5 Easy Steps for Round Coffee Table Decor Ideas
Coffee tables can make a perfect focal point in a living room, with a round coffee table helping to break up an otherwise linear space. However, round coffee table decor ideas can feel a little more challenging than a traditional rectangular shape. Follow these simple steps to decorate a round coffee table with ease!
I love finding ways to make a room feel refreshed without having to spend a lot of time or money. Often, a simple vignette swap of coffee table settings is the perfect thing to add a new spark to a living space. While a rectangular coffee table or even a square coffee table are a little easier to style, a round coffee table can offer beautiful shape to a room. Today, we are going to chat about the new, small space we have recently created and some round coffee table decor ideas that will make some easy “go-to” styling for an effortlessly stylish coffee table.
We have been working on making some changes to our back living room and dining room spaces. Once we confirmed the double sided fireplace to offer some simple division in the long, awkward 50 X 11 foot room, one of the first things I knew I wanted was a pretty sitting area with four chairs and a round coffee table.
I envisioned the round coffee table helping to break up the long lines of the room and also giving me a chance to have some fun with round coffee table decor ideas since our other two coffee tables are rectangular shape.
While the small space doesn’t allow for a large coffee table, it has turned out to be such a cute sitting area that we are enjoying very much. Since function is my number one priority in any room, the round table gave me a chance to incorporate some really practical storage.
I debated for a bit between some really high-end looking rattan tables. Ultimately, though, I happily chose a very budget-friendly round coffee table that offers amazing storage. It is the perfect spot for our puppy’s extra toys and supplies since it can be easily accessed by anyone in the family and Winchester (our puppy) pretty much thinks this whole room is his anyway! Haha!
Recently, I took some time to play with some round coffee table decor ideas for Easter and spring, combining decorative objects that I already have with the new coffee table. I’ll have to come back and update this post after I’ve enjoyed the round coffee table ideas for longer so that I can share more pictures and examples with you. In the meantime, here are a few favorites!
What should I display on a round coffee table?
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What you can display, of course, depends on the size of your round coffee table. Since mine is very small with only a 28 inch diameter, I am a lot more limited in the decorative items that I can use. However, the general formula and steps you use to incorporate round coffee table decor ideas is the same whether your coffee table is large or small.
Here are a few favorite decorative items I keep on hand for round coffee table decor ideas:
- Pretty tray
- Glass dome cloche and base
- Large vase
- Bouquet of very realistic faux flowers
- Variety of pretty coffee table books
- Realistic faux plant
5 Easy Steps for Round Coffee Table Decor Ideas
Easy Steps for Round Coffee Table Decor Ideas #1: Start With the Decor Triangle
An easy way to start creating a simple design for your round coffee table decor ideas is to think of the vignette as a triangle. The rule of thirds is a trick that any great interior designer uses over and over in decorating!
Because styling in odd numbers typically creates more visual interest for not only round coffee table decor ideas, but any kind of vignette styling, thinking of your decor as a triangle will help you get a balanced look.
For this Easter vignette, I added a large, round tray that is just a tad smaller than the round coffee table. This adds an extra layer. However, the decor triangle works with or without a tray.
In this Easter vignette, I started with a large glass dome cloche and chippy architectural salvage base. I filled the cloche with wicker eggs that I got a couple of years ago. Next, I added a pair of woven Easter eggs. These 3 items are clustered in a triangular shape for my round coffee table decor ideas.
Three seems to be the magic number for decorating. However, if you are decorating a piece that has a lot of space, you may want to choose higher odd numbers for a more full look.
Here are a few other combinations that work great as a triangle for round coffee table decor ideas:
- Tall vase of fresh flowers (or THESE realistic faux flowers, large book with a sculptural pieces (think seasonal: Easter bunny, large coral, pumpkin, or Santa figure), favorite candle
- Candleabra with my favorite realistic flameless taper candles, large vase with seasonal greenery, small stack of books with a ruffled bowl
- Faux plant, stack of books with a small decorative object on top, stack of pretty coasters (to prevent water stains on a wooden table)
- Tall ginger jar, smaller vase of realistic faux flowers, small bowl with seasonal filler
Easy Steps for Round Coffee Table Decor Ideas #2: Add the focal point first.
Now that you have an idea of how to plan your round coffee table decor ideas, it’s time to start having fun decorating! Your focal point is important because it sets the tone for your personal style in the room.
The first thing you will want to do is add your focal point piece. Often, this will be your largest or tallest item to add visual weight to the vignette. However, you may have a small decorative object that is a great conversation starter and that can definitely be your focal point.
Once you’ve added your focal point, you can add two other items to create your decor triangle for the rule of thirds.
Pro Tip: If you use your coffee table for game night or appetizers and tea with friends, build your round coffee table decor ideas on a large tray so you can easily remove the decor to play board games or set up snacks.
Should you put a round tray on a round coffee table?
Typically, a square or rectangular tray works best for round coffee table decor ideas as it brings more visual interest with the shapes. However, as you can see with this lemonade vignette, an extra large round tray that is almost as big as the coffee table can also create a pretty layer for visual interest. What you want to avoid is a small round tray as one piece of the decor triangle. The small round tray can feel awkward on the round coffee table.
What shape tray should you put on a round coffee table?
In general, use a round tray on a rectangle coffee table and a square or rectangular tray on a round coffee table. Of course, I broke this decor rule right away! Haha!
Easy Steps for Round Coffee Table Decor Ideas #3: Style items with three different heights.
As you continue building your vignette with your round coffee table decor ideas, you’ll want to make sure you are styling items with items of varying heights. The easiest way to keep your decor triangle is to focus on decor items that are different sizes but still keep a cohesive look with the rest of the room’s decor.
I like to think of my decorative accents in 3 different heights: tall, medium, short. You probably already have a variety of objects of different sizes that you can pull together. Here are a few ideas to help you get started and shop your own home first!
Tall Decorative Accents:
- Tall vase with fresh flowers or realistic faux flowers
- Stacks of books to make smaller items tall
- Sculptural pieces (think seasonal!)
- Tall candelabra
- Ginger jar
- Glass dome cloche to make a smaller decorative object more significant
Medium Decorative Accents:
Small Decorative Object:
- Natural elements such as a pretty seashell or mini pumpkin
- Low decorative bowl
- Favorite books laying open to encourage reading
- Stack of small plates for refreshments
- Pretty candle
OR….
Easy Steps for Round Coffee Table Decor Ideas #4: Center One Item in the Middle.
What can I put in the middle of my coffee table?
One of the fun things about decorating is that the rules are made to be broken! Home decor is your opportunity to express your personal style in whatever way makes you feel the most at home.
An alternative to adding 3 decorative accents in a decor triangle for round coffee table ideas is to instead place one large piece in the middle of the coffee table. Less can definitely be more and a strong focal point is always a beautiful addition to a room.
A round coffee table is the perfect place for a large bowl filled with seasonal filler. I also love to add a large vase with an oversized bouquet of my favorite realistic flowers. For example, this basket of these super realistic hydrangeas makes a dramatic centerpiece for this sitting area by the fireplace.
Investing in a large bowl or large vase that you really love is a great way to refresh the living space with seasonal decor without having to redecorate the whole coffee table. Anyone else out there love sweet, quick, and simple home decor?!
Easy Steps for Round Coffee Table Decor Ideas #5: Keep a Cohesive Look with the Rest of the Room
As you begin playing around with your round coffee table decor ideas, you’ll also want to think about keeping a cohesive look with the rest of the family room or living space. Try to stay consistent with your personal style and a color palette with complementary tones to the other decorative accents in the room.
For example, if the color scheme of your room has blue accents, like wall art or throw pillows, see if you can add a touch of the blue color scheme into your round coffee table decor ideas. Even something as simple as including a book with a blue cover can help tie the color palette together. This cohesive style gives your room an intentionality and attention to detail and elevates the look of the entire room.
When it comes to decorative accents, it is always a good idea to keep some consistency with the color scheme, pattern, texture, and material that you use in a space.
Let’s take these round table decor ideas for example:
The rattan coffee table ties into the rattan bar stools and rattan ottomans in the room.
The white flowers are consistent with the white chairs and dining table in the adjacent space.
Book covers of soft blue, white, and tan connect the pillow covers, cushion covers, and mixed neutrals of the cowhide rug.
The white coral adds a unique texture while tying into the coastal accents throughout our home.
The key points here are the color palette and rattan texture with some unexpected accents. While gold is beautiful and I love using it in our home, it wouldn’t fit the space to build a vignette around a grouping of vintage brass candlesticks. They wouldn’t connect to anything else that I currently have styled in the room in general.
While you may love different kinds of decor, like I do, consider keeping consistency with your color scheme, patterns, and textures for a room that is easy on the eyes and flows smoothly from one area to the next.
How do you arrange furniture around a round coffee table?
Since there are many different coffee table shapes, there are many ways that you can arrange furniture around a coffee table too! A round coffee table can be a great way to break up a room that has a lot of long lines, such as a sectional, fireplace, or console/sofa tables. That being said, often a rectangular table works just as well in a living room space. We enjoy a rectangular coffee table in our family room to go with our sectional and coordinating loveseat.
In the sitting area where I used the woven round coffee table, however, I wanted to create a casual conversation area. The shape of your coffee table needs to suit the needs of the space where it is being used.
Adding four chairs around the round coffee table creates a defined space with a clear purpose. In fact, the round coffee table is what makes this grouping of chairs make sense!
Your coffee table also needs to be scaled to fit the furniture in the room. Since this is a small conversation area, a smaller round coffee table works perfectly. There is room to set a cup of coffee but still enough space for a pretty vignette. At the same time, the diameter of the round coffee table doesn’t overwhelm the chairs.
Invest in a set of beautiful coffee table books:
Before we wrap up this simple tutorial to help us style with round coffee table ideas, I want to suggest that you invest in a great set of coffee table books. Some of my coffee table books are thrifted and some are ones I have purchased on clearance. I’ll link some of my favorites here that not only look beautiful laying out on your table, but also have a lot of creative ideas related to the home and home decorating.
Favorite coffee table books:
Wrap Up:
While I hope these easy steps for round coffee table decor ideas are helpful to you, I hope you remember that the only decorating rules that matter are that you:
- Create what YOU love
- Using the decor that YOU love
- In a FUNCTIONAL way for your family
Have fun with your round coffee table decor ideas! I hope your living space becomes a room where family and friends gather for many happy memories ahead!
You may also enjoy these home decor ideas and easy styling tips for your home:
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