The coffee table is the busiest surface in the house. It holds mugs, remotes, feet and the post, so styling it is less about making a display and more about making a little order that still looks good. Here are twelve ideas that work on a real coffee table, then a few rules for round and rectangular tables. Prices were correct when we published this guide, and each product page always shows the current price.
The short answer
Group three things of different heights in one area: a short stack of books, a bowl or vase, and something living such as a terrarium or a single stem. Use a tray or a large bowl to corral the everyday clutter, and leave at least half the table clear for mugs and plates.
1. Anchor it with a tray
A tray turns a scatter of objects into one deliberate group, and it lifts off in one go when you need the table. Wood, rattan or stone all work; choose one about a third of the length of the table.
2. Stack two or three books
Large, flat books give height without bulk and a perch for something small on top. Choose them for their spines and covers as much as their contents, and keep the stack low.
3. Add a sculptural bowl
A glass bowl catches the light from the window and looks finished whether or not it holds anything. The medium molten glass bowl on wood (£17.15), about 22cm tall on its gnarled wood base, sits beside a stack of books without crowding them. For a bigger table, the large bowl on wood (£29.30) stands about 23cm tall with a wider bowl.
4. Fill the bowl with one thing
If the bowl holds something, choose one category and stick to it: smooth pebbles, a few pine cones, wooden spheres or dried seed heads. One material looks considered; five look like clutter. Our guide to what to put in a decorative bowl has more ideas.
5. Bring in something living
A plant softens the hard edges of books and glass, and a terrarium keeps the soil and leaves contained. The extra large ball top terrarium (£45), about 23 x 23cm on dark tung wood, closes with a wooden ball stopper and holds a cushion of moss beautifully. Plants are not included, so choose your own.
6. Or a single stem
A small vase with one stem gives height in the smallest footprint. The small flower vase on wood (£12) holds a single flower or a sprig of eucalyptus, and dried stems last for months without water.
7. Play with height
Aim for one tall, one medium and one low piece in each group. A vase with a stem, a bowl and a short stack of books make a natural triangle that the eye reads as one arrangement rather than three objects.
8. Mix materials
Glass, wood, stone, ceramic and linen look richer together than any one of them alone. Hand-blown glass on wood brings two of them in a single piece, so it is an easy way to add texture.
9. Add fragrance
A wax burner on the coffee table scents the room where you actually sit. Our pebble wax burners (£6.95) are warmed by an ordinary tealight, and our crystal wax melts (£3.50 a bar) reveal real gemstone chips as they melt. Stand it on a stable, heat-resistant surface, never leave the tealight burning unattended, and keep it out of reach of children and pets; an electric warmer removes the flame if the table gets busy.
10. A little candlelight
A low row of tealights makes the table glow in the evening. The triple candle holder (£30) holds three in a row on one piece of wood. Keep flames well clear of books, paper and throws, and blow them out before you leave the room.
11. Give the clutter a home
The remotes, coasters and lighter will land on the table anyway, so give them a place. A lidded box or a small bowl at one end keeps them together, and a mini amber glass bowl (£18) is just right for keys or earrings.
12. Leave space
The table still has a job to do. Keep at least half of it clear, and resist adding one more thing: the empty space is what makes the objects look chosen.
Round, square or rectangular?
- Round tables: one group in the centre, built around a bowl or a terrarium, works best.
- Square tables: one group slightly off-centre, or a tray in the middle with space around it.
- Long rectangular tables: two small groups at either end, or one group a third of the way along, leave the middle free.
- Glass-topped tables: fewer, chunkier pieces look better than small ones, which can seem to float.
Swap with the seasons
Keep the anchor pieces all year and change what is in or around them: tulips in spring, shells in summer, seed heads in autumn, pine cones and a sprig of fir in winter. For December, our Christmas table centrepiece ideas work on a coffee table too.
Common questions
What should you put on a coffee table?
Three things of different heights grouped together, such as books, a bowl or vase and something living, plus a tray or bowl for the everyday clutter. Leave at least half the table clear.
How do you style a coffee table without clutter?
Group everything in one area, use a tray or bowl to contain small things, and stop at three or four pieces. Anything that does not have a place tends to multiply.
Should a coffee table be empty?
Not completely. A bare table can feel unfinished, but a crowded one stops being useful. One small group with plenty of clear space around it is the balance.
What do you put on a round coffee table?
A single central group: a bowl or terrarium with a short stack of books and one small object, arranged so the table looks the same from every seat.
Browse our bowls, vases, glass terrariums and candle holders, see how to style a mantelpiece for the shelf above the fire, or how to style a console table for the hallway.
