Decorating Your Coffee Table

Consider Scale and Height
"Using too many little things," says author and home emporium owner Mary Carol Garrity, is the most common accessorizing faux pas that people make. "Instead, create a grouping that keeps your eye moving from one object to another by varying the scale of the items you showcase — but also keeping their proportions relative to one another." One rule of thumb is to make sure the largest item in the cluster is no more than twice the size of the smallest one.
To lift accessory arrangements to the next level, Garrity uses risers to elevate objects in height and importance. Boxes, small plant stands, stacks of books, cake stands, compotes, candlesticks and even upturned vases or bowls can all be used as a "stage" for another object. What's more, "setting a small item on top of a larger one helps them relate to each other and adds dimension to the arrangement," says designer Nancy Barsotti.

Make sure nothing on your coffee table is so tall that it blocks your view of the TV or the person seated opposite you. For example, rather than a tall, loose bouquet, place a tight cluster of flowers with their stems clipped short in a low vase or other small vessel.

Tricks to try:

Top a stack of books with a beautiful bowl.

Crown a compote with a flat tray, then layer the tray with another item.

Set a triple-tiered server on the coffee table and fill it with colorful bits and baubles.

Rest a photo, a petite painting or a pretty dish on a small tabletop easel.


Happy Decorating!

Darlene