When decorating our homes, we choose furniture and artwork with care but it can be easy to overlook an import design detail, one that makes a room feel truly complete: the styling. A coffee table is, of course, a functional item but it is also a perfect opportunity to showcase your personality. Dedicating the space to display items that bring you joy can make a home feel like a true reflection of you. Another thing to love about this process is that it is easy to mix up and change depending on your mood or the season. It is a nice way to keep a room fresh and interesting.

Through our visit to show homes and conversations with designers, we have picked up a few tips and tricks to demystify the process.

 

Keep it in the (Color) Family

In this example from our feature on the wonderful designer Susan Bednar Long, we love how she uses the same family of colors as the rest of the room to blend seamlessly into the space. Her use of cream, blue and hints of silver come together for a soothing vignette in the center of the room.

Photo by Neil Landino Jr.

Get the Look: 

Step 1: Stack several books …Decorative Book Collection, Set of 11, $35

 

Step 2: Top with a decorative piece in a similar hueIsabel Halley Ceramics Medium Pinch Pot, $230

 

Step 3: Add a beautiful boxCollection of Decorative Silver Plated Boxes, Set of 9, $319

 

Step 4: Blend in a touch of color

William Sonoma Home Faux Orchid in Blue and White Bowl, $375

Check out more pieces in blue and white here. | Read our feature on Susan Bednar Long here.

 

Get Low

Add to the long and lean lines of a space with a coffee table look that is equally sleek and chic. Demonstrated beautifully in this space designed by “tabletop aficionado and collector of many things: Billy Ceglia,” each item on display is carefully curated for a majorly stylish look.

Photo by Keith Scott Morton

 

Get the Look: 

Step 1: Add some edge

R&Y Augousti Paris Leather Reptile Lined Tray, $250

 

Step 2: Keep clutter at bay

Silver Plated Velvet Lined Decorative Box with Key, $175

 

Step 3: Enjoy playful details

Ralph Lauren Hammond Chess Set, $895

Check out more chic and sleek pieces here. | Read our feature on Billy Ceglia here.

 

Mix it Up

Keep things interesting with a mix of pieces you love. Showcase your unique sense of style by allowing an eclectic blend of styles to coexist in harmony. At the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles’ Southeastern Showhouse, Ashley Gilbreath uses a mix of shapes, styles and proportions to keep the eye moving across the space but uses a similar color palette to give it all a cohesive look.

Photo by David Christensen for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles’ Southeastern Showhouse

Get the Look: 

Step 1: Create a focal point Bronze Finished Terracotta Head, circa 1920, England, $780

 

Step 2: Add some (stylish) functionRalph Lauren Delmere Shagreen Jewelry Box, $625

 

Step 3: Keep it together Pigeon and Poodle Petite Shagreen Beige Tray, $105

 

Step 4: Shine On

13″ Round Bowl Silver Plated, $90

 

Check out more modern and eccentric pieces here. | Read our feature on Ashley Gilbreath here.