Jenni’s 3 Takes on Effortless Coffee Table Style
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Living
Jenni’s 3 Takes on Effortless Coffee Table Style
June 15, 2022
In the course of experiencing life in any home, it’s only natural that certain spaces adopt a greater sense of formality while others tend to lend themselves more easily to the everyday—and though, in our ideal world, every square foot of your space would be equal parts beautifully curated and wholly livable, there’s one feature, in particular, that seems to inherently embody the best of both worlds: the coffee table. When it comes to coffee table styling, perfection is never the goal—rather, we’re after the kind of tabletop that allows life to unfold without sacrificing form—so we went to Jenni with all of our coffee table queries, and compiled her guide to curating three effortless tabletop aesthetics.
Jenni’s 3 Takes on Effortless Coffee Table Style
Coffee Table Take 1: Asymmetrical & Practical
Breaking It Down
For her first take on coffee table styling, Jenni started by taking the blank slate and placing various books down, using the different stacks of books to anchor the table. Another tip she loves to put to use? Have the books face different directions for a casual and asymmetrical look.
While her surface is square, her approach can be recreated on any coffee table shape, whether it’s rectangular like the Malibu Coffee Table or round like our Bay Coffee Table, as long as you keep balance in mind. Divide your table into sections—we recommend thinking in threes for rounded tables and threes or fours for rectangular pieces—and place pieces accordingly.
With the anchors in place, she adds small moments of interest that also add in some varied heights: a vintage ceramic bowl, seasonal candle, and florals in a rounded vase. While the visual elements are important, so is practicality, which is why she recommends finishing a coffee table off with a leather catchall and, in this case, a metal tray under her vase so watermarks don’t arise.
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Coffee Table Take 2: Balanced Simplicity
Breaking It Down
Jenni started this coffee table look in a similar fashion as her first, in that she stacked books in quadrants to serve as her foundational force. Aiming for a refined take that featured darker tones, she made sure to only source pieces that were muted and worked within the same palette. From there, she opted for her favorite ceramic bowl atop a stack to break up any sameness.
A core rule in Jenni’s coffee table styling book is to focus on placing objects across the surface that you’re fond of—in this case, it was a coveted candle that she loves for its lower profile and defined aesthetic.
Adding seasonality and some greenery is always valued in any living space. For the final touch, Jenni placed a small bud vase on another stack for a lively addition that effortlessly breathes life into the look.
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Coffee Table Take 3: Tonal & Subdued
Breaking It Down
In this final coffee table curation, Jenni aimed to create a look that was strikingly simple. She started with stacks of books once again, sticking to her mantra of only using pieces that she’s drawn to. Each book brings something to the table (literally and figuratively) in terms of memories, inspiration, or conversation, but they were also chosen for their shades. In fact, no book or item will make the cut if they aren’t the right tone.
Jenni suggests keeping color at top of mind when decorating a surface: if you want something calming then go for earthy or neutral tones, opt for darker shades if you want contrast, and go for brighter colors if you’re looking to liven it up. Regardless of the look you’re after, it’s important to stay consistent.
Height is a core feature when it comes to a coffee table—you don’t want anything too high to obstruct a view, but you also want to create depth. In this case, she added a small vase with simple sprigs of green to offset the plane.
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Photos by Amanda Sanford