How to Decorate Sofa Tables and End Tables

Beach theme sofa table

Sofa tables and end tables are staple pieces in living room and family room design. Although these pieces of furniture are must-haves for most homes, they also can become catch-all places for clutter and miscellaneous items. Decorating sofa and end tables in a manner that will be aesthetically pleasing and prevent unwanted clutter is as easy as following a few simple steps.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Dust rag
• 2 table lamps
• Coaster caddy
• Shallow bowl of a unique shape
• Decorative spheres
• Decorative basket

1. Dust rag rag image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com

   Clear your space of unnecessary clutter, discarding all unwanted items. Remove all decor from your tables and use your dust rag to clean the tables.

2. Place one table lamp on each of your end tables. Push your lamp to the rear of the table, leaving most of the table as free space. Place a coaster caddy on one of the end tables and any remote controls on the other. You should avoid overloading any one table, keeping tabletop items to a minimum. Note: if you're concerned about protecting the surface of your tables, consider using placemats in place of old-fashioned doilies. They are relatively inexpensive and can take the place of coasters if you so choose.

3. Unique shallow bowl red bowl image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com

   Place your shallow bowl in the center of your sofa table and fill it with your decorative spheres. Note: the size of your shallow bowl should be in proportion with your table. Slide your decorative basket under one of your end tables to provide an alternate catch-all zone. If your family is prone to clutter, this basket can be easily stashed when company arrives, leaving your tabletops clutter free 24/7.

Tips & Warnings

• If you'd like to display photos, consider having them transferred onto a shallow ceramic bowl or tray. Leave the item empty of filler and allow the photos to act as your decor without taking up additional space.

• Decorative spheres can become projectiles in homes with small children; consider soft materials or alternate bowl filler.

References

• Decorating a sofa table

Resources

• In front of your sofa