How to dress a coffee table
If you’ve recently visited one of our show homes, you might have noticed how beautifully the coffee tables are styled in the living rooms of each house type. The centre point of every living area, coffee tables are a key furniture piece which can make your lounge look spectacular.
By adorning it with trinkets, trays, plants, books, and candles you can really make your coffee table something special. However, coffee table styling can be seen as a bit of an art, so we pinned down Vanessa Loveridge, Director of Signature Interiors, our show home design company to put together some hints and tips to help you achieve that ‘show home’ coffee table look.
Vanessa’s number one tip is to remember to keep functionality at the heart of your coffee table choice. Your coffee table needs to serve a purpose, whether that’s to have somewhere to put down your cup of tea whilst watching TV, or be a place of interest to keep some of your favourite things.
Your coffee table needs to be the right size, in both height, length and width, make sure you assess the space where your coffee table sit before purchasing. It needs to be in proportion to the space and needs to work well with your sofa! Plus, you can see your coffee table from all points of your room as it’s usually centered in the middle of your living area. This means you need to consider every angle when choosing, and subsequently styling your table.
When you’ve found your dream coffee table, whether it be, gorgeous glass, scandi chic or rustic wood, when styling it, Vanessa states that you should make sure you choose objects with varying heights to create visual appeal. Display an assortment of shapes to generate interest. Consider, focus, do you want to have one key focus piece within your styling, such as a plant or do you want multiple objects for the eye to scan?
Consider composition and the rule of three, when collating objects together arranging them in odd numbers makes your display more appealing, memorable, and effective. However, if you have a square coffee table, try splitting it into quarters and add a decorative item to each one of the four sections. Also choose a colour palette for your coffee table that matches your room’s design.
Credits: @Renmoreno.1
Give the items you are going to place on your coffee table some thought; items which are commonly used by stylists on coffee tables include stacks of books, plants, candles, a bowl, photographs, vases, and trays. Trays are great for keeping all your essentials organised, placing on a tray your remotes, a matchbox for candles or coasters will help keep your coffee table tidy. Treat your coffee table as a snapshot of your home and personality. If you love reading go for books, if you’re a plant lover then reflect that in your styling.
Although, make sure that you avoid overloading your coffee table! Particularly if your coffee table has a shelf beneath it or is resting on an eye-catching rug. Less is more. Last but not least, once your coffee table is styled, step back and admire it. Walk into the room from each entrance and check out your table, take a few photos of it and shift things around until you’re happy with them from wherever you’re standing. That way you can ensure that it is as beautiful as can be!
Check out how this Gleeson customer has styled their coffee table this Autumn!
Credits: @our_little_lisburn
We hope these tips help you to master the art of coffee table styling with ease. For more inspiration why not take a trip to one of our over 100 show homes across the North and the Midlands? We have over 20 house styles to wow you at over 80 developments. Find your dream home today and make an appointment to view our show homes here.
