HOW TO STYLE A COFFEE TABLE + SUSTAINABLE DECOR IDEAS.

Right before Summer ’19, I updated my living room space in my apartment (I feel like I have to say the year for the sake of this post being outdated in the future). I went for a modern California-chic look, incorporating pieces that remind me of Tulum. I pretty much got rid of everything from my old living room and started fresh for a whole new look. I turned in my navy blue couch for an all white couch and my marble coffee table for a wooden one!

My old living room lasted me for a good 2 years and I felt like it was time for a change. The white couch opened up my living room so much more and gave it a visibly brighter look and feel. Something about black and white frames and wall-art I’m currently into. I didn’t want too much color for this and kept it neutral with the added accessories.

When it came to the coffee table, this was surprisingly a challenge when it came to deciding on the decor. I knew I wanted to obviously keep it coherent to the neutral tones and modern Cali-chic theme. So I did some digging and started with Pinterest and specific Instagram #’s like #coffeetables #coffeetablegoals etc. I also dotted down the things I “need” on my coffee table like candles and drink coasters. With all this in mind, I spend a lot of my down-time in my living room, either it’s movie night or to read books. My two key components for this are – my glasses and unattractive books. I needed something on or around my coffee table to hide my not-so attractive necessities. Once I found my 2-3 main vanity accessories (Chanel Book, Coral, and vase), I then came up with solutions for my needs and not-so attractive essentials.

I found on Pinterest a coral and Chanel book that I couldn’t get out of my head. I was on a hunt for it. I loved how the Chanel book balanced and elevated the beach vibe. Everything you see on my table is from a mix of brands like Amazon, Target, Anthropologie, Barnes and Noble, and World Market. I mixed in highs and lows but only invested in two-three pieces that I thought were worth the splurge and timeless like the vase (which is now on sale for more than half the price – here), coral, and Chanel book. For my needs, candles and drink coasters, I wanted to not overly crowd my table with things, so I got one decent-sized marble slab to balance the brown wooden table. As seen, on the marble slab, I have my coasters stored and I place there my candle of the week. Mike and I go through candles weekly, we look forward to our end of night candle lights for some zen. The other big candle is just for decor.

For my not-so cute things, I got a fringe detailed basket to store my glasses and books. This is why I went for a second layer table, to help store a few of my needs. A basket is a stylish yet practical way to store anything else that is not aesthetically pleasing yet used daily. It can also be used to store the remote controls. To sum up, this was my 1-2-3 step guide for decorating my coffee table: 1. my main table pieces just for aesthetics, 2. my daily needs that are aesthetically pleasing, and 3. my not so cute needs that need to be hidden and stored on my coffee table. Styling a coffee table using these three concepts, that often seem to overlap and challenge one another, can still execute a Pinterest-style and clean look.

See below for inspiration and decor ideas for your living room or next living room update, the pricing will range from affordable to worth the splurge: