I get this question a lot. “Hope, how do I decorate my coffee table?” So I put together this post for you! I hope you love it.
- Check out some inspiration photos
When decorating any area of your home, this is where I suggest you start. If you don’t know what you like, and what kinds of decorative objects get you excited, it will be hard to create a cohesive look that you love. So start by checking out Pinterest and saving a few photos that you like.
- Plan plan plan
Now that you have an idea of what you like, take inventory of what you have. Do you have any decorative items (books, accessories, faux florals, candles) that you think you could repurpose for this space?
- Tape it out
It’s time to pick your style that you want to use and then tape it out!
There are more, but I’m going to introduce you to 2 techniques for decorating your coffee table.
>Use the grid technique. For this technique, you’ll want to essentially create decorative “piles” on your coffee table. If you have a square or
rectangle shaped coffee table, I recommend this technique. I would do 4 piles just to keep it simple. Here are a few examples of how that can look….
> Use the tray technique. This is one of my favorite styling techniques because it’s simple and quick. Pick a decorative tray that you love and choose 3-4 items to go inside. Here are a few examples of how this can look…
Note about “tape it out”. If this overwhelms you, leave it behind. If you feel like winging it and just trying things out once you buy them, I completely understand. You do you, boo.
If you prefer a more structured approach, taping it out may be helpful for you.
- Make a list
Once you’ve chosen your style and gathered the items you want to reuse (if any) you can now start to plan out what you still need and make a list of what you still need to bring in.
- Time to shop!
You can shop online, or check out somewhere like Homegoods or Marshalls for great home decor items. If shopping online, make sure to check the dimensions on your items.
- What should you look for?
>Books (colorful or neutral, totally up to you!)
>Candles
>Florals (Faux or real)
>Plants (Faux or real)
>Vases
>Bowls
>Decorative Bowls
>Whatever other decor items you can think of.
- Choose items of all shapes and sizes
Try to buy things of all shapes and sizes. Tall, short, wide and narrow. The more shapes and sizes, the better!
- Don’t be afraid to over buy
Sometimes you don’t know what items you’ll really want to use until you get started, so it’s actually best to over-buy vs. under buy. It’s likely you’ll need more items than you think.
You’ll also want to try different things and swap items out until you’re happy, so don’t be afraid to grab several items and just plan to bring back what you don’t use. Or of course, use those items in other areas of your home.
- Play!
It’s time to set up your items. Yippie! This is my favorite part.
You picked your style, so feel free to gather your inspiration photos to help you recreate those looks if you would like.
Plug and play with your items. Try varying height and shape and setup your piles or get your tray ready.
You can also play with space inbetween the shapes by pairing some items together and keeping others further apart.
- Be PROUD of yourself.
Look at what you’ve done! Wow.
If your coffee table doesn’t look like you had hoped, do not stress. This can be an overwhelming task when working with lots of different items. Sit with it for a bit and move things around as you feel necessary. Go shopping again for a few more things if you need, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Practice practice practice.
Side note: you can change things out seasonally, so don’t be afraid to switch things up every few months if you feel called.
Examples: change out color of your florals, or colors of books.
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