Surface Styling
/I’m in the delightful position with my weekly blog to share talented friends, their products or tips and this week I’m sharing five extraordinary women and their go to styling tips for coffee tables and more!
“...just me collecting and enjoying what I think are pretty things!”
When I saw this painted coffee table on Facebook Marketplace for $35.00, I knew it was exactly what I needed for our home on Cape Cod. As soon as I got it home, I began my treasure hunt for items I had on hand.
A coffee table should be topped with what makes you happy because if you’re like me, you sit in front of it a lot!
I found a few blue and white pieces, candles, books, a bowlful of shells, a thrifted black tray and a silver tray to hold our remotes. The green tin is from Thailand and a gift from my sister. There’s a hymnal from 1926 given to me by a dear friend. And a couple of vintage Cape Cod magazines. I love how everything works together. $35.00 well spent!
Because our ottoman doubles as our coffee table since we like to put our feet up, I always use a tray on top to give a flat surface to style my ever-evolving décor. I love to change up my tray about once a week. Must haves for me:
Something alive – fresh flowers, plants, foliage – sometimes more than one.
Depending on the tray size, I find it easiest to divide the tray evenly – either in thirds or quadrants for styling.
I use books to vary the height and give more presence to smaller objects.
I ALWAYS have a yummy smelling candle on there that I light every night both for ambiance and aroma.
The other items change – usually there is a ginger jar, a small dish or tray or a fun object to display. Sometimes I use vintage finds before I list them in my shop and I like to rotate some of my favorite décor pieces from my shelves depending on my mood and the season.
Coffee or side table styling is one of my favorite things to do along with bookcase styling of course. For me, these tables are like a blank canvas where really, anything goes - as long as you can achieve a balance. My personal style is layered and collected and I like to think my tablescapes reflect this. A few elements I always try to incorporate are:
Beautiful books both for the visual interest and to help create different heights to display other elements
Sculptural elements and curiosities to break up the lines, bring in a mix of materials, add interest and spark conversation (I tend to have a lot of heads)
A tray to bring in another layer and to display smaller items
Fresh flowers - always!
Playing with height and viewpoints around the table is important to me so that no matter where you are sitting in relation to the table, you always have an interesting view.
I think every space should have a variety of tables: coffee, side, and occasional. I never want anyone to wonder where they can set their drink, but more importantly, I like to have as many spots as possible to display my tchotchkes. As an avid collector, there are never ever enough surfaces on which to place my treasures.
If I’m lucky enough to have a coffee or side table to style, my go-to decor “cocktail” is:
A tray, stack of books, a plant or flowers, and at least one sculptural item—the more unique the better. While the players might change, the recipe is always the same!
Depending on the line of sight, I will choose items of varying height or all of a similar height.
My biggest pieces of advice for styling a table are to have fun and switch things out—table displays are easy to change in and out regularly, without upsetting too many other things.
Coffee table: This is a fairly large table that can handle a lot of layers. I have a hard time saying it's "styled" because I don’t put a lot of thought into it I add and take away items based only on feel... and that goes for balance, scale, color, and most especially sentiment but, there are always:
Art and design books and the marble turntable is a place I use for displaying sentimental things - currently my father's vintage lighters and other small objects I love.
Flowers are a favorite way to add a pop of color, especially because the room is very neutral. Nothing on the table is precious but everything is special to me.
Console table: The recipe or non-recipe I use on the coffee table works here as well. This console table is glass and more contemporary I like it because it doesn't add a lot of weight to the room and is essentially for overflow. The picture frame with the snapshot of our youngest eating a popsicle is a favorite. The rest of the table is for decorative objects like candles, plants, and books. Like all the other surfaces in the room, the console evolves with the seasons and my mood.
Mantel: My living room mantel is minimalist, due to a lack of depth from the built-in cabinet. I focus objects on either end - like these two little topiaries that were purchased years ago and are pretty much staples in their current spots. Other small objects and pieces of art come and go, like this sweet little oil painting I picked up at a thrift store over the winter. We don't really use the television inside the cabinet, so sometimes I lean larger pieces of art against the doors.
Thank you! Melody, Cameron, Alison, Hilary and Kiki for saying YES when asked to share your knowledge with my readers. I truly appreciate you! xo
I enjoyed learning how each of these friends create such beautiful tableaus. Til next time be well, I’ll see you over on Instagram and you should click through the images and go follow these ladies. You’ll be so happy you did!
