How to Style Your Coffee Table Like an Interior Designer

The options abound here, based on your personal preferences (both reading and aesthetic). You might, for example, choose to display a few books within the same color family—or just play with how they’re arranged and stacked across the table. But above all else, our advice is to go with subject matter that means something to you or even adds entertainment value. (My coffee table currently features the above Hilma af Klint retrospective, as well as a 1970s book of optical illusions found at a flea market.)

In other words, make your decor work harder for you. Books certainly stand up to the task, but I love the aesthetic of this tic tac toe game from Room and Board—and guests will, too.

This moody candelabra from SIN doesn’t just provide instant ambiance–it also adds some height variation and in turn, draws the eye to your tablescape. And doesn’t she deserve to be the center of attention? (Pro tip: Go with the monochromatic tapers for that really intentional, designed look.)

If your aesthetic is more high-saturation and less Wednesday Addams, you might prefer these fun color-blocked candles by Ameico, which can actually be disassembled into three parts. Snag a few and have fun customizing your perfect stack.

You could just stick with your no-frills kitchen lighter, but we love the old-school appeal of a designated match holder with a built-in strike pad. (Just be mindful of kids and pets—but you knew that already.)

A conversation-starting alternative is to display matches you’ve collected from bars, restaurants, and hotels throughout the years. And if your collection needs beefing up, you can simply place an order with the Etsy seller linked below, who will send along a surprise collection of 20 vintage matchbooks.

Thankfully these swirly sculptures are just begging to play host to a cold drink.

Try one small, sculptural branch for some serious style points—and don’t overlook the vessel, either. Much like the candelabra, this is an easy way to add texture, height, and visual interest to your coffee table setup.

I collect scented candles faster than I can burn them—and yet I’m still springing for this gorgeous incense by Vyrao. Aesthetics aside, I love that these bamboo incense sticks are low-smoke, and scented with cedar, citrus, and frankincense.

Clutter is inevitable, even for the staunchest of minimalists—it’s the byproduct of, you know, living in your home. The designer trick isn’t to eliminate the mess entirely, but to offer it some generous real estate instead. Case in point: With this the help of this green marble catch-all or onyx box, matches, lighters, hair ties, and the like can hide in style.