Styling a Coffee Table Like a Pro

Let’s be honest: most of us use our coffee tables as a catch-all for mail, mugs, and maybe a rogue sock. But deep down, we all want that Pinterest-perfect vignette—the one that says, “Yes, I read hardcovers and definitely don’t eat microwaved quesadillas here at midnight.”

Here’s how to style your coffee table like a pro… or at least like someone who occasionally dusts.

image credit: Ashley Montgomery

Option 1: The Tray
A tray corrals your stuff and makes chaos look intentional. Bonus: if guests show up and you need to hide the remote, four half-used coasters, and a mystery Lego? Just lift and pivot.

image credit: Pinterest

Step 2: The Rule of Threes
Designers love odd numbers. Three things = artsy. Stack a book (preferably one with a title like Wabi Sabi for Beginners), add a candle, and top it off with something alive, or maybe something structural. 

image credit: Heidi Callier

Step 3: Vary Your Heights
Flat = boring. Mix it up. Tall candlestick, medium sculpture, tiny bowl of matches you’ll never use but look cool anyway? Perfection.

Step 4: Personal Touch
Add something quirky or sentimental. A vintage toy. A funky rock your kid swears is a fossil. 

Boom. You’re a pro. Now just train your family to not dump their cereal bowls on it, and you’re golden.

-Juliette