How to Beautifully Decorate a Coffee Table for Spring

It’s time to decorate for spring! Coffee tables are the perfect spot to add some seasonal elements as you refresh your space for the season. Check out my favorite tips and ideas to decorate a coffee table for spring with simple and easy vignettes!

Coffee table styling is one of the requests that I get the most often from you all, my readers! Actually, I totally understand why. It is fun to decorate a coffee table for spring. At the same time, some simple, seasonal styling can change the look of the whole room!

In this fast-paced world, it’s easy to fall into a trap of thinking we need new furniture, new paint, a new room layout, or even a new house to create the perfect haven. Actually, just a simple room reset can be just the key to help me love my home all over again. If you are someone who enjoys being creative, you can probably relate!

However, coffee table styling can sometimes stump me, or at the very least, I can easily fall into a decor rut and need some fresh inspiration. You too?

Gathering some fun ideas will hopefully spark new creativity as you decorate your coffee table for spring!

How do you style a coffee table for spring?

There are some staple decor pieces I like to keep on hand that you’ll often find on my coffee tables. If you follow along with Robyn’s French Nest for very long, you’ll start to recognize pieces that I use for almost every season. However, switching them up from room to room helps keep my decor feeling fresh.

In fact, these are likely considered common coffee table decor pieces for most people. At the same time, you probably have at least some of these on hand if you shop your own home:

Tray or bowl
Fresh or faux greenery
Fresh or faux flowers
Larger/taller decor piece (such as a cloche, vase, lantern, or vessel)
Books (either to use as a riser or pretty coffee table books)
Favorite candle or battery-operated candle
Seasonal object

We are going to chat about all of these common pieces. Then, we will look at how you can arrange and style them to create your own unique look and style!

Now, are you ready to decorate?! Gather up your basics and let’s get started!

How to Beautifully Decorate a Coffee Table for Spring

I love decorating my coffee table because it is a relatively quick way to make an entire room feel refreshed. However, you don’t need a lot of time or a big budget to decorate a coffee table, either!

If I start to feel like my living or family rooms are a bit “tired” and need some fluffing, a quick switch of the coffee table vignette will usually do the trick!

No matter the season or style, there are some basic elements to my easy formula for styling a coffee table.

How to Decorate a Coffee Table for Spring: Tip #1

What do you put in the middle of a coffee table?

Start with a base for your vignette, considering:

Size
Scale
Function
Style/design of the room

I almost never style a coffee table vignette without using a base. This helps define the vignette and really helps pull it all together, rather than feeling like things are just “setting around”.

Do you always have to have a base? Definitely not! However, a base is what I typically start with.

How do I make my coffee table look nice?

Starting your coffee table decor with a base is a guaranteed way to elevate the style and create a defined coffee table vignette.

Some of my favorite things to use as a base when I decorate a coffee table for spring are large coffee table books (I look for these at thrift stores!), large bread boards, or trays. Also, a basket or flat-bottom dough bowl can also make a great base to decorate a coffee table.

What size of base should I use to decorate a coffee table?

The size and scale of your base depends on the size and scale of your coffee table. It is perfectly fine to use a large base, even on a smaller table, as long as the coffee table has a substantial look so that everything feels balanced.

For example, if your coffee table is a minimalist style, you wouldn’t want to use an oversized, chunky wood tray. Instead, choose a tray with a lesser profile, more in keeping with the scale of the table.

However, if you have a coffee table that has a thick base or chunky wood top, you can consider oversized decor. For example, this large bread board can make great statement piece on my coffee table with thick legs.

What are other considerations for creating the base for my coffee table vignette?

You also want to think about function. In our back living room, our family plays a lot of games. Therefore, I keep a pretty vignette at one end but leave most of the table clear for games.

However, in the music room, the small coffee table doesn’t need to function for anything except looks. Then, I sometimes use a base that is the same size as the coffee table!

There is a lot of room for freedom of expression here. Basically, I like to think first of the size and scale. Secondly, I consider the function and make sure whatever I’m creating works for our home and family lifestyle.

Here are some favorite base pieces to decorate a coffee table for spring:

How to Decorate a Coffee Table for Spring: Tip #2

Create a Vignette with Three Different Heights. Build the vignette with:

Tall item, such as a lantern, cloche, vessel with plant or branches
Medium item, such as vase, flowers, candlesticks, seasonal accent
Small item, such as a candle, seasonal accessory

I almost always style a vignette in a set of three. Especially on a coffee table or side table, I try to get three different heights to create my “decor triangle”.

However, no matter what size or scale of table you are decorating with, you can still work with a set of three decor items. Then, focus on varied heights.

Next, I look for a common thread of color, pattern, texture, or style to tie all the pieces together.

Pro Tip: When there are common elements that connect each piece to something else in the overall decor vignette, it creates a curated, clean look.

Otherwise, it can feel a little cluttered or disjointed.

For example, you’ll notice in these coffee table examples that each vignette has elements of white, wood, woven texture, a touch of light blue, or metal.

Consistency with the color, pattern, texture, and style can really help make it a lot easier to decorate a coffee table for spring!

Pro Tip: I often use vintage book stacks to help me get my three heights for a vignette. This is especially helpful if the three items you want to use for your vignette are too close to the same height.

At the same time, I try to make sure I have lots of layers and texture to get a look that is full of character!

Decorating a coffee table for spring: Example 1

How to decorate a coffee table for Easter?

Even though my overall scheme is a set of three things to create the decor triangle, I may layer things together. For example, in this spring vignette, I layered two bases with the bread board and crate. Then, I have my set of three:

The white color of the salvage and bunny connect everything while the brass candlesticks give great juxtaposition with a contrasting metal.

Lastly, the greenery brings it all to life. At the same time, the wood tones in the salvage and the base tie together as well.

Decorating a coffee table for spring: Example 2

In this next vignette, I used a mix of things to fill a larger space. However, there are still three basic things to create the decor triangle:

Concrete planter with plant
Cloche and base
Thrifted books with swan

The white of the planter and salvage connect together. At the same time, a touch of blue in the books ties together the books in the cloche and the books under the swan.

Lastly, the brass swans pull it altogether and again, give that juxtaposition of a contrasting metal texture.

Decorating a coffee table for spring: Example 3

In this third example, I simplified the vignette by only using larger items.

To get a height variation between the planter and bunny, I stacked a couple of thrifted books under the planter.

The bunny gives a pretty seasonal touch and the bowl with egg gourds completes the decor triangle. (This rabbit is one of my favorites to decorate with!

The white of the planter and bowl tie the vignette together.

Next, I love the extra detail of the color of the egg gourds, books, and bread board all connecting as well.

Lastly, the bunny plays perfectly with the zinc top of the coffee table. For this vignette, color plays a big role in pull it all together!

A General Formula to Decorate a Coffee Table for Spring

How do you style a coffee table display?

My general formula to decorate a coffee table for any season looks like this:

Base
Vignette with three heights, items connected by color, style, or texture
Include greenery or flowers
Include one seasonal item, such as a bunny or swan for spring
Use vintage books for height variation and extra texture

Here are Some Favorite Items to Decorate a Coffee Table for Spring

Favorite Spring Seasonal Accents

Favorite Greenery and Flowers for a Spring Touch

This is my favorite kind of real plant because it is so easy!
I have this topiary and love using it in a planter or basket!
This faux fern looks so real and adds texture and whimsy to a space.
These flowers would be pretty in a thrifted basket or vase!
Tulips are my favorite and these look so real! I use them everywhere!
Moss is perfect to tuck in and around vignettes to connect pieces and add extra texture.

Have fun with your spring decorating!

Are you ready to decorate a coffee table for spring now?

I hope you’ve found plenty of ideas to help you shop your home and put together a coffee table vignette that helps transform your space with a beautiful spring view! Now, start decorating and most of all, have fun!

At the end of day, home decor should be what YOU love and what makes you feel peaceful, calm, and cozy in your own haven.