Did you know a coffee table can affect the overall look of a room? While home decor should reflect your personal taste, there are some basic guidelines on how to style a coffee table. A good rule of thumb for coffee table styling is visual composition.

The obvious first choice is the classic coffee table book. Try to arrange your coffee table books symmetrically (we’ll talk about that next), and open them up to your favorite pages.

Make your coffee table visually appealing by placing one short item in the middle and two tall items on the sides. Or you can place one tall item in the middle with two short items on the sides. Now you’ve got eye-pleasing symmetry!

You can get instant symmetry by placing different items on a tray, and then placing the tray on the coffee table. This also gives you a quick way to move everything for game-playing or other activities. BTW, if you’re a hardcore game-player, you can decorate your coffee table with a deck of cards, classic board game and dominos. Common themes are an easy way to score!

If the color of your coffee table is white or another neutral shade, try picking items with bold colors. If you’ve got a clear coffee table, items of any color should work. If your coffee table is made of dark wood, try some metallic items.

Nothing says spring like freshly cut flowers! Plants and flowers can make your coffee table come alive, literally. Plants and flowers are also a good way to rotate decor for the seasons; you could even try a small pumpkin in the fall.

A bowl or a pretty dish on your coffee table gives it that homey look. Plus, you can place small items (that you often lose) in the bowl like TV remote controls, keys and eyeglasses.

You can almost never go wrong by lighting a candle on your coffee table to add some ambience in the room; bonus points if you use a scented candle!

You can also combine these suggestions by using the rule of threes. Divide your coffee table into three sections for three items: a coffee table book or a stack of books (1), a candle (2) and a decorative personal item (3). It’s as easy as one, two, three!

A coffee table is often in the middle of the room, so try using items that look good from any angle, like a vase, as opposed to a picture frame that only works from the front.

Avoid making your coffee table look too bare or cluttered with accessories. Leave enough room to put a drink down or your feet up. This ain’t a museum, it’s a living room for the “living.”

When it comes to choosing a coffee table, try one that goes with the rest of the room. For example, if you have some existing rustic wood decor, then try a similar rustic wood coffee table. Living Spaces has wonderful selection of stylish coffee tables at great prices! Please go to LivingSpaces.com to find yours! You’ll be coffee table stylin’ in no time!