A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be asked to speak to the lovely ladies of Junior League here in Oklahoma City about interior decor. I was (SUPPPPPPPPPPER) nervous btw. I hate public speaking. But I did it, loved it and loved connecting with a group of local ladies who are as passionate about creating beautiful spaces as much as I am.

Afterwards I got so many questions, and was asked if I had a section on my site which talked about design tips. So I’ve started this series that will speak to design questions, and How To’s. The first of which is How To Style a Coffee Table.

So, without further adoooo.

This is the Coffee Table in my new living room. If you’ve been following along for a while now, you know that this space is brand spanking new. (Check out the before and after here.)

My intention was for it to look effortless and not overly styled. But that’s harder than you’d think! So I’ve put together a little mini tutorial to help.

Each time I style a coffee table, I try to incorporate most of the following things.

Starting with the most important part. A great foundation or base.

Start with a Foundation

When styling a coffee table, you will undoubtedly be working with a lot of “things”. (Think books, objects, flowers etc.) And “things” always look better in groupings. Or at least clumped together to leave at last SOME open space. (P.S. Open space is GOOD. If there aren’t some blank spaces, it just looks like everything is all piled up and busy. Not a good look.)

So starting with a foundation helps to keep all the things together and grouped. It’s like a guide. Start with this first and work your way in.

I love using trays, (Love the beautiful Creme de la Creme one I’ve used by Rosana) books, or even bowls to do this. All of the above are considered a foundation, so use at least one!

Next, and I may be working backwards here, but it’s one of the most commonly overlooked. Height. Incorporate something tall!

Something Tall

Varying heights will create visual interest. Just like in advertising, artists use imagery to draw the eye in the shape of a ‘Z’ so that your eyes go from left, to right to left and finally right, ending at the bottom right corner of a page. Same concept here. Use objects to draw the eye to distinct areas of the table.

So don’t be afraid to use something tall! Just keep in mind what the room will be used for. If there is a TV for example, don’t go so tall that it obstructs the view. Something easy is a potted plant or a vase of flowers. (Remember, always something living in each space!)

Next up is to incorporate something interesting. We are all used to seeing the stacked fashion books, the flowers, the fancy candle… But that just makes it look like everyone else’s coffee table. Right? So… add something unexpected!

Something Unexpected

Ultimately, the goal is to have a beautiful space that the viewer will appreciate. Something that gives the eye something to look at. A great way to do this is to add something unexpected. I love “shopping” from other areas of my home and bringing in unexpected little pieces. In this vignette I added a an arrangement of rocks scouted from a recent Colorado trip inside a beautiful brass display case from West Elm.

Something that Makes you Happy

Though you want to wow your guests with your kick butt coffee table style, remember: You are the ultimate target audience. It’s your space! Your opinion is what really matters. So be sure to include items that conjur up a favorite memory, or feeling. I love Paris. My last trip was one of my favorite memories. It will always hold a special place in my heart and I love being reminded of that trip. So this little Paris guide book is a perfect way to do that.

Stack Books Horizontally & Vertically

I like the idea of a styled space looking thrown together. Much the same way we all roll our eyes when we see an overly styled instagram photo, (I’m guilty too.) When a space seems overly styled, it doesn’t seem as authentic. We all feel more comfortable in space that seems genuine and real. Real people live in houses. Real people have books that aren’t all perfectly straight on a coffee table. So stacking some books horizontally, and some vertically adds just a little bit of visual contrast.

Something From Nature

I know I always say to add something living in each room. But this takes it a step further. I love using organic things in a room too. Not necessarily things that are still living. I come from a farming/ranching family and a favorite of mine to use are horns, turtle shells or bleached skulls. (It’s ok to cringe. I do too each time I open up a Christmas gift and it’s an old cow skull.) I also like using starfish, shells and rocks.

Sidenote: Said turtle shells, skulls and horns are ALWAYS objects that we’ve found. Always.

. . .

Aside from just styling a coffee table, here are a few other tips I like to use when styling in general.

Leave the Room:

After spending what may seem like hours styling a particular area, stand up, and walk out of the room. It could be for just a minute or maybe more. Then walk back in. Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to see if what you’ve been working on makes sense. I do this in every space I work on. And I get the same look from my clients who are watching along side me every time. “WTF is she doing? Is she leaving?” Nope. Just giving my eyes a refresher. Sometimes I’ll be styling something for so long, and then stand up only to realize what I’ve been working so hard at styling can’t even be seen unless the viewer is bent down in a spot that nobody will likely ever be. So stand up, take a step back and come back in the room like it’s the first time  you’ve ever been there.

Groups of Three:

Just about everything looks better in odd numbers. It’s a fact. No. It’s science. Well. Maybe. I dunno. Numbers and Science hurt my brain. But it’s true. Things just look better in odd numbers. Most things anyways. So go with groupings of threes. You won’t be sorry. It will look less overly styled and more thrown together. Ya know, more effortless.

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