How to curate your coffee table to lavish standards
A sanctuary of relaxing, wining and reclining, your coffee table is the heart of your sitting room. But how to style it? We’ve compiled a step-by-step, universal guide to adorning and curating a collection of your favourite things. So, while you may have a little bit more free time on your hands, why not unleash your inner interior stylist?
Think theme
Ground yourself with a theme that guides aesthetic and feel. For snow-white glass casing and summertime cocktail-esque perfumes, immerse yourself in a Santorini state of mind. If it’s a warming, chalet-style retreat you’re striving for, opt for the amber-flecked, rich hues of Vesuvius. And for the monochrome mavens, Halfeti will indulge your affinity for a slick, suave and timeless feel.
Foundations matter
If you’ve got a spare marble slab (perhaps something normally reserved for antipasto platters), a mirrored tray or a colossal coffee table book, place this down as your base. If you’re opting for a book, think large, glossy and fabulous to flick through with a morning cuppa or a knockoff wine. From here, we’ll layer on.
Good to be green
Nothing offsets a blank space better than some lush foliage or unfurling blooms. Match your choice of indoor plant with the height and size of your coffee table. Whether it’s a divinely low-maintenance, potted succulent, or a draped fern that dangles dreamily over the table’s edge, some greenery will bring your curation to life. And if you’re more into freshly cut flowers, opt for a quirky vase and keep charming bunches on high rotation for ever-changing beauty.
Make scents
Personalisation isn’t complete until you add the element of fragrance. Our striking, new 2.4kg candle size is equal parts luxurious and long lasting, so you can inch closer to the dream of a perennial, neverending burn. When convening around the table with friends or reclining for a solo unwind, strike a match over our Halfeti, Santorini or Vesuvius mega-sized candles for the ultimate mood lighting and perfumerie.
Layer at leisure
Now the groundwork is done, adorn your table to your heart’s content. This will look different for every abode. Maybe yours is delightfully cluttered and chaotic in colour-clashing. Or, you’ve added a petite trinket and one or two more books for more understated minimalism. Play with coasters, magazines and other ephemera until you’ve hit a sweet spot.
Touch and feel
Go tactile with your approach and consider textures. You might gravitate to metals and angular, structural objects, or lean towards soft, fabric-bound books and leather coasters to evoke a softer, cosier mood. Shape can also be paramount. If an eclectic, whimsical arrangement is more your brief, opt for a one-of-a-kind, handmade ceramic creation or an antique, painted vase for some old world, rustic charm.
We hope these tips have inspired you to conquer your own coffee table pursuits. Now it’s time to trawl Pinterest, Instagram and some glossy magazines to garner your own vault of stylistic inspiration. Until then, make a mental memo to tag us at @apsleyandcompany when sharing your final masterpiece.