Ready to learn how to accessorize a coffee table?  Accessorizing is one of my favorite things to do!  But, sometimes it is easy to draw a blank on coming up with some good ideas.  I think a coffee table is pretty easy to decorate if you use one of my easy decorating rules.  I like to “Decorate in 3’s”.  So, what in the world is that?  Well, I find using three different items in accessorizing is just the right amount.   Limiting the decor items on a coffee table to three items balances things out, and keeps you from over-cluttering.

Isn’t this a cool room?  It belongs to an acquaintance of mine.  Her rustic decor is comfortable and engaging.  She has three items on her table.  Perfect.  I like her use of scale in her decor items.  I really like this look.

This is a coffee table I decorated for a client.  I found this cool trunk from Sam’s Club.  It actually slides open from the middle, and is perfect to house movies, books, and other articles.  Here, I purchased a large tray with a mirrored back.   I placed some greenery on a pair of books, and a mercury glass jar containing a candle.   This coffee table is neat and pretty.

This room was on the Downtown Nashville Home Tour.  Be sure to check out my post if you like modern and industrial interior design.  The large glass bowl on one side, mimics the glass refection on the other side of the coffee table.  This design is clean, modern, and neat.

If you like a Modern Country design, this room may fill your bill.  The coffee table is an old cart from a factory.  It is a large coffee table, so the accessories needed to be large.  The antique crock pot filled with flowers is just the right size.

Birds-eye view of a pretty glass coffee table.

Here is another example of “Decorating in 3’s”.  So, are you with me on this rule?  Have I convinced you?  Seriously, if you have four things on a table, it is not a big deal.  I just find choosing 3 items works out well.  On this round coffee table the items are different sizes, and it makes the design scale work.

Accessorizing an Outdoor Coffee Table

What a pretty wood tray filled with garden decor.  Leaving a candle outside for too long would cause it to melt.  However, a candle-lit deck or porch,  is one of the best things about summer evenings.

This galvanized water trough is a really cool idea for an outdoor coffee table.  Talk about weather proof!  I love it!

My Favorite Places to Find Coffee Table Decor

One of my top favorite places to look for items is T.J. Maxx or T.J.Maxx Homegoods.  I hyper-ventilate when I walk into this store!  I NEVER know what I am going to find.  I don’t always know how I am going to decorate a client’s coffee table.  But, once I enter a store, my creative juices begin flowing.

One important thing when decorating a coffee table, besides “decorating in 3’s”, is finding different sized items.   It is called using “scale“.  What in the world is that?  Well, scale just means visual size.  Keeping scale in mind when decorating creates interest and drama.

You want Tall, Grande, and Venti.  Oh, wait.  That’s Starbucks coffee.  My bad.  You want small, medium, and large decor items.  And, did you notice the “3” theme again?  It works!

Good luck decorating your coffee table.  I’m sure you will do a fantastic job.