How to Decorate Your Coffee Table

Almost every living room or family room has a coffee table. A coffee table is usually the center of attention in the middle of the room, right in front of the couch. The coffee table is a great place to set your drinks, but you may wish to decorate your coffee table to be both useful and beautiful.

Things You'll Need

• Coffee table
• Tray
• Cloth or placemat
• Candlesticks
• Figurines

Instructions

1. Determine the size of your coffee table. Keep items to scale.

2. Start with practical items. You will need a place to set potentially wet glasses. Place a large tray in the center of the table. This tray can be made of glass, wood or metal but should be large enough to accommodate at least 4 drinks at a time, plus a beverage pitcher. A very large tray can be a dramatic focal point on the coffee table.

3. Place a colorful cloth or placemat on the tray to absorb moisture from drinking glasses.

4. Next find three decorative objects to display. These items should reflect the style of the room. Vary the heights of the objects. For example, the objects can be three candlesticks of varying heights, or one tall candlestick, one medium figurine and a small wooden box. Boxes make great additional storage areas on the coffee table for items such as the remote control.

5. Every well-decorated coffee table should contain some reading materials. When a guest sits near the coffee table, they may wish to have something to read while they are waiting or as a conversation starter. Local travel books are a good start. You may then include some books which pertain to your personal hobbies and interests whether that be scuba diving, quilting or dog breeding.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep all reading material tasteful and in good condition.

• Dust and clean coffee table surfaces often.