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Styling is a tricky business in general. You need to put in a lot of effort into deciding what pieces to buy, how to place them and how to make it all work to get that designer-look.

Coffee table styling, in particular, is all about grouping objects and adding a ton of variation in terms of height, texture and color, while making it cohesive.

If you find yourself struggling with coffee table styling, you’re not alone! Any home decor enthusiast who wants to ace the home decor game finds themselves in this dilemma. To make your job a bit easier, here are 27 coffee table styling ideas. I scoured Instagram to carefully choose these inspirations. Let’s begin!

1. Groupings of Three’s

If you don’t know yet, the rule of three is a major design rule followed by all the professional designers. It basically states that when objects are placed in a group of three, the overall look tends to be more eye-catchy and appealing to our brains. This coffee table styling inspiration has done just that. The coffee table books, decor objects in the tray are all groups of three’s. Such styling instantly catches our attention and makes the coffee table look beautiful.

2. Height Variation

Playing with the height of decor objects is yet another commonly used trick by designers. Variation of height tends to keep the eye moving across the coffee table, making the styling engaging and un-boring! You see just that in this coffee table. The marble cube, vase with a stem, wooden knot and candle each have different heights which work very well together giving the round coffee table a lot of interest and character.

3. Oversized Decor Objects

To balance out a neutral decor or a minimalistic vibe, adding a bold piece on the coffee table is a great idea. This oversized, striking, decor object is sure to be a conversation starter!

4. Keeping It Simple

I love the simplicity of this coffee table decor. It has got all the details you need for a perfect look, groups of three’s, variation of height, a statement piece, and yet it blends beautifully without being overpowering.

5. Monochromatic Palette

If you like effortless elegance, this coffee table styling inspiration is for you. You can achieve that by sticking to a monochromatic palette such as this. The key is to add a variation of height and texture. While the white books ground the decor together, the rattan box, ceramic bowl, pair of tall vases and the large bowl with decorative balls balance out the monochromatic look with their textures and height.

6. Artistic Sculpture

Making an artistic sculpture a part of your coffee table can be a way to showcase your personality. Not only will such a decor piece add character to the coffee table, it will also becomes the focal point elevating the table from functional to artistic.

7. Layered Textures

Another example of effortless elegance is this inspiration. There are so many layers going on in this coffee table. Notice the mix of wood, brass, ceramic and textile in the form of vase, candle holders, throw blanket, bowl. These layers are all working together so beautifully making the whole decor look very effortless yet elegant.

8. Layering On Trays

Using rattan trays to style decor objects makes the coffee table look collected and cohesive. If you’re like me and need everything to be organized, this inspiration is for people like us! Layering in the tray adds a lot of flexibility if objects needs to be moved around. In addition, the beautiful texture of the rattan trays serves as a stunning decorative layer on its own.

9. Seasonal Greenery

Seasonal greenery like pine branches in the winter, cherry blossoms in the spring, are a great way of bringing the outdoors indoors. Not to mention it’s an easy way to refresh your decor without spending a whole lot of money. This inspiration screams spring, summer, thanks to the beautiful seasonal greenery. The oversized stem also acts as a wonderful focal point, elevating the look of the other decor pieces surrounding it.

10. Modern Minimalistic

If modern minimalist aesthetic is your vibe, this coffee table inspiration is for you. The deep tones of black pair well with the minimalistic labels on the candle and the coffee table book. This is a classic example of how less is more and how you can achieve the designer look in a minimalistic way.

11. Contrasting Finishes

I love how there are so many contrasting finishes in this coffee table styling. The glossy marble coffee table, the ceramic vase, the brass tray, the glass bowl. This inspiration is a great example of how matte and gloss contrasting styles can work together. Your coffee table material need not dominate your choices for the decor objects. Contrast is fine, as long as it look cohesive!

12. Monochromatic Palette

This is yet another inspiration for a monochromatic styling palette. If you tend to gravitate towards a neutral color like beige, white, cream, this coffee table styling shows how you can still get the designer look without it look too sad-beige or unbalanced. So long as you play around with the height of the objects and group them nicely, you are sure to achieve that designer look.

13. Textured Accents

I chose this inspiration for those of you who have coffee tables with shelves. The shelves present a wonderful opportunity to add in more accent pieces. You can add throw blankets, woven baskets on the shelf to hold magazines, other small objects. This additional layer of texture adds more visual interest to the coffee table.

14. Organic Styling

Here’s another inspiration that shows how rattan trays can be used to style coffee tables. This example also demonstrates how you can achieve the designer look without overcrowding the coffee table with too many decor pieces. An organic ceramic vase, couple of coffee table books and real-touch faux florals are all you need to ace the game! This type of organic layering is my favorite way of styling a coffee table.

15. Color-coordinated Decor

Every piece you see on this coffee table seems to be tying into the color palette of the room. This is another way to go about styling a coffee table. The use of dark tones in the form of coffee table books and brass is balanced well with the use of marble and white, making this whole color-coordinated decor look cohesive.

If achieving cohesiveness in your decor has been a challenge, this setup is a perfect example of how to draw tones from your living room. Keep that in mind when shopping for pieces to style your coffee table.

16. Neutrals With A Pop of Color

If you’re worried about your decor looking too sad-beige or are unsure of how you can add a pop of color into your coffee table, this inspiration is for you. While everything else going on here in terms of decor and the coffee table itself is neutral - white, beige, cream, the addition of green ashtray in the center adds the pop of color. The decor object itself is not too large but still the vibrant green color adds the balancing element to this neutral coffee table styling.

17. Dual Purpose Decor

Adding a box to a coffee table styling is an ingenious way to hold all the ‘essential clutter’, like TV remotes, etc. Like in this inspiration, choose a decorative box that goes beyond it’s purpose of simply holding and storing the essentials. Make sure the color, texture, and height of this piece blends well with the rest of the decor elements on your coffee table.

18. Natural Elements

For all those of you who love organic looks and natural decor, this one’s for you. The beautiful large vase, use of rattan tray, floral stems, aged brass candle holders are all the elements in this inspiration that are giving the warm, inviting, calming look to this living room. Remember to use natural materials like ceramic, wood, brass if you love this type of decor.

19. Diagonal Balance

This is a classic Studio McGee coffee table inspiration. She really simplifies the whole coffee table styling game by simply balancing out the decor by placing similar objects (in height) in diagonally opposite directions. This effortless way of styling brings an instant visual balance, while adding variation in the texture, color and height. So if you’re still overwhelmed with coffee table styling, you can use this simple diagonal styling trick to make your job easier.

20. Open Book Decor

If you want your coffee table to look right out of Architectural Digest, do this! Keeping one of the coffee table books on an open book display stand is a surefire way to bring in an instant designer-style look to your living room. As impressive as that looks, it also is an easy way to cover a large area of the coffee table, especially if you’re unsure of what else to place.

21. Maximalist Layers

Ready to embrace the maximalist style of decor? Here’s an inspiration for you. The best thing about this coffee table is, with as many objects on display it really doesn’t seem like an overkill. This is because of the use of neutral tones and organic materials for the decor pieces. So if you too want to go all out with your coffee table decor, keep this in mind to avoid overwhelming your living room decor.

22. Small but Mighty

You don’t need a fancy or a big coffee table to showcase your styling skills. This inspiration demonstrates just that! It’s a small coffee table but the styling is on point. A rattan tray is such a clever way to make the most of a smaller surface while adding some nice texture and warmth. Plus, layering decor inside the tray makes a statement that feels super stylish and put-together.

23. Close-up Decor In a Tray

I chose this inspiration to show you a close-up of decor in a tray. You can keep it minimal by stacking books, adding a vase with florals, a small ceramic ashtray or a dish to hold a candle. The candle snuffer and wick trimmer is a wonderful addition that brings more variety to the decor.

If you’re looking for a snuffer and wick trimmer set, this one has raving reviews from Amazon.

24. Seasonal Branches as Statement Element

This setup shows you don’t always need leaves or flowers to style a coffee table beautifully. The bowl holds the leaves, while the vase showcases the branches. Such a clever way to bring a touch of fall to your decor!

25. Playful Patterns & Soft Lighting

There’s so much to love about this setup! Neutral coffee table books set the tone, while a rattan tray keeps multiple decor elements neatly arranged. The earthy vase with dried foliage adds texture, and the small lamp with a patterned shade brings in a touch of fun. It’s such a great example of how layering playful patterns and soft lighting can make your coffee table feel cozy and stylish.

26. Large Centerpiece

I would recommend this as a go-to inspiration for all the beginners in the styling game. A large centerpiece, especially on a rectangular coffee table, acts as a great jumping off point. From here, it becomes fairly easy to decorate the rest of the table. A stack of books with candle on one side and a bowl with a decorative object on the other and you’re done!

27. Balance in Unconventional Decor

This is a dynamic inspiration with a lot of asymmetry. The use of two large vases, which is not so popular, the placement of two similar candle holders on different levels of height instead of as a pair are all unconventional ways of styling a coffee table. But this inspiration shows how you can still achieve visual balance while playing around with different heights, materials, textures and experimenting with placements.

These were 27 coffee table decor ideas packed with takeaways and inspirations! I hope this post gave you some clarity and confidence in the art of styling. Don’t forget to bookmark it so you can come back whenever you need a little inspiration for your coffee table styling!

27 Coffee Table Decor Ideas to Perfect Your Living Room