Dressing Up the Coffee Table

Having already discussed Sofas, Teal Wall Colors and Living Room Decor, it's high time I touch upon the most utilitarian piece of furniture in a Living Room - the Coffee Table. Looking at the heading, you must be wondering, ain't she going for an overkill?? With already a lot of other decor items clamouring for attention, over accessorizing a coffee table will only lead us to decor mayhem. Hear me out, please. How about ideas for clutter-free accessorizing by layering your knick-knacks while playing with height without compromising the functional aspect of the table, in fact, adding to it? 

In my Diwali post, you must have noticed how I decorated my coffee table with a tray and on top of it I played with the varying heights of the hurricane vases, candle stands adding vertical interest and the books balancing it with their horizontal alignment.

Similarly, see below more ways of decorating dressing up your coffee table with trays and layering it with other decorative accessories - 

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Or when trays are just a part of a curated display - 

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Courtesy : House Beautiful

Or when you find regular rectangular trays boring - 

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Traditional Living Room by Sydney Media & Bloggers A Beach Cottage

Courtesy : Houzz

Transitional Living Room by Mill Valley Interior Designers & Decorators Jute Interior Design

Courtesy : Houzz

When you want to use what you have and don't have a spare tray worth displaying -

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Sometimes a stack of books can work wonders - 

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For the days, you want your fresh flowers to take center-stage - 

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So summing up the ideas derived for a fail-safe solution to dressing up your coffee table for an added oomph are - 

1) Play with Height - Create visual interest by alternating and playing with height like mixing tall candle stands or hurricane vases with a small decorative piece

2) Display a collection - it can be ceramic animals or blue pottery or even shells from your beach vacations

3) What works every time?? Trays and Books - Trays add definition, reduce the clutter and break the size of a large table and books, well, books are a fail-safe decor item. They are my numero uno decor choice, probably, only after mirrors.

4) Nature Talk - Add freshness and/or earthiness by adding natural elements like flowers, a conch shell or a wooden bowl.

5) Don't neglect the Under - don't forget to utilize the space under the table. In the excitement of decorating, don't fill the entire top surface of your table with no room, even, for a coffee mug - use the space UNDER.

6) Display your quirky side - It can be anything kitschy or something that depicts the area you live in like a typical Yellow-Black taxi model perfect for a Mumbai/Kolkata home.

Tell me you, yes you - what's on your coffee table?