How To Style Your Coffee Table

Want an easy refresh? Style your coffee table. Whether it’s a modern style coffee table or a relaxed coffee table scandi style look, these simple tips will help you nail your coffee table styles.

A coffee table is the spot everyone gravitates towards in your living room. Drinks get parked there. Remotes live there. It’s where you put your feet up. So the goal isn’t “perfect”. It’s just styled enough to look intentional, but still practical. 

Whether you’ve got a modern style coffee table, a chunkier industrial style coffee table, a warm mid century style coffee table, a relaxed coffee table scandi style look, a playful 70’s style coffee table, or something more characterful like a cottage style coffee table or antique style coffee table, the best results come from the same simple approach.

If you only take one thing from this guide, take this: great coffee table styling is just three layers. Something flat to ground it. Something tall to lift it. Something personal to make it homey. 

10 Coffee Table Styling Ideas

1. Layer Books For Height And Personality

Books do two jobs at once. First, they add height, which instantly makes the table feel more “styled”. Second, they quietly show your interests, which is what stops coffee table styling feeling like a showroom.

Pick two or three books you like looking at (art, travel, food, photography), stack them in one spot, and let the covers and spines become part of the design. The bonus is that a book stack is also a brilliant base for layering. It gives you a steady platform for a small vase, a candle, or a catch-all bowl, and it naturally invites people to flick through when they’re sat down.

This works with every look. On a mid century style coffee table, warmer tones and vintage-style covers feel right. With a modern style coffee table, keep it crisp and graphic. For a cottage style coffee table or antique style coffee table, choose softer colours and classic imagery so it feels collected, not curated.

2. Corral Items On A Tray

If you want your coffee table to feel tidy without being “too done”, start with a tray. It grounds everything, makes the styling feel intentional, and it gives you a stable surface for everyday life.

A tray also makes practical sense. Drinks feel steadier, candles sit safer, and you’re protecting the tabletop from water rings and scratches. Go rectangular if you want a structured look, or round if you want the styling to feel softer and more relaxed.

It’s especially useful on larger surfaces, where small pieces can look a bit lost. And if your coffee table doubles as an ottoman, a tray is the simplest way to make it feel usable without wobble.

3. Bring In Greenery Or Blooms

Greenery is the easiest way to make a coffee table feel fresh. It softens hard lines, adds life to neutral rooms, and makes the whole setup look finished in seconds.

You can keep it simple with a small plant, a vase of dried stems, or a loose bunch of flowers. Real or faux both work, as long as it suits your space. The key is scale. Choose something that lifts the styling, but doesn’t block the telly or dominate the room.

This is an easy win across coffee table styles. For a coffee table scandi style look, go light and airy. For a 70’s style coffee table, lean into warmer tones and richer greens. For industrial style coffee table styling, greenery is the perfect balance against darker finishes and sharper shapes.

4. Use A Simple Focal Object On Minimalist Tables

If the table itself is the statement, keep the styling minimal. Sculptural shapes, marble tops, concrete finishes and bold silhouettes look best when the décor doesn’t compete.

A single focal piece is often enough. A simple vase of flowers, one bowl, or one candle moment keeps the table feeling intentional while still letting the design shine. This is one of the cleanest ways to style a modern style coffee table, because it keeps that calm “less is more” feel.

The goal here is restraint. One strong item looks confident. Lots of small ones can start to feel like clutter.

5. Arrange Objects In A Grid For Rectangular Tables

Rectangular coffee tables are easiest to style when you think in “zones”. A grid layout creates balance and symmetry, which makes the whole table feel calmer.

A simple way to do this is to style two areas. For example, a tray and books on one side, then a smaller piece (like a candle or decorative box) on the other. You’re not filling every inch. You’re creating a layout that feels considered, especially on longer surfaces.

This works particularly well with chunkier styles like an industrial style coffee table, where a balanced layout stops the table feeling heavy. It’s also a smart trick for keeping a mid century style coffee table looking tidy without losing warmth.

6. Add Tactile Curiosities

A coffee table should feel inviting, not delicate. Adding one tactile object brings personality and gives the eye something interesting to land on.

Think textured bowls, wooden beads, stone spheres, a small sculpture, or something under glass. These pieces work because they’re simple, but they add a “conversation starter” feel. They also make the styling feel layered without adding colour or pattern overload.

For a modern style coffee table, keep it sculptural and clean. For a cottage style coffee table or antique style coffee table, lean into pieces that look collected over time, like natural stone, wood, or aged finishes.

7. Incorporate Woven Or Natural Textures

If your living room has lots of smooth finishes (glass, glossy paint, metal, polished wood), woven textures add instant warmth. A rattan-style tray or basket softens the look without adding clutter.

This is a natural fit for scandi style coffee tables, where texture does a lot of the heavy lifting. It also suits a cottage style coffee table, because it adds that relaxed, homely feel.

And if you’ve got an industrial style coffee table, this is one of the best balancing moves you can make. Natural textures stop the space feeling too stark, while still keeping it grown-up.

8. Introduce Metallics Or Candles For Height And Shine

A little shine makes a coffee table feel finished, especially in the evening. Metallic accents and candles add height, reflection, and a touch of “lift” without needing loads of décor.

Taper candles are great for verticality, especially in a staggered pair. A single metallic vase or decorative bowl can do the same job, adding a focal point that catches the light. Keep it simple and let the height do the work.

This works across most coffee table styles. It looks clean and intentional on a modern style coffee table, and it can feel warmer and more expressive on a 70’s style coffee table, where metallic tones suit that slightly playful vibe.

9. Leave Space For Games Or Daily Use

The best coffee table styling always leaves room for real life. If you host, have kids, love a board game night, or just want somewhere to put a drink without a shuffle, don’t style the whole surface.

A simple rule is to style one section and keep one section clear. A tray helps massively because it “contains” the styled area, so the rest stays usable. You can even leave a couple of games on the table if you actually play them. It encourages people to get stuck in, rather than feeling like they can’t touch anything.

10. Coordinate Colours With The Room

The quickest way to make coffee table styling look cohesive is to repeat colours you already have in the space. Pull shades from cushions, a rug, wall art, or even the undertones in your sofa, then echo them through a vase, candle, book covers, or flowers.

You don’t need a perfect match. You’re just creating a link, so the coffee table styling feels like part of the room, not an add-on. This matters for all coffee table styles, but it’s especially helpful if you’re mixing textures and finishes, like a wood table with metal accents, or a bold table in a calmer space.

Ready To Style Your Coffee Table?

If you want it to look intentional but still practical, start with a tray or a stack of books, add something natural like greenery, and then choose one or two finishing touches that fit your room. These are the same building blocks we use again and again, whether you lean modern, Scandi, industrial, mid-century, 70s, cottage, or antique.