We stick to a simple formula when we style coffee tables in our staging projects. While the sky is the limit for coffee table ideas, we’ve found that using the same elements makes our packing quicker and relieves our decision fatigue. The size of the living room and the size of the coffee table dictate the scale of the items, but at an Olive + Opal project you will (almost) always find a stack of coffee table books, a decorative topper and a faux plant or vase with stems. It really works every time and is a formula that I use at my own home as well.

coffee table books

I have more coffee table books than most - my personal collection may even rival the amount we have in our staging inventory. The women in my family gift coffee table books for Christmas and I don’t think you can ever have too many. I style them throughout my house, including on my coffee table, stacked in my shelves and in glass storage cabinets. Not only can they be a great conversation starter, they can be stacked flat to visually add height to a vignette or stacked upright to occupy space horizontally on a shelf. Coffee table books work perfectly as the base object for the coffee table and we typically use 2-3 per table depending on the size. We love to go to Half Priced Books and while we try to stick with decor-related books for staging, you can find books on any topic that speaks to you. Some of my favorite decor coffee table books are by Joanna Gaines, Erin Gates and Amber Lewis - so if you need a gift idea this holiday season, I definitely recommend these books as they are both beautiful to look at and to read.

DECORATIVE TOPPERS

We love to use metallic objects, colorful beads, oversized links and small dough bowls on top of the coffee table book stack. When selecting a decorative topper we take into consideration the colors and materials in the coffee table vignette. We like to use a piece that will pop and create visual interest so we typically stick objects that contrast with the rest of the table. As an example, for lighter coffee tables we typically use a black or wood objects versus a lighter color that might get lost in the mix. You can find an amazing selection of reasonably priced decorative objects at your local HomeGoods, as well as at Target and Amazon. It’s also fun to use items from around the house - think a bowl of shells you collected at the beach.

faux plants or vases with stems

The last element to our coffee table formula is a potted plant or a vase with stems. We recommend faux plants for staging, but if you’re styling to live, real plants look beautiful if you can keep them alive. I cannot. We use faux plants throughout our staging projects because we love the pop of green and we feel that styling with natural elements makes the space feel warmer and more inviting. Be careful though, not all faux plants are created equal. Faux plants have come a long way in the past few years and there are plenty of great options at local retailers. We have rounded up some light decorative toppers and potted faux plants below. Styling the coffee table doesn’t need to be complicated. Stick with our simple formula and you can’t go wrong.