Tag: coffee table styling

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Covet my coffee table

Covet my coffee table: Interior designer Kathryn Bamford

I’m so jealous of today’s coffee table, belonging to interior designer and Interiors Addict contributor Kathryn Bamford. I vaguely remember a time, before kids, when I too could display so many pretty trinkets on mine. Not anymore! I digress! And will you just look at the sheer size of this one? Over to you, Kat…

My coffee table is always changing, whether it be the books and magazines which are inspiring me at the time or my latest find while hunting for homewares. To be honest, it’s all pretty flexible as it’s where we eat dinner most nights!

It really sums up my design style at home; some old, some new and some DIY. It’s my own creation. I drew up the plans and managed to score an old marble boardroom table on Gumtree from an architecture firm that was moving. I had the table top cut to size from that, a base welded, and then sprayed the frame myself. It’s always the first piece everyone comments on when they walk into the room.

I love collecting things! Whether it be on travels or a random weekend away, I always seem to pick up something I love along the way! I’m also fond of mixing these items with new and vintage pieces. It’s always a conversation starter for when guests come over and it’s a good reminder of all the places I’ve been lucky enough to have been.

When it comes to styling a coffee table, especially one that is oversized like mine, knowing where to begin can be half the battle. I like to create sections and almost form a grid. It helps give some structure and makes the whole task less intimidating. From there, I then make stacks, whether it be books, trays or magazines, and include smaller pieces on top. I find the height variance between the stacks creates smaller, more eye-catching vignettes.

I’m also a firm believer in keeping it real and practical. For us, the coffee table is the hub of our home, we use it all the time, whether it be for entertaining guests, game nights or weeknight dinners so it can’t be high maintenance. I believe form and function can coexist so if you’re going to put things on it, then use them. If you’re going to have coasters, have beautiful ones you just keep out and actually use.

I have so many pieces I love on display on the coffee table, but my favourite is this book my Yiayia (grandmother) made me. It’s full of handwritten facts about her life, family, work and everything in between. It’s such a special reminder about the special bond I have with her and just how similar we are with some things. Along with her handwritten recipe book, this would have to be one of the most prized items in my home.

Photography: Michelle Young

– Kathryn Bamford is a regular contributor, certified interiors addict and degree-qualified interior designer & stylist. You can follow her projects and adventures on Instagram @kathryn_bamford.

A look at what’s on more people’s coffee tables

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Expert Tips Styling

How to style your coffee table: secrets from a new book

An extract from Bronnie Masefau’s newest book The Meaning of Home – A Place to Belong.

‘Tablescape’ is a rather modern word within the interior design vocab. A ‘scape’ refers to a wide view of a place or area, often represented in a picture – as in landscape, seascape or cityscape. Thanks to the late David Hicks, the famous English interior decorator who invented the word, the beauty of gathering and positioning clusters of objects on a horizontal surface is appreciated as an art form.

For interior designers, it refers to the wide view of a beautifully laid-out tabletop. While this form of styling has been employed by many of the greats for years, its ever-changing dynamic has evolved with the generations. In short, a tablescape is a refreshing way to view an otherwise dull, common area. Our tabletops – coffee tables, occasional tables, consoles, desk tops, bedside tables and hall tables – are more often than not just another one of those missed opportunities to drizzle a room in personality.

So what items go into creating a tablescape? That is a question I hear many of you asking. Anything, really. In fact, the more personality, the better. In David Hicks’ own words, “What is important is not how valuable or inexpensive your objects are, but the care and feeling with which you arrange them.”

The key is in the layering. If you have a sizable coffee table, you might begin with an oversized tray that you layer within. This is a great way to contain items of interest, all while leaving room for yourself and guests to place their cups. The more obvious items used to layer a tablescape are piles of books, vases or vessels of flowers, small trays, bowls, little sculptures or perhaps trinkets from a recent beach walk or trip afar. When setting this area, remember that it is meant to be fluid and ever-changing, to inspire and delight – just like a landscape within the countryside.

Ideas for tablescape items:

Books
Trays of all sizes
Bowls of all sizes
Caneware
Potted plants
Ornaments
Candles
Bottles
Shells
Flowers
Lamps
Items from nature
Plates on vertical stands
Glassware
Artwork of varying sizes
Hats
Headpieces
Models – trains, planes and automobiles
Miniature prototypes (furniture)
Statues and sculptures
Brassware
Silverware
Trinkets collected on travels
Columns or plinths to create varying heights

The list of possible ‘objects of desire’ is endless, limited only by your imagination. There is no right or wrong – just possibilities.

Bronnie’s book is available online. 

 

For more inspiration, check out our Covet My Coffee Table section, full of real people’s beautiful coffee table curations!

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Covet my coffee table

Covet My Coffee Table: With Gina Ciancio from Style Curator

Describing her interior style as ‘contemporary Australian,’ Canberra-based stylist and blogger Gina Ciancio, of Style Curator, likes to restyle her coffee table on a regular basis. “I change the styling on my coffee table quite regularly – depending on the seasons, my mood and of course, what I think Patrick (my one year old bub) will or won’t feel like breaking that day! The spaces in my home are constantly changing and evolving. Styling my home is a bit of a mad obsession but I love it,” says Gina.

The coffee table itself has a white metal base and round timber top and was sourced from the online furniture and décor store Tysiza. “I chose this piece because its clean design complements the minimalist aesthetic of my home but the timber top adds warmth without being ‘heavy.’ It fits my interior style and is neutral enough to change the styling on it easily,” says Gina.

Aside from a selection of interior and architecture related books, Gina always decorates her coffee table with an indoor plant or fresh flowers and a scented candle. “At times, I’ll pull out more decorative items and create a bit of a vignette, and other times I’ll create a cluster of candles, or I’ll keep things simple with mainly books and just a few bits of décor,” says Gina who warns against over-working the space. “There can be a temptation to over-style a coffee table but keeping some blank space for a cup of tea or just to allow the items to ‘breathe’ is also important,” says Gina.

Gina Ciancio

Aside from being a focal point in the room, Gina likes the way that the coffee table can divert attention from a large screen TV. “The TV is often the unintentional focal point but a well-styled coffee table can distract from that,” says Gina who admits that she struggles to maintain a beautifully styled home with a toddler in the mix. “I find that it’s near impossible – especially if you have a family or just a life! But a coffee table is a small and manageable space to keep looking good,” says Gina.

As for her top coffee table styling tips, Gina loves to play with height and scale and is a big believer in odd numbers. “If you find something isn’t quite right, perhaps count the number of items you’ve used and consider adding or subtracting something to get to an odd number of items – it sounds weird but items arranged in odd numbers always look better,” says Gina who is also a big fan of trays. “Another trick of mine is to add a tray, trivet or even use a book as a base to layer items on top of. This can anchor the items you’re styling and make them look less knick-knacky,” says Gina.

Check out Style Curator | Browse our other coffee tables

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Covet my coffee table

Covet My Coffee Table: With Have You Met Miss Jones

Have You Met Miss Jones first came to my attention many years ago when I was working in women’s magazines. I loved their wares from the start – with more than a subtle nod to seventies ceramics, the colour palettes and retro detailing have always been on point. So, it’s with much excitement that we bring you the coffee table styling of the owner, Jennifer Jones.

A mix of books, greenery and plenty of ceramics (of course), Jennifer’s coffee table doesn’t disappoint. “We love books in our family and so there are always piles of books on the coffee table, ranging from design and cookbooks to our daughter’s favourites. As a mad ceramic collector, I also use the coffee table to display my newest acquisitions. These amazing blue pieces are from a weekend I spent in Chiang Mai last month, hand picking items for our recently opened Bondi store,” says Jennifer.

“We love plants too and the recycled rubber pot from Garden Life houses a chalk stick succulent which is toddler friendly and robust! The little fabric bunny is one of a series from a divine shop in Seminyak which sells the cutest baby clothes. Teddie, our daughter, loves them.”

Jennifer Jones in her lounge room

The space is a constantly changing tableau – reflecting Jennifer’s changing tastes. “Being in the homeware industry our house is constantly changing. I can’t help myself when I see a new trend that I love emerge! The coffee table is a great space to draw attention to the things we love most at that time so it tends to change at least every few months,” says Jennifer.

And rather than one coffee table, Jennifer’s lounge room includes two positioned together. “We wanted to have a large table to gather around. We bought it from our fabulous friend David at Orson & Blake. We love it as it houses lots of books underneath and the marble top gives a great sense of style to our living room.”

Jennifer’s daughter Teddie and her favourite things feature on the coffee table

With a toddler in the house (something Jen and I know all about!), the coffee table is not only robust but highly functional too. “I think it needs to be 100 per cent functional and in our house, it needs to be able to take a bit of a battering! We spend a lot of time around the table, usually eating meals sitting on cushions on the floor with Teddie or playing with her musical instruments or drawing. I wanted something neutral as we tend to change the style of our living room every year at least. It needed to work with a multitude of rugs and soft furnishings.”

Gorgeous ceramics abound

As for styling tips, Jennifer is a fan of discreet storage. “A great box or small lidded basket is perfect for hiding remotes and bits and pieces. We have printed polaroid size pics from our family Instagram so a great bowl to display those in is a cute way to have photos at easy reach that isn’t a device,” says Jennifer. She believes books (with an ornament on top) plus something living are essential too.

“Fresh flowers are the ultimate but with a small child, a plant is more stress-free and the health benefits cannot be undervalued. This is usually corralled in a great and generously proportioned tray that can double for snacks on the couch too.”

Shop Jennifer’s designs online | Browse our other coffee tables

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Covet my coffee table Smart Home

Covet My Coffee Table: With Kristy Withers from Incy Interiors

While Incy Interiors’ Kristy Withers calls Central NSW her main base (she grew up there and moved her family back there recently), she maintains a small apartment in Sydney that she visits on a weekly basis. And it turns out, its coffee table is quite the multi-tasker!

“The coffee table at our apartment is critical as it is our dining table, homework table, kids’ play table and my desk! The apartment isn’t huge and we use it as a base for our family plus extended family to stay whilst in Sydney. As a result, all our meals are eaten around that little coffee table!” Kristy converted the apartment’s dining room into a fourth bedroom.

The coffee table itself is a West Elm number and combines a marble top with a brushed gold base. “After visiting Palm Springs last year, I developed a complete obsession with everything mid-century and I was lucky enough to be able to bring the obsession to life when decorating my Sydney apartment,” says Kristy, who makes regular business trips to Sydney where she has an Incy Interiors office as well as the store in Chatswood Chase.

Styled with a series of her favourite things, the table features a Palm Beach coconut and lime candle which is Kristy’s signature scent. “I always have one burning at home, in the office and in the store,” says Kristy.

Three books sit atop the table – ‘Things I Love’ by Megan Morton, ‘Inspired’ by Lorna Jane and an Yves Saint Laurent tome too. “Megan Morton is one of my style icons –  I couldn’t believe it when she suggested we do a collaboration together. Lorna Jane is my business hero – I love that she has taken a small business and grown it into a global company. Finally, the Yves Saint Laurent book just represents my love of fashion and design,” says Kirsty who loves styling with fresh flowers too. “On the coffee table is also a beautiful bunch of pink and white roses.  I always try to have fresh flowers, it’s my one little luxury.”

Kristy with her daughter

As for styling tips, Kristy keeps it simple and believes in three key elements: “A bunch of flowers for beauty, a stack of books to spark conversation and a decorative accent such as a mini sculpture for interest,” she says.

Shop Incy Interiors | Browse our other coffee tables

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Covet my coffee table

Covet My Coffee Table: With Christie Turvey of Neue Blvd

Online store Neue Blvd is known for its lovely curation of on-trend homewares and host of monogrammed goods. And while many of the pieces would fit into any modern space, there is a Hollywood Regency vibe that runs throughout the site which makes it no surprise to see that its founder, Christie Turvey, enjoys a smattering of the aesthetic in her own lounge room.

Christie’s coffee table

“My coffee table is a contemporary, black mirrored designer trunk with stud detailing. I had this piece imported from overseas — it is my favourite find! It suits my style perfectly and I just love how a trunk evokes an out-of-this-world glamour,” says Christie.

Sitting atop the trunk is an array of items including a brass round tray styled with Neue Blvd marble etched coasters (Christie’s top pick from her collection), and an assortment of candles. “My favourite brands include Coco Luxe, Tom Dixon and Palm Beach. Plus, I also have a Crystal Head Vodka skull (which is a sentimental piece from my wedding), a brass skull paperweight from our very first Neue Blvd collection and a brass concrete diamond, handcrafted by a close school friend.”

A standout piece is a horn magnifying glass that Christie picked up on her first product sourcing trip to India. “It holds so many exciting memories!” says Christie whose coffee table also features fresh seasonal flowers and an assortment of books. “Coffee table accessories are so personal they’re often the very last things designed in a home, but they’re as important as art because they can express who you are. A coffee table should have different layers and should match your personality. I love how a coffee table that incorporates a mix of finishes can simply add that extra ‘joosh’ to an interior.”

Christie’s precious horn magnifying glass has pride of place on her coffee table

As for coffee table styling, Christie has plenty of great advice: “Make use of personal pieces, as they add flair that’s unique to you – be bold and make a statement. Candles, books and decorative finds from your travels can act as a conversation point,” says Christie who always adds an organic element (greenery or fresh cut flowers) for height as much as anything.

“Layering will make your coffee table feel styled rather than staged and to keep your coffee table balanced, vary the scale of display items and stack or group like objects together,” says Christie.

Shop Neue Blvd | Browse our other coffee tables

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Interiors Addict

6 accessories to add some wow to your coffee table

If there’s one place you can have some fun with decorating, it’s the coffee table. If you’re the sort of person who reads this blog, I’m guessing you’re more likely to be creating little vignettes and stacks of coffee table books (they’re called that for a reason) that express your style, than just thinking of this piece of furniture as somewhere for your remotes and a cup of tea. Am I right?

coffee table accessories

A well styled coffee table makes such a difference to a living room! I have so much fun with my own coffee table. I’m constantly arranging and rearranging, adding fresh flowers, swapping around candles, changing up that month’s favoured books from my collection (possibly colour coding their spines, yes).

I’ve put together these top picks (above) if you are looking to add some instant wow factor, style or a talking point to your own coffee table. I hope you like them. Of course you should make your coffee table yours and a reflection of you, just like the rest of your home. This is just intended as food for thought (especially the donut!). If you don’t have a coffee table (really?!) these could work on a buffet, side table or even bookcase.

Where to buy

Clockwise from top left: Tom Dixon Eclectic candles (the marble lid doubles as a coaster later) from dedece+ ($113 each), gold sculptural spheres (perfect on top of your book stack!) from West Elm (from $49), Ilse vase (the perfect size for small; blooms on your coffee table and heavy enough not to get knocked over easily) from Georg Jensen ($120), the new Adore Home book is not only full of great Aussie interior inspiration, but with its gold cover and hot pink spine, it will look good on your table too, from Adore Home shop ($55), Lumino agate coasters (these are edged in 24k gold and practical as well as stunningly beautiful) from Becker Minty and available in various colours ($195 for four), glass donuts (which make great paper weights or just fun accessories!) by George Agius from CoCo Contemporary Connoisseur ($80 each).

Coming soon to Interiors Addict: COVET MY COFFEE TABLE — a look at the coffee tables of our favourite interior designers and stylists!