How to Stage your Coffee Table
Here is one of the trickiest tricks of the interior design wheelhouse - staging your coffee table, shelves and console tables. It is so simple it’s hard. I really mean that, so you aren’t alone when you find yourself all over the internet and asking your friends: How do I make it look just right - purposeful but accidental, personal and inviting.
There is not a simple answer. So much of this final step is done by playing around and trying various combinations until you feel good about what you’re seeing. However, all is not lost - I have some rules of thumb which you too can follow:
Rules of Thumb:
Create Clusters with your décor pieces and simplify your décor choices. Use oversized books, vases, sculptural objects, candles, paperweights, and floral arrangements.
Don’t get too personal or too precious, especially on your coffee table. Your living room is typically a place for intimate gatherings. Consider when you’ve invited guests over to sit, the coffee table is where people will touch, read and comment on your decor pieces. Ensure they aren’t so precious that they can’t be handled (even by children, if you have a young home), and equally ensure they aren’t so personal that it becomes unrelatable to others. I feel a coffee table setting is where you want to offer talking points, pieces of interest. Consider this “display” as a subtle social crutch - even for the most sociable of hosts….
Choose sturdy pieces, even if they look delicate. Ensure your flower vases are weighted inside, your sculptures won’t tip, and your candlesticks are robust.
With all that info in tow, here is how to stage your coffee table:
1. Start with large and substantial pieces, stacking a vase or collection of candles on top of two or three oversized books. Cluster in threes, using your books or tray as the base for smaller clusters.
2. Stack with symmetry. I always aim for keeping books square to a rectangular or square-shaped table, whether it’s centered, or to one side, keep the book at right angles. For a round-shaped coffee table, either use a round cutting board as a base, or center your rectangular setting of books finishing off the display with a pronounced round vase or sculpture, reinforcing the symmetry with the roundness of the table.
3. Place a coffee table book, tray or cutting board first. Play with centered, or asymmetrical placement until you are happy. Stack books, layer objects, and vases as you desire - my tip here is keep the colours neutral, and the items “airy” and light.
Pro Tip: You’ll need more pieces than you may originally think - I still get hung up here. One coffee table often doesn’t look finished until there are 6 to 8 items stacked on it.
4. Finally, if you shop at bargain, thrift, or vintage shops, make sure you remove the price tag! I, like most, am proud of my bargain finds, but admittedly, there’s almost nothing worse than your bestie sitting down and flipping that sculpture over while admiring it, only to find a discount price tag unremoved from the bottom. It’s always best to decide for yourself who learns of your great finds, and not have them reveal themselves!
Have fun, be patient and share your ideas!
“I believe that if you are true to expressing yourself, coupled with the right amount of discipline and routine, your space can reflect your personality, and you can turn your home into your haven.”
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