How to Style a Coffee Table

There are countless ways to make a coffee table look fabulous, but there’s a common thread amongst them: trays. Yes, every good coffee table has a signature tray.

We’re partial to a few brands: first, Anastasio Home, with their resplendent and sculptural marble pieces that are art in and of themselves. The 810 Tray fits a surprising amount and the 512 is an ideal (and ultra-chic) space for storing practical essentials like remotes.

If you’re after something a bit lighter, we absolutely adore the rattan trays with lacquer rim from Trove by Studio Duggan or just go straight-up lacquer with a gorgeous octagonal tray like this one from Miles Redd.

There’s another essential a well-styled coffee table of all stripes requires: a signature scent. We’re partial to signature scents in beautiful vessels; so, we’ll always recommend our stunning Carola Fra i Trulli pieces when it comes to making serious design impact (and smelling good doing it). The candle holders (known in Italian as trulli) are refillable–they’re as stylish as they are sustainable. Just don’t forget to couple it with a spherical holder for all of your favorite matches (collect them from your favorite restaurants–they’ll almost always have them on offer) –and a fabulous Padova candle snuffer won’t hurt, either.

Short on time? There’s nothing prettier than a pack of Astier de Villatte incense, and they burn through in 30 minutes (pro tip: they also make a great gift). Pop some Hollywood on your tray next to fabulous incense holder and you’re golden.

We were shocked when we heard style arbiter and Moda Operandi founder Lauren Santo Domingo profess on a recent podcast that she dislikes coffee table books. We beg to differ–every coffee table should have a copy of Beata Heumann’s Every Room Should Sing (if you’re into Scandi-eclectic); a Bunny Williams book on gardens (if you’re more of a horticulturist); or an iconic De Gournay book, for those whose taste inclines towards opulence.

However, we won’t disagree with the reason Santo Domingo dismisses coffee table books: she prefers collectibles. Well, why can’t we have both? Bookend your tray with a pair of porcelain Staffordshire dogs for the ultimate in collectible kitsch.

Another thing we love to collect? Coasters–and they couldn’t be more useful in this case. If you don’t know where to start, try Anastasio Home’s oversized option.

Okay, you’ve got the timeless elements of the coffee table sorted. You have your tray, upon which rests your Carola candle, matchbook holder, sterling silver snuffer, Astier de Villatte incense & porcelain holder, a coffee table book (place this next to the tray if it doesn’t fit on top), coasters and some porcelain dogs. Sounds good to us.

But we also like to keep things interesting, month after month, which is why we also recommend subscribing to a fabulous monthly magazine, like Vanity Fair or House & Garden UK–fun for guests to thumb through and guaranteed to spark conversation.

And that’s all for today! We hope you loved reading our coffee table styling series as much as we loved writing it.