With all eyes on it, a coffee table is the focal point of any living room. While it is often a home to remote controls and magazines, or even a surface to kick up your feet in the evening, it’s also a place where your style can be brought to life.

Whether you prefer organised chaos or tend to stick to minimalism, these on-trend ways to dress up your coffee table are bound to make an impression.

Books and magazines

Nothing beats a good book! You can stack a selection of your favourite hardback reads or stylish titles for a layered look and finish them with a simple decorative topper such as a small vase filled with flowers or a candle. Bold cover designs add interest and depth to the look of your coffee table and are perfect for guests to flick through.

Decorative trays

Trays, boxes and bowls are your best friends when it comes to organising and styling your coffee table; they make it much easier to pull your look together. While perfect for keeping essentials such as remotes and coasters neat and tidy, trays can also display beautiful trinkets and ornaments that are personal to you.

Fresh flowers

A vase of pretty flowers can instantly lift the room up brighten up your space. Being so versatile, you’re free to pick and choose your bouquets as the weather and seasons change, helping to keep your home fresh and smelling lovely.

Standout ornaments

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that have the biggest impact. If you enjoy collecting items or have a piece you’d love to display, your coffee table is the place to do it. Metallic decorative objects are among some of the most popular items, while other pops of colour are ideal if you want to add a bit of character to the final look.

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Finding a statement piece

A coffee table is the perfect place to display a statement piece as a focal point. It doesn’t have to be large, but it could have an unusual shape or bright colour to spark conversation. A funky vase, quirky bowl or elegant candle could be all it takes!

Considering size and proportions

While the items on your coffee table should be large enough so that they don’t disappear, they shouldn’t overwhelm the display or get in the way of any functionality. Playing with different heights and thinking of creative ways to make use of different proportions will add extra interest, but make sure to avoid anything too tall or clunky that will obstruct the view of people sitting down.

Thinking about layouts

Balance is an essential component of any coffee table display, and one of the easiest ways to achieve this is through symmetry. With square tables, you could try dividing the surface into quadrants and displaying an arrangement of four items: a stack of books, some flowers, a tray and some decorative pieces, for example. On rounded or rectangular designs, three could be the magic number, with a middle object that grounds the display. Add balance either side with similar sized pieces to finish it off.