If we were to examine the relationship between Global changes and our living, one of the coefficients that is the direct influence is our home. Be it the time, when the population felt the need to be unburdened by the insurgence of formality and luxury in interiors and flooded their spaces with things that comfort them and their family, leading to the origination of Bohemian decor. Moving decades ahead, it was mid-century that addressed people’s demands to make their homes a better place during the war where they could find peace and no discomfort from the ongoing activities. Today, as our lives intersected with the pandemic and we were left working remotely and spending most of our time with our families, our spaces changed to hybrid- work and living, and as this continued for a couple of months, a year in some cases, it absorbed us to be different. One of the most affected spaces, however, was our living room. A room originally designed to accommodate conversations, family time, and a few occasions to entertain guests has now a workplace too, in some cases. Understanding this and that we spend most of our time in this space, we at SimplyKalaa are dedicated to sharing tips like couch decor, choosing throw pillows, choosing art for your home, and today decorating a coffee table. The reason I picked this subject is after understanding how we tend to give character to the space with different entities and processes, but it is unarguable that a coffee table is the nerve center of the living room, and leaving it blank will only make the room look wrong as if something is missing. Therefore, in this guide, I will not only share the ideas and tips on how to decorate a coffee table but also how to arrange it perfectly. Let’s start.
How to Decorate a Coffee Table Designer Style.
1. Pick the Right Coffee Table Design.
We all have a style in mind when decorating our interiors, and there would be a flaw with this article if I did not say that even though every decor style is specific with its elements, the pieces of furniture that manufacturers sell are not entirely appropriate most of the time, at least not in every case. To be honest, this is because of the lesson that no one taught- not every furniture piece of a single style will align with each other unless we make them. In some cases, this is so distinct that the house ends up looking “too perfect.” You may ask if there is any issue with being perfect, and believe me, it is.
As Mahima explained in a recent article about couch decor, creating clutter and bringing your choices can cozy up any space. You can follow this advice while decorating a coffee table and to make the right choice, follow the following steps:
- Measure the height of your couch and look for a coffee table that is, if not exact, nearly as tall (not too tall and not too short) as the couch’s seating.
- Determine your living room’s style, and by this, I do not mean the exact interior design but between the two options, modern or classic. According to this, pick yourself a coffee table and remember that you require no extended hours for searching the right coffee table. Instead, if it’s modern, get a table that has a metallic or glass top. Your modern spaces can look great with even brutalist shapes, and if there is a coffee table with an empty box-like structure, do not hide away from getting it. Further, if you have a chic or classic style, a stone top, rustic wood finish, and glass top with elegant metal or even wooden legs can work in your favor.
- When buying a new coffee table, make sure it matches your interior color palette. It can be either harmonious with the floors or a dark but contrasting subject for your living space. I wrote an article about interior color palettes just recently that will help you more in understanding how you should match the interior colors and accents.
- In case you already have a coffee table, I am sure a newer finish can make it go with the interiors correctly. Even if you do not want to give it a finish, I am sure the following tips will help you out.
- If you repel solid surfaces for comfort, the best option is an upholstered coffee table with a wooden board in the middle.
Now that we know how to pick a coffee table for your different living rooms, it is time we understand its positioning and make it appropriate for comfort and easy reach.
2. Position Your Coffee Table Rightly.
The first step for decorating a coffee table is to look at how far the table is from the couch. To have enough room for your legs, I advise you to keep the table at 18 inches of distance from the couch or other furniture, like an accent chair.
As per the layout changes, the positioning and the distance between the coffee table and furniture changes too. For a few modern rooms with a comfortable and wide sectional, the coffee table can be at a distance, while for a few where the owner wants a cozy space, keeping everything at the right but closer distance helps. Use this tip, and then alongside our recent guide on couch decor, work on making your living space more personalized.
Now, when we speak of positioning your coffee table, it is also essential to note that you have the right rug in your space. A right rug must be able to accommodate the front legs of your couch, your coffee table, and the front legs of your accent chair. It will be even better if the rug can zone out your living space and have enough area to accommodate every furniture article, including the complete couch. For more ideas on how you should decorate with rugs, you can refer to the article we curated for you a while back.
3. Dress Up Your Coffee Table.
While modern table tops, laminate, stone, cement, wood, or glass, do not require a cloth to look good, interiors like French Country rely on cloth and classic patterns to complete as well as establish their properties. An evergreen tip that I follow for any cloth on my coffee or dining table is to pick from a muted palette that will not make these surfaces extensively planned but go rightly with the flooring and the walls. You can top this with a vase of flowers, and this coffee table will be always in the limelight of your living room, but in a very subtle way. Lastly, make sure that you stick to your color palette, and if the accents you have chosen are on a darker note, try to replicate a shade from the color scale that is a lighter shade of the exact color that will look good here.
Note that to excel at decorating a coffee table with table linen you need to be precise with the measurements and understand what type of cloth ends will be suitable for your table, depending on its shape.
For instance, if your table is rectangular like most, the overhang should be about 1/4 of the table’s height or reach the bottom shelf of the table and hide it effectively. In case the table is circular, you can go for a cozy look where the overhang touches the floor. Remember that adding all types of trims, such as lace, ruffles, fringing, or even a padded roll, can add weight to the edges and help with the arrangement as well as the style.
Quick Tip: You can always complement your round coffee table linen (with floor-length overhang) with a smaller table linen. This will add contrast and taste to your room. Further, adding inverted pleats to your table linen in the case of a rectangular or square coffee table will work out just great.
4. Use Shapes to Arrange Accessories on Your Coffee Table.
Now for the accessorizing part, your coffee table is incomplete with just a TV remote relaxing near one of the edges, and to bring this surface to life, you should always use a vase of flowers; believe me, they are never out of trend, and complement them with the right type of coffee table books, family photographs, aromatic candles, ceramicwares, and even eatables like cashew bites. Make sure that the items on your coffee table are not in excess, making the surface crowded. At the same time, it should not appear empty either. To help with this, I am sharing my fundamentals on arranging and decorating a coffee table using shapes.
1. Triangle.
As clear as the heading sounds, you can arrange your accessories in a right or an equilateral triangular manner. You need to make sure that the distance between the objects is not too much or too little, and the thing we are holding on to is cleanliness and balance. No spot should feel a lot more accommodated from a distance.
2. Triangle at Levels.
If you are a person who likes to keep your surface too clean but boast about your taste or even the books you pretend reading (we all do that), use this idea. Keep a set of books in the center of the table and to the bottom shelf use the two sides to keep further more books, such that when we see them from a distance, an equilateral triangle is formed.
3. Arc.
One of my favorite styles to arrange my coffee table accessories, you arrange your objects in a style that represents an arc when seen from the top. While decorating a coffee table in this way, always make sure that the length is adjusted as per the balance so that nothing seems accommodated more than the other.
4. Circle.
As easy as it sounds, this trick can do wonders for you if done right. Just imagine a circle and arrange your objects as if they are on the circumference of a circle and have space in between and from each other.
5. Line.
Use any two objects and keep them at a suitable distance from each other. The trick is to use ones that do not outweigh the other.
6. Point Blank.
Create a focal point on your coffee table by aligning either a sculpture, a flower vase, or a tray that has various coffee table accessories. This is the easiest and most statement-making way to decorating a coffee table that can never make a wrong impression.
5. Arrange Smaller Tables as Extension to Your Coffee Table.
While a coffee table alone can bring a lot of changes, both in terms of decor and functionality, it is also necessary to understand that without filling the space and adding characteristic elements, it remains empty. To enlarge on this topic, I suggest you bring a smaller table and align it adjacent to your coffee table or at a slight distance from it. You can decorate it with a variety of things, including a table lamp, books, and even candles. The more accommodated it is, the more good it will do. Note that this is going to be a table that is not meant to be used like a coffee table but as an accent furniture piece or to store things that you will like in your space and that you can’t rely on your coffee table for. Lastly, it is different from an end table so do not confuse yourself with it. For the end table, you can read this article about end table decor and make sure that the extension table is arranged as per your convenience.
6. Use a Light Fixture.
We have highlighted the importance of the right lighting in almost all of our decor articles, and taking a page from them, I am writing this tip for people who want their living space to be extra cozy but also illuminated enough. Use a dimmable switch for an overhang ceiling lamp so that it works as both a task and accent light. This will not only add gravity to your coffee table but also complete the styling. You can choose from a variety of lamps given your style, even if you don’t get an overhang lamp, a floor arc lamp can always work great too. Remember that in the latter case, you have to align it near the edge or circumference of the coffee table, making sure that its light is usable for reading while sitting on the nearby couch too.
Final Takeaways.
While there are many more tricks for decorating a coffee table, these are a few that focus on functionality and are approachable. What I now need from your side is to use this article in the form of steps. If you already have a coffee table, just move ahead with adjusting its look and positioning it as per the article shares. On the contrary, if you don’t have a coffee table, I advise you to explore options and pick the one within your budget and suitable for your interiors. Out of the ordinary, if you really need a coffee table at the most affordable range, use a plyboard of length not longer than 2/3rd of your couch and use a LOT of books as legs to support it. This way you will have an attractive but stable design. Lastly, you know how to decorate the surface. If you still have any questions, use the comment box to ask them away, and I will reply to them in no time. See you in the next article.
Resource.
Featured Image: Photography by Lauren Miller, via One Kindesign.
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