Interior design, fashion, travel, photography, etc.
Style Tip: Stack books by size (largest on bottom) and then top with a decorative item like a small sculpture or candle.
Step 5 - Add Something Green
Plants or flowers bring life and colour to your space. Whether it’s a fresh bouquet of flowers or a small potted succulent, greenery softens the setup and keeps it feeling fresh and welcoming.
Step 6 - Use Odd Numbers
Group items in odd numbers typically threes for a natural, balanced look. This trick is pleasing to the eye and commonly used in interior design to avoid a too-symmetrical, staged feel.
Step 7 - The Personal Touch
Include one or two items that reflect who you are. A travel souvenir, a vintage find, or a quirky object you love, this can make your table feel personal and lived-in, not like it has came straight out of a magazine.
Step 8 - Keep It Functional
Leave room for practicality! You still need a place to put down drinks, snacks, or the occasional board game. A beautiful coffee table is great, but not if it's too cluttered to use.
Extra Thoughts - Change It Up With the Seasons
Update your coffee table decor with the seasons to keep things fresh and fun. Add pumpkins in autumn, pinecones or metallics in winter, fresh blooms in spring, and coastal or tropical elements in summer. This is one of my personal favourite things to do. I find it very theraputic and relaxing plus after it's done it makes the room feel like new again.
Glass Coffee Table Tips
A glass coffee table can add elegance, lightness, and a modern touch to any room—but it also comes with its own unique styling considerations. Here's how to style a glass coffee table effectively.
The beauty of a glass table is its see-through surface, so make use of it! Choose items that look good from all angles, especially from underneath. Think sculptural objects, decorative bowls, or transparent vases to set the tone and mood of the space.
Styling your coffee table is all about the balance between beauty and function, personal and curated, simple and layered.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and move things around until it feels just right. Sometimes the best designs come from new ideas.
So go ahead, grab your favourite candle, some beautiful books, and make your coffee table the stylish centrepiece it deserves to be.
Have Fun
Sarah xoxo