Simple and Easy Ideas for Decorating Your Living Room Table

Your living room table is a sanctuary for chocolates, phones, remotes, unread books and taxes. It's always used and well loved even as a foot rest. However, you spend a lot of your time looking at that table and it is a huge part of the cosiness of a living room. So you might feel the need to want to organize it and make it look pretty and chic. Don't worry, you can still have your remotes and snacks lying around, but at least they'll be next to a pretty flower vase and a candle. No matter what your interior style is, check out these ideas on how to decorate your living room coffee table for different types of aesthetics:Coffee table decor for a classical living room

　　This room is decorated with big, classical pieces. With classical rooms, the colors mostly lean towards beiges and off-whites. For a room like this people usually go for a big table to balance the room and to fit a lot of chic decor pieces. You can try adding gold candle stick holders as well as some big coffee table books on the corner of the table. In the center you can have a crystal bowl of sweets, candy or fruits. However, try not to add too many things and overflow the table so that the room doesn't seem too crowded.

　　Coffee table decor for a colorful living room

　　A lot of people now are starting to lean towards this idea of a living space, full of color and joyfulness. We've been actually seeing a lot of colorful wall colors with brights like emerald green and yellow. Sometimes this decor style actually leans a little towards bohemian vibes. In this case, you can balance things out a little by having white decor pieces when it comes to your coffee table. You can have a nice simple vase with a white candle and add touches of bright color with flowers or green plants.

　　Coffee table decor for a rustic living room

　　Rustic home decor includes a lot of wood, whether for the flooring, walls or chairs and even the living room table. You can try placing a clear vase or a pottery vase with some bright flowers to bring some lightness into the room. You can also add coffee table books to bring some more modernity into the room.

　　Coffee table decor for a modern living room

　　For a modern luxurious living room, metal, copper or brass coffee tables are very popular. When picking decorative pieces complement the table with metal candle sticks, a mirrored tissue box and magazines or coffee table books with bright covers.As for more simplistic modern interiors with subtle chairs, rugs and a white table, having colored flowers and bright colored candles is going to bring out your room's beauty.

　　Coffee table decor for a geometric living room

　　If you love a geometric living space with a leather couch, squared lamp and statuesque bookends, you should also go for a similar style when it comes to your coffee table. You can add statement circular candles and curved sculptures and stick to your living room's theme with colors like black and grey.

　　Main Image Credits: Pottery Barn via Elle Decor

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　　　40 Fresh Ways to Decorate Your Coffee Table

　　Unless you started a living room revolution and got rid of your coffee table, there’s a good chance it’s one of the most important pieces in your space. Your coffee table is so much more than a surface to kick up your feet or place a glass of wine. As the focal point of your living room, it acts as an anchor for your ottomans, armchairs, and sofas.Your coffee table is such an important part of your living room, so it’s important it is designed to the nines. Does stacking art books on your coffee table feel lackluster? Don’t worry, we found 40 fresh ways to up your coffee table decor.

　　 Minette Hand1. Embrace Flower PowerNever underestimate the impact of a bright bouquet of flowers in a sophisticated vase paired with a stylish stack of magazines on your coffee table. The setup in Aviva Falk and Nick Bonham’s Brooklyn abode feels fun and feminine, but also functional.

　　 Monique Larroux2. Go GlamIn this Tennessee house tour, an edgy mix of chrome-finished vessels and a black-and-white tray turns a neutral coffee table into a stunning living room scene.

　　 Bethany Nauert3. Create an Artful ArrangementTurn a low-lying coffee table into a bonafide work of art by employing a few eye-catching decor objects. This California rental features a geometric sculpture and malachite stone.

　　 Tanya Lacourse4. Get the Tray TreatmentA cute catchall tray can go a long way on a coffee table. Case in point: Apartment Therapy editor Tayrn Williford’s Atlanta, Georgia loft, where she employed a chic tray to corral controllers, matches, and more on a large travertine coffee table.

　　 Roxy Rodriguez5. Try a Two-Tiered TableLooking for an innovative way to bring some serious glamour to your living room? Place some flashy art objects on the lower level of a clear, two-tiered coffee table to make a statement without occupying too much surface space. Let Brittaney Elise Minton’s New York City apartment show you how it’s done.

　　 Reid Rolls6. Go GreenYou can always count on a bit of greenery to brighten up a humdrum coffee table. Follow in Linda Cava’s footsteps and set a couple of succulents in petite planters on your coffee table to energize your space with natural elements, like she did inside her Brooklyn abode.

　　 Submitted by Amanda7. Play With ProportionsAnchor a graciously sized coffee table with a design-savvy tray, like the silver platter styled with small plants and flowers we spotted in Amanda’s New York City apartment.

　　 Pablo Enriquez8. Keep it SimpleMinimalist lovers rejoice: You can simply decorate the surface of a two-tiered table, which is great for stashing stuff underneath. In Allison and Ben Yarrow’s Brooklyn house, a clean catchall tray was the hero of the coffee table.

　　 Bethany Nauert9. Create a Museum-Worthy SpreadWhoever said a coffee table can’t look like a museum exhibit has obviously never seen Scott Jarrell and Kristan Cunningham’s downtown Los Angeles home. Arrange a few artful artifacts and interesting baubles on your own coffee table to score a similar gallery-style display in your living room.

　　 Lana Kenney10. Add Some BeadsSearching for a simple way to dress up your coffee table in seconds? Draw inspiration from Anne and Steve’s Cape Town home and place a strand of natural beads on your coffee table.

　　 Marisa Vitale11. Keep it NaturalNothing brings boho charm to a room like natural decor accents. Adorn your coffee table with organic elements—like the crystal stones and houseplants we spotted in Jaya Williams, Maggie Shafran, and Steph Sloan’s Los Angeles home—to usher in some earthy vibes.

　　 Apartment Therapy12. Embrace Your Eclectic SideWhether with a bright bouquet of flowers or a whimsical knickknack like the dinosaur toy we spotted in Hallie Glennie’s Chicago loft, a solid mix of art objects, books, and flowers can turn any coffee table into a stylish setup in seconds.

　　 William Strawser13. Make it MaximalistToo much of a good thing can be wonderful, especially when it comes to decorating your coffee table. Take Peti Lau’s New York City apartment, for example. The space’s coffee table boasts a medley of books, candles, magazines, catchalls, and baubles, and provides the perfect amount of style.

　　 Julia Brenner14. Spruce it up With SymmetryWhen decorating your coffee table, remember that placement matters, too. A symmetrical setup, like the two stacks of books separated by a plant terrarium in the center we spotted in Carly Berlin’s New York City rental, will instantly update any coffee table surface.

　　 Ana Kamin15. Add Some Cute CoastersA few eye-catching coasters can work wonders for a drab coffee table. Employ an artful coaster or two on your coffee table to bring a pop of personality to your living room. Cindy Zhang has a vinyl record-turned-coaster in her San Francisco studio.

　　 Esteban Cortez16. Accessorize, Accessorize, AccessorizeThe bigger the coffee table, the more design opportunity. Follow in Genevieve Bandrowski and Ashley Campbell’s footsteps and invest in a large-scale coffee table with built-in storage so you can decorate it to your heart’s content, just like they did inside their Oakland, California rental.

　　 Julia Brenner17. A Sleek SetupAs Luke and Claire Staszak’s Chicago apartment shows, a single decor accent can be all it takes to make a statement on a coffee table. Whether with a colorful tray or a bold book, a lone (but attractive) decorative object can make a big impact on a coffee table.

　　 Federico Paul18. Space it OutSearching for a simple (and symmetrical) way to upgrade your living room in a pinch? A handful of evenly-spaced books or magazines on your coffee table looks surprisingly hip and design-savvy, just like we saw in Carina Michelli’s Buenos Aires home.

　　 Marisa Vitale19. Organize With a BasketNot working with a ton of storage space on your coffee table? No problem. A small but chic storage basket can slide right under your coffee table to offer up extra room for stashing stuff. For inspiration, check out Meghan and Jesse Arlen’s Los Angeles abode.

　　 Selena Kirchhoff20. Grab Some GreensOne big plant can transform your entire coffee table surface into a stylish scene in seconds. Take a cue from Alison and Derek Fandel and use a large, leafy green houseplant to anchor a long coffee table just like we saw in their Atlanta, Georgia, living room.

　　 Lita Lee21. Do it DoubleWhy have one stylish accent item on your coffee table when you can have two? Take a hint from Lita Lee’s Canadian crib and place a leafy green houseplant on top of a nice-looking tray or basket to make twice the impact.

　　 Katy Cartland22. Create a Colorful SurfaceLooking for a goof-proof way to bring all the different colors in your living room together? Decorate the surface of your coffee table with accent items that draw from the room’s color palette, just like we saw in Des Ellis’ Houston, Texas, home.

　　 Lula Poggi23. Pull up a SeatA pair of petite accent chairs, like the ones we spotted in Clara Marina’s Barcelona abode, is a clever way to dress up a pared-down coffee table and offer some child-sized seating in your living room.

　　 Cathy Pyle24. Put a Pitcher on ItWhy invest in an old-fashioned flower vase when you can put your bouquets in a pretty pitcher on your coffee table instead? Follow in Katy and Jules’ footsteps and opt for a pitcher to hold flowers or plants for an unexpectedly sophisticated coffee table display, just like they did inside their living room in London.

　　 Nancy Mitchell25. Flex your DIY MuscleTransform even the tiniest of coffee tables into a storage-savvy setup with nothing more than an attractive catchall tray. Natasha and Rob Habermann’s 350-square foot New York City apartment offers endless inspiration.

　　 Chelsea Pursley26. Build a PlanterWho needs a planter when you can turn your coffee table into an indoor garden? The coffee table-slash-planter in Chelsea Pursley’s Austin, Texas rental is perfect for growing small plants—no vessels necessary.

　　 Apartment Therapy27. Get GeometricSearching for a fun way to dress up a round coffee table? Geometrical objects, like the mini pyramid sculpture we spotted in Cindy Epping’s Portland, Oregon living room, provides a nice contrast to a shapely coffee table.

　　 Mia Blessinger28. Split it UpHannah Wilson’s Dallas digs shows how to combine a minimalist and maximalist coffee table setup by using the surface a two-toned coffee table to play with the two different decor schemes.

　　 Lauren Kolyn29. Mix and Match StylesUpdate your old coffee table by styling it with a few modern art objects or vessels to instantly update the space, just like we saw in Cynthia Zamaria and Graham Loughton’s Ontario home.

　　 Ana Kamin30. Master the Pared-Down LookAna Kamin’s San Francisco apartment makes a case for neutrals. Here, the pared-down accents complete the coffee table without overpowering its eye-catching design.

　　 Heather Keeling31. Lay LowA low-lying coffee table, like the one we spotted in Angela’s Portland, Oregon home, is a great place to show off your small (but treasured!) trinkets and knick-knacks.

　　 Marisa Vitale32. Be BoldA clear coffee table is no match for a few carefully curated, colorful items. Salvatore and Amina’s downtown Los Angeles rental features a glass-topped coffee table energized by bright flowers and loads of multicolored origami accent pieces.

　　 Andrea Posadas33. Raise it UpA sleek serving board, like the marble one we spotted in Amanda Holstein’s San Francisco living room, instantly elevates a coffee table while still providing plenty of storage space.

　　 Kim Lucian34. Style a StackWhen in doubt, you can always count a couple of neatly stacked piles of books or magazines to liven up your coffee table. In Jesica Ryzenberg’s San Francisco rental, she made a statement by placing an interesting accent on top of a pristine stack of magazines.

　　 Alexis Buryk35. Invest in Transparent PiecesSee-through furnishings are awesome for creating the illusion of more space in a small apartment—and Felicity Graham Sargent’s Brooklyn studio is no exception. Instead of cramping up her tiny living room zone with bold and bulky decorative items, she stuck with a glass coffee table and transparent accent pieces to keep the space clean and clear.

　　 Kelly Brown and Melissa Milakovic36. Specialize in Sneaky StorageSearching for a minimalist-minded way to style your coffee table? A coffee table with built-in storage—like the option in Melissa and Ramzy’s Canadian home—allows you to keep your favorite reading materials within arm’s reach (sans the unsightly clutter).

　　 Soffia Gardarsdottir37. Take a SeatNothing maximizes a small space like multifunctional furniture. Turn your coffee table into a makeshift dining nook by throwing a couple of plush floor pillows or poufs underneath it, just like we saw in Soffia Gardarsdottir’s farmhouse in Alftanes, Iceland.

　　 Pablo Enriquez38. Double-Duty DesignPro tip: Turn a dresser into a coffee table, as seen in Shelley Worrell and Janluk Stanislas’ Brooklyn home. In the living room, the pair stylishly conceal a three-drawer dresser under a slim-framed side table to forge a coffee table arrangement with loads of storage opportunity.

　　 Leanne Bertram39. Wow With a RugThe fun rug in Kimberlee Brown’s South Australia living room livens up a glass coffee table without taking up an inch of surface space.

　　 Claire Bock40. Add a Pop of ColorLooking for a failsafe way to bring some color into your living room? A couple of brightly hued decorative items on your coffee table—like the neon yellow and pink vessels we spotted in Steve and Heather Sack’s San Francisco home–add a pop of color to the room without overpowering the space.

　　A Utah pioneer house deftly updated for modern life

　　In my opinion, the foundation of any work you do with clients is trust," says Meta Coleman. It's not an unusual thing for an interior designer to say, but it resonates particularly with this house, whose owners speak so warmly of Meta, and she of them, that a kind of friendliness seems to radiate from the walls. First built by Scandinavian pioneers in the mid-19th-century, the house is part of a small town, Spring City, that has always thrived on tight bonds within the community. Lovingly restored by its previous owners, the cottage is intimately linked to the history of the town, and it took a light touch on Meta's part to bring it up to date.

　　Having long worked as a stylist, Meta first came to this cottage in the small Utah town of Spring City in 2016 to style its interiors for a book. At that time the owners, Shari and Randal Thatcher, had been living there for several years, and were wary of making any changes to the house that might disrupt its charm and character. Moving to Spring City from Seattle, the couple bought the property – a traditional rock house with wooden outbuildings – from a German couple who had worked in antiques and reproductions. They had worked on the place over many years, filling it with handmade furniture, adding a traditional German stove and retaining the simple, graceful feel of the pioneer house it had once been. They also named it 'Das Haus in der Sonne' (the house in the sun), hand-painting the sign that still hangs at the front. With a history of such devotion, it is easy to see why Shari and Randall were reluctant to change anything.

　　Nonetheless, as Shari says, "it didn't quite feel like us." And when Meta arrived to spruce things up, "I fell in love!" Meta was just beginning the transition from styling into interior design, driven by a desire to create spaces that would reflect the personalities of their inhabitants in a lasting way, rather than just for a day at a time, as happens on shoots. Trust and respect were vital in this process, as this was not a house where it would be possible or desirable to start from scratch. Much of the furniture and all of the architectural features of the house had be preserved, but a sense of renewed youth and joy was to emerge from the details: the use of colour, pattern, light, and the fresh arrangement of existing things.

　　Textiles and wallpapers went a long way in this scheme. "We wanted to retain a Scandinavian feel to the house," says Meta, "so I brought in some Josef Frank patterns that Shari was particularly drawn to." The sofa in the living room is covered in the vibrant botanical pattern 'Under Ekvatorn', while the walls in the bathroom are papered in 'Klöverblad'. Finding out about Shari's love of magenta, Meta upholstered a slipper chair in that colour to complement the sofa. A rich green rug grounds the colour scheme in the living room, adding a layer of comfort to the pine flooring and bringing a sense of the outdoors inside.

　　Meta presents her clients with a detailed questionnaire at the start of the project, and by this means determined that the sofa would need to be long and deep enough for Randal's afternoon naps, and that Shari should have a footstool made where she could put her feet up as she embroiders. The couple had amassed a substantial art collection during their years in Seattle, and also collect pieces by local artists (Spring City has become something of an artists' colony); Meta arranged a gallery wall to feel as organic as possible, to reflect the collection's growth over time. "It was important that nothing felt too fussy," notes Meta. "It's not who the owners are."

　　Shari and Randal's respect for the house chimed well with Meta's own drive to avoid waste – part of the reason she has moved away from styling. "You don’t have to revamp everything," she emphasises. "You can try and see the good in what you already have, and just freshen it up." In the living room, the armchair in the corner and the characterful cabinet above were already there, and Meta simply gave the chair a new look. In the bathroom the existing wainscoting was painted a vibrant blue to ground the green of the wallpaper, while accessories such as the shell sconces and opalescent pendant add a note of playfulness. Meta even worked with the heavy Victorian furniture in the log cabin's guest bedroom, adding softly coloured textiles from Howe and Schumacher to bring a sense of lightness to an otherwise dark room. It's now a room where Randal likes to spend his time, sitting in the sun, gazing out towards Mount Nebo in the distance, strumming a ukulele.

　　Meta continues to work on the house, currently attending to the mud room, while Shari and Randal root themselves in a community that is committed to preserving its wonderful historic buildings. It's a testament to Meta's sensitivity that Randal, who initially was more reluctant to take on renovations, now loves everything she's done. "I was resistant at the beginning," he says, "and thought everything was fine as it was. But once she worked her magic, I just got it. I could see how much better it was." The key to the house's charm, much like the town's is a considered blend of the old and the new, respectful of the house's past, its beauty and dignity, but also fun, colourful, and full of joie de vivre.