Coffee table decor is so versatile and diverse that there’s a thousand different ways to do it for each interior design style. This is one thing that’s so fun about coffee table decor – that you can use and work with anything! But I understand that this can also create stress about how to decorate your coffee table and what to use.
One thing to consider when decorating your coffee table is how you use that space. If you often have friends over for drinks, you could leave coasters and a carafe on the coffee table. However, if you have kids who have their friends over, you may want to put the liquor away and get out some games.
The way you decorate your coffee table should be determined by both the way you want to use the table and the style you have for the whole room. In this article, I’ll show you 60 different designs for coffee table decor that all use similar things, but each look unique!
Contents
Black and White Room
Here this all black coffee table matches the simple black and white color scheme of the room. The table is topped with a black book and a white vase with a simple light pink orchid.
This room isn’t full-on minimalist, but it has a very simple design, therefore it’s best to have these simple touches on the table. The decor doesn’t leave much space for using the table, but it also isn’t overloaded.
Wooden Coffee Table
This large wooden block coffee table is itself a piece of decor in this room that’s almost entirely white. The natural accents on the table like the ceramic bowl and vase add a touch of color without making the coffee table a bold centerpiece.
Terrarium
This coffee table decor is simple and stunning, just like nature! Those of us plant lovers know how beautiful plants can be on their own and how they serve as living decor.
You’ll see how many of the next examples use plants as decor because it’s so easy and good-looking. A terrarium like this one can be interesting by using several different kinds of plants in one pot.
Candles and Gold
This room is full of warm and invigorating tones and makes great use of gold accents around the room. The coffee table in particular has golden accents like the tray and candle holders. The white candles help balance out the bold gold, plus their fire helps add to the warmth of this space!
Snake Plant
The potted plant on this coffee table is a Snake plant, one of the easiest plants to care for! While houseplants make for great coffee table decor, they won’t look great if they’re dying or wilting, so it’s important to pick a plant that’s easy to care for or just stay very vigilant of your plant.
Glass Table
This is kind of a cheat, because with this design the table creates the decor! You can pair a glass table with a patterned rug so that the design of the rug can be seen through the table and you don’t really need to decorate the table. Although, it never hurts to add a little succulent, like here.
Big Decor
This room definitely embodies boho design, with its bold colors and bright, patterned rug. The huge coffee table decor perfectly matches the boldness of boho design, with the large wooden bowl and big bouquet of flowers.
Liquor Tray
This design is definitely one better suited for adults living on their own- without kids! If you often like to wind down with a drink or have guests over, you might find it convenient to keep a carafe of wine or liquor on the table. Plus, this makes for great decor if you get a nice, elegant carafe and beautiful glasses.
Books Below
This bright design features a coffee table that has a little shelf underneath the top, a perfect place for books. Keeping pretty or interesting books as coffee table decor is classic, but can be inconvenient.
If you want your books protected or your table open, having a bottom shelf, like this one, for books is useful and stylish.
Keeping It Natural
Along with the large windows in this room, the design is very natural and the windows help reduce the separation between inside and outside. So, the coffee table decor matches this with a naturally treated wooden table, snake pant, and neutral ceramic dishes.
Mix and Match Vases
This image is a great example of how vases can be used just decoratively, and don’t need to be used just for holding flowers or plants. This table has several different vases that are all empty, but the combination of the different shapes, sizes, and colors makes great decor.
Dark Color Scheme
As you can see, this room has a rich and dark color scheme, with its dark green wall and coffee-colored couch. The coffee table is made with a dark wood that matches nicely, and is decorated simply with a dark stone decorative piece.
Gold Accents
This room has more of a simple and modern design, so along with that, the coffee table decor is simple. While there isn’t much decor, the accents that are there are bold, golden pieces that tie in nicely with the golden lamp and touches of gold in the large paintings.
Wicker Table
Here the coffee table is made out of wicker, which matches very well with the wicker ottomans and baskets in the corners. The table is topped with a singular plant, keeping with the simple and natural atmosphere of the room.
Bonsai Tree
Along with so many houseplants, Bonsai trees make for beautiful coffee table decor. Bonsai trees are such fascinating plants, which make them great to place right in the center of your living room to marvel at!
Tray on an Ottoman
Many pieces can double as an ottoman for resting your feet and as a coffee table, such as this one. However, with soft and cushioned ottomans you may find it’s hard to keep glasses or decor on them. So, just use a wide tray to create some stability and you can place dishes or decor on them!
Charcuterie Board
Obviously you can’t leave out a charcuterie board at all times, but this is a great idea if you’re having friends over or hosting a party. Charcuterie boards are so gorgeous anyways that they make for perfect decor, so much so that you might not want to eat any!
Magazines
This is a classic way to decorate your coffee table,and to showcase your interests! By putting out magazines that interest you, you keep them accessible if you want to read them, or to share with others you have in your space. Always a great conversation starter.
Plant Centerpiece
We’ve already seen several examples with plants as coffee table decor, but this one uses a large pot as a centerpiece. What’s different about this design is that it uses a singular planter and keeps it front and center with a powerful effect. You can do this with just one, stunning plant you love, or you can use multiple plants.
Matching with the Couch
Some may find that it’s too monochromatic to have coffee table decor that matches too closely with the couch, but others might like the consistency. In this design, the tray on the coffee table matches the gray color of the couch.
If you have a limited color scheme and want to keep the same colors throughout the room, this is one way to do it!
Large Side Table
This is for those who may not have a large enough space for a full coffee table in their living room area. Rather than a coffee table in the center, you can use a larger side table to have a similar effect.
You can see in the picture that this table is bigger than most tiny side tables. Often, side tables are meant as extra space for on the side to complement the coffee table, but if you don’t have enough space, you can just opt for a larger side table.
Simple Table with a Bold Couch
There are some designs that use a coffee table purely in a functional sense and its decorative role is reduced. Yet, it’s not that this table doesn’t add to the design. In fact, the simple black table makes the bright colored couch and patterned rug pop out more.
Seasonal Decor
The coffee table is also a great place for adding cute seasonal decorations. In this image, there are simple tiny Christmas trees as coffee table decor. However, you can place little decor items any time of year and for whatever holiday you celebrate.
Large Dried Flowers
If you’re not so talented with houseplants or just want something very low maintenance, dried flowers are perfect. Dried flowers have timeless beauty since they don’t continue to wilt and will hold their shape once dried.
Orchids
In contrast to dried flowers, you can use live flowers as coffee table decor, and in particular, this photo shows a gorgeous potted Orchid.
These are definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum as dried flowers, as Orchid flowers are notorious for being one of the most finicky flowers to care for. But, if you’re willing to put in the work and care for these flowers, their amazing blooms are very rewarding.
Desert Design
The design of this room very much embodies the themes of a desert landscape with the wall art and color scheme. The coffee table is almost as barren as an actual desert, with just a single book and while simple, the white book and tan brown table match the color scheme very well.
The only addition that would improve this design would be a cactus on the table!
Country Chic
This space has an intriguing and appealing combination of modern and ranch house design elements. Taking a modern twist on classic country design, the only fitting coffee table decor for a space like this is, of course, an elegant carafe of bourbon with glasses.
Blue and Gold
This uncommon color scheme is likely something you never thought about, until seeing this gorgeous photo. Here we have a wonderful example of how well blue and gold go together, and the simple black and gold accents on the coffee table tie the whole room together very well.
Neutral Colors
This room uses a couple different colors that all go very nicely together to create an overall tranquil, neutral space. The neutral colors help calm down the eclectic boho design, and this balance should be reflected in the coffee table decor.
The decor used here keeps with the neutral color scheme, but is also playful in a bohemian way, just like the rest of the room.
Natural Materials
Along with its bold colors, this room uses lots of natural materials. The wooden coffee table supports a little plant and wooden candle holders that go with the wicker planters and wooden wall art.
Thick Candle Holder
Large and thick candle holders are bold decor that you can place on your coffee table. While stand-alone candles are great decor in their own right, decorative candle holders are another way to add a colorful touch.
Purple Plant
This bright room has a little potted plant with purple foliage right in the center of the large table to add a pop of color. Colorful plants are a great way to add some extra color to the scheme without completely throwing in a new color.
Two Coffee Tables
Another way to get creative and decorative with your coffee table is to use two! In this room, they used two different tables and pieced them together, and it looks amazing. I specifically like how the two tables are different heights, this adds an interesting touch to the otherwise very simple room.
Black Accents
Although it’s hard to find black plants– that are alive- you can use black pots and decorative things to add black accents. In this room, black is a dominant color but for many rooms in general, black is a commonly used color and will work as a simple accent color.
Wooden Accents
This design has double wooden accents, with the table and the tray on top. Although this table isn’t very large, the strong color of natural wood makes it pop and gives it its place in the room.
Delicate Dried Flowers
This room also has a very simple design, both with colors and decor. For this space, the delicate dried flowers go perfectly with the simple white coffee table decor.
Propagation Station
Propagation stations are easy ways to grow plants and to showcase their growth. By keeping some propagating plants on your coffee table, you can keep an eye on their growth and keep the space alive!
Plus, as they grow and are ready to be potted, you can put in too clippings and keep the decor always changing and fresh.
Shades of White
While it may sound extremely boring, this photo shows that a room filled with different tones of white and beige can be very beautiful. The coffee table decor continues with the color scheme and adds only minimal color with the book under the ceramic bowl.
Metal Accents
The coffee table decor for this living room has a fun combination of funky retro-style decor with a touch of modernism. Both the bowl and the flower vase are made from metal and in this room add to the futuristic style.
Separate Tables
As I mentioned earlier in this article, you can also opt for two tables rather than one large coffee table. In this design, there’s two identical tables that give the impression that the coffee table split into two.
Dried Hydrangea Flowers
Although any kind of dried flower looks great, as I’ve already shown earlier in this article, I wanted to specifically mention Hydrangea flowers because when they dry they keep their shape and still look great, as you can see in this photo.
Coffee at the Coffee Table
You can really embrace the origin of the name “coffee table” and use this space to enjoy your coffee or tea breaks. You can keep your coffee-making tools on the table, or inside if you have a chest like this one.
If you’re using the space often for drinking coffee, you probably don’t want to clutter it with too much decor, but a simple touch like the flower in this image is nice minimal decor.
Succulent Garden
This little ottoman and coffee table has a small succulent garden, similar to the terrarium decor I showed earlier in this article. Succulents are typically very easy to care for and are beautiful when they’re healthy, making them perfect decor options.
Children’s Books
If you have young kids, you may want to leave a couple books on the coffee table to encourage them to read more and to remind you to sit with them and read. Having them centered on the table is a good way to bring attention to them, making you and your kids think to read more!
Games
On a similar note, you can keep games out as coffee table decor to encourage you to use them. As you can see in this image, this doesn’t just mean kids’ games, but also things you might want to play like sudoku or cards.
Dried Tiny Flowers
This room also has dried flowers as coffee table decor, with such tiny and delicate ones you can barely see them here. These tiny dried white flowers work as very simple decor, complemented by the books and black vase.
Hourglass
This colorful hourglass decor is something different that you don’t see often, usually because we don’t want to be reminded of the passing of time! However, here the decorative piece looks very nice with the clean design of the gridlines on the table.
Resin Case Table
In place of having decor on top of your coffee table, you can incorporate it into the table itself! This design is clearly more of a project than just getting some new houseplants, but it’s a very unique design that you can personalize.
Open Book
The completely open book on this coffee table invites guests to flip through the book and sit to read a bit. I think that because books are so often used as coffee table decor, they’re treated more like decorative objects than books with contents!
Leaving your book open like this reminds you and everyone in the space that there’s something in the book to be discovered.
Marble Table
As I’ve explained throughout this article, sometimes coffee tables can be decor in themselves, and this beautiful marble table is just that. Anyways, with marble you don’t want to put many things on it since you might scratch the material.
Pinecones
Pinecones are another form of natural decor that looks great and, like dried flowers, they won’t decay or change shape once in your home. These would look great especially if you have a color scheme with dark and natural colors, or already have lots of natural materials in your home.
Matches and Palo Santo
There’s something nostalgic about using matches, which is why they’re becoming increasingly popular again. In this design, the coffee table has a small stone holder for matches next to a candle and on the other end, a bowl with Palo Santo, a type of wood that has a nice scent when burned.
Gothic Decor
Of all the vases with flowers that we’ve seen in this post, this one has a strong gothic style to it. Even if gothic style isn’t really your thing, this is a reminder that flowers in a vase can be styled so many different ways using different vases and flowers.
Skinny Candlesticks
If your space is more modern and simply styled, skinny and elegant candlesticks are a great touch. Plus, if you can find tall candle holders like these, this decor has a very modern look, despite the antiquity of candlesticks.
Simple and Natural
Here we have simple in a very different way from the last example, but nonetheless simple and beautiful. By keeping the decor and colors minimal, this space has a gentle and natural atmosphere.
Funky Objects
This coffee table decor is fairly simple, an almost empty table except for the fun and strange decor objects. This space is very modern yet playful with fun geometric shapes, so the funky objects on the coffee table are perfect touches.
Mixed Flowers
This coffee table has nothing but a vase with flowers, and the two colors used fit perfectly into the whole space. The other two plants in the room are also potted in white planters, so the consistency with the flowers on the coffee table keeps the style.
Clean and Fresh Style
With the help of all the natural sunlight in this room, this space seems very fresh and light. The simple coffee table decor of just a potted plant and a candle help keep this space cozy but clean.
Side by Side Tables
This is another variation of the idea to use two tables instead of one coffee table. These two gorgeous dark brown tables could be side tables on their own, but work great as a broken-up coffee table in this space.
Mirrored Table
For the last idea, a classic mirrored coffee table. The placement of this table right in front of the window makes it reflect the sunlight from outdoors, adding to the light in the room and generally making the space feel larger.
You can do something similar even if you don’t have a mirrored table, because you can just place a large mirror on the table as decor!
Conclusion
I hope this article inspired you with all these ideas and that you found at least one that really stuck with you! There’s so many options you can do and so many ways you can combine the ideas I brought up here. Have fun!
Jen Stark
Jen is a master gardener, interior designer and home improvement expert. She has completed many home improvement, decor and remodeling projects with her family over the past 10 years on their 4,500 sf Victorian house. She is also a passionate farmer who keeps goats, chickens, turkeys cows and pigs on her farm, and an instructor for her community’s Organic and Sustainable Farming project.
