The Best Accessories for Coffee Table Decor

Coffee table decor is surprisingly tricky to get right. You want your table to look stylish and put-together, but it also needs to be practical enough to, you know, use!

The good news is that I’ve styled loads of coffee tables, so I can teach you how to decorate a coffee table that’s both practical and stylish.

First let me walk you through some basic coffee table styling tips. Then I’ll share some of my favorite things to use for coffee table decor.

My Top 3 Tips for Styling a Coffee Table

Before you jump into buying or arranging anything, it’s important to understand a few key principles. So let me give you my top three tips for styling a coffee table:

1. Work in Layers

Styling coffee tables is all about layering. This means using decorative elements with a variety of different heights, weights, and shapes. Doing this stops your coffee table arrangement from looking flat or cluttered.

In practice, this means you’ll be mixing taller objects like vases and candlesticks with shorter, heavier items like bowls and books. 

2. Use Odd Numbers

It’s a good idea to arrange your decorative items into groups of threes or fives. This will help your coffee table decor look balanced but not too matchy-matchy. 

3. Use A Variety of Textures

Another way to prevent your coffee table from looking too uniform is by using a mix of various textures – smooth ceramics, rough wood, shiny metal, soft textiles, and so on. 

This tip is especially important for modern coffee table decor, where you’ll need to use more organic materials to soften any sharp lines and edges. A great way to do this is by bringing in some natural elements, like plants, driftwood, or pinecones. 

My Go-To Decorations for Coffee Tables

Once you’ve got the basic principles of coffee table styling down, it’s time for the fun part: picking out the decorative objects themselves.

There are a handful of objects that work really well for styling coffee tables, no matter your personal style. So let’s have a look at my favorite things to use when styling a coffee table!

Books and Magazines

Let’s start with the classic coffee table decoration—books! Coffee table books are a thing for a reason. They’re beautiful, they add a personal touch, and they can be great conversation starters.

Plus, there are so many different ways to style them:

• Create a stack of books and top it with a candle or decorative object.
• Use a pair of bookends to stand up a small selection.
• Prop one open on a book stand.
• Or keep it simple with just one lone book that reflects your interests—like design, travel, fashion, or food.

Here are a few of my favorite coffee table books and book-related items:

1. Set of 3 Large Decorative Books
2. Ampersand Book
3. Foldable Cookbook Stand
4. Square Book Holder
5. Triangular Black Marble Bookends

Trays

A tray is hands-down one of the most useful tools when it comes to styling a coffee table. It helps corral your decorative items into one area, which instantly makes everything feel more curated and deliberate—and less like a random collection of stuff.

You can think of it as a little stage for your decor. Stack some books on it, add a candle and a small plant voilà—you’ve got a beautiful vignette! Plus, it’ll makes cleaning nice and easy—just pick the whole tray up!

There are so many gorgeous trays out there—round, rectangular, wood, metal, mirrored, rattan—honestly, the hardest thing is picking just one! 

Check out these gorgeous coffee table trays:

1. Hand-woven Tray
2. Set of 2 Scalloped Trays
3. Small Marble Tray
4. Scalloped Marble Tray
5. Black Decorative Tray Stand

Decorative Bowls

A decorative bowl is both functional and pretty—exactly what you want when you’re styling a space that gets used every day.

You can use a bowl to contain smaller items like remotes, matches, and bits and pieces your family like to leave around, like hair ties! Or fill it with something decorative—potpourri, pretty stones, beads, or wrapped candies perhaps.

There are so many gorgeous bowls out there in every style—modern, rustic, boho, vintage—you name it. And you don’t have to spend a lot, either. Thrift stores are full of hidden gems, or you can even decorate one you already have. I gave a basic set of bowls a glow-up with some spray paint—check it out here: The Golden Touch Storage Bowls.

Here are some beautiful bowls you could use as part of your coffee table arrangement:

1. Marble Ruffle Bowl
2. Round Rattan Fruit Baskets
3. Scalloped Marble Bowl
4. Wood Dough Bowl
5. Wooden Fruit Bowl

A Vase or Planter

You really can’t go wrong with a vase of fresh flowers or a small houseplant. It’s one of the simplest ways to bring life and color to your coffee table decor, and it works with just about any style.

Whether it’s a full floral arrangement, a few clipped branches from the garden, or even a small potted plant, adding natural elements to your coffee table decor will help to balance out any harder materials used in or on your table, like glass, metal, or marble.

And there are so many options when it comes to vases and planters! You can go big and bold, with a chunky vase that serves as the centerpiece of your living room. Or you could bring a bit of light to your coffee table design by going for a clear glass vase.

And if real plants aren’t your thing, don’t worry—there are plenty of realistic faux options that can give the same visually pleasing effect without the maintenance.

Here are some of my favorite artificial flowers and plants to consider:

1. Glass Display Dome
2. Artificial Rose Flowers in Vase
3. Artificial Peony Flower With Vase
4. Artificial Orchid Set 

Candles

Candles are basically the ultimate decorative object. They add instant coziness, warmth, and atmosphere—and there are endless ways to style them.

You’ve got so many options to play with: tall taper candles, chunky pillar candles, dainty tea lights, or even realistic-looking electric candles if you’ve got kids, pets, or just don’t want to deal with an open flame.

And then there are the candle holders, which can be just as decorative as the candles themselves. Think brass candlesticks, sculptural ceramic holders, or sleek modern glass ones—whatever suits your personal style. I even decorated my own candlestick holders once!

Candles also come in tons of different sizes and weights, so they’re great for adding that layered look we talked about earlier. Cluster a few together on a tray, or pair one with a book stack and a small vase for an easy, balanced setup.

Add some visual interest to your coffee table decor with one of these candles. Why not add a pretty snuffer, a pot of matches, or a little cloche too? These small items make beautiful decorative accents.

1. Greek Face Candle
2. Knot Ball Candle
3. Spiral Swirl Candle
4. Gold Candle Snuffer
5. Glass Matches Cloche
6. Decorative Wooden Matches in Glass Jar

Coasters

Coasters might seem purely functional, but they’re one of the easiest ways to add a little style to your coffee table.

There are tons of stylish options these days—marble, cork, ceramic, wood, leather, even resin or glass. Choose a set that complements your table or adds a little contrast in texture or color. Stack them neatly on top of a book or tuck them into a decorative bowl or box when they’re not in use.

Here are some of my favorite coasters:

1. Agate Coasters
2. Gold Edge Marble Coasters
3. Hexagon Marble Coasters
4. White Marble Coasters

Decorative Boxes

A decorative box is the perfect way to hide those not-so-pretty essentials like remote controls, coasters, or charging cables, which somehow always end up scattered across the table. Even tissue boxes look stylish these days!

You can go with a classic wood or lacquered box, something with texture like woven rattan, or repurpose a pretty jewelry or trinket box. For something truly unique, consider styling a box yourself.

Boxes can also be used to create vignettes. Use them to add height to your arrangement, and then place something on top, like a candle or small plant.

Here are some beautiful boxes you could incorporate into your coffee table decor:

1. Burled Wood Box
2. Wooden Keepsake Box
3. Chevron Pattern Decorative Box
4. 2 Faux Leather Boxes
5. 3 Decorative Marble Boxes
6. Metal Tissue Box Cover
7. Gold Tissue Box Cover

Small Sculptures or Figurines

Small sculptures and figurines are where your personal style can really shine. These are the decorative objects that give your coffee table decor that extra bit of character—and they’re a great way to reflect your personality or interests.

Think of them as little story starters. Maybe it’s a globe if you love to travel, a horse figurine if you ride, or a bust if you’re a bit of a history nerd.

You can also get creative with things that aren’t technically “sculptures.” I’ve used snowglobes, glass jars, and all sorts of other items in the past!

Depending on the piece, it can either form part of a vignette or act as a focal point or statement piece. 

Here are some examples of decorative objects that would work well on a coffee table:

1. Brass Bee Figurine
2. Horse Sculpture
3. Amber Calcite Mineral Gemstone
4. David Statue
5. White Marble Chain Link
6. White Ceramic Pitcher Vase

Lamps

A lamp might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of coffee table decor, but hear me out!

First of all, lamps are great for practical purposes. If your coffee table sits next to a sofa or armchair, a small lamp can provide perfect ambient lighting for reading, scrolling, or just relaxing in the evening.

But a lamp can also serve as a focal point or add some much-needed height to your setup. Just don’t go too big—you don’t want to overwhelm the space— and balance it out with some lower decorative elements.

Here are some of my favorite lamps to consider:

1. Crystal Ball Table Lamp
2. Glass Battery Operated Lamp
3. Gold Rechargeable Lamp
4. Cordless Table Lamp
5. Alabaster LED Table Lamp

Coffee Table Decor You’ll Love

Styling a coffee table is basically a case of arranging a few carefully-selected objects in a way that feels intentional. At the end of the day, the most important thing is creating something you like to look at, so don’t worry too much about “getting it right!” 

The easiest way to create a coffee table design you love is by incorporating personal elements. That could mean framed photos of your kids, your favorite book, or decorative elements that reflect your interests. 

I hope this post has given you lots of coffee table decor ideas, and that you’ve seen a few decorative items that would work well in your living space.

Happy styling!