A naked table feels unfinished somehow, much like naked windows feel unfinished IMO, so here is our primer on how to successfully style table surfaces.
We’ve styled hundreds of surfaces over the years for clients and photo shoots, and we do it automatically without really thinking too much about it. But a few key principles seem to emerge, so we are sharing our best tips here.
Table styling is about creating a pleasing composition in much the same way as hanging artwork, taking a photograph, or designing a room is creating a composition.
Stylish Great Room, design by JRL Interiors photo Emily O’Brien
First, lets talk about the styling ingredients. There are a few styling items that are ALWAYS on the list.
Foolproof Table Styling Items
Books
Collect either coffee table books or vintage books depending on what you are styling and the size you need. I try to color coordinate these to the setting, within reason, or at least not clash. It is, of course, most important to have books that you might actually enjoy looking at!
Books function as both styling items and also as platforms if you need to raise something a bit for a more pleasing composition.
Rhapsody in Blue Project by JRL Interiors
Plants, or something organic
You, of course, can never go wrong with a floral arrangement, pretty much every room looks better with flowers in it!
Cut branches or leaves are often a good idea too, but for more longevity a potted plant or REALLY good faux plants/florals can work too.
Bowls of fruit can work well in certain instances as well - I generally opt for a single type of fruit when I do this for more color impact.
Console in Great Room Project by JRL Interiors, photo by Emily O’brien
Trays
Trays are the perfect way to gather styling items into a single visual entity.
This is especially useful if you occasionally need to move things out of the way for serving purposes…to make way for a charcuterie board and wine on a coffee table, as we frequently do for example.
Or if you want to turn an ottoman into a table that can hold a beverage or snacks.
Additional Table Styling Items
Items that speak to you
Statuary or sculpture pieces that have a story or personal connection
Antique Farmhouse Great Room Project by JRL Interiors. Console styled with plant, books and ceramic pomegranate sculptures
Candles (in holders or lanterns) that provide ambience or a signature scent or both.
Interesting memorabilia that has personal meaning such as purchases on travel adventures., or pieces with family history or interesting provenance. Frequenting vintage shops often yields fun finds.
Garden Inspired Library by JRL Interiors, table styled with vintage birds, books, and a wooden trug
Lamps
Console tables and chests have slightly different rules since they are generally viewed from one side. For these, I do like to add a single spectacular lamp or a pair of lamps as a starting point to anchor the edges.
A vintage verdigris copper lamp anchors a chest in the Antique Farmhouse Bedroom project by JRL Interiors
Art and photographs
For side and console tables and chests, art or decorative plates on little easel stands or family pictures can be a nice addition.
Please limit this to 3 unless your table is very large, and vary the sizes, frames, and orientations of the pictures but keep some sort of cohesive theme amongst them.
More than 3 family photos in any grouping starts to look more like a shrine than decor. Find other homes for the excess - tuck them into bookshelves or hang larger ones as part of a gallery wall.
Above a console table or chest there is often art or a mirror and these should factor into your composition of items on the surface with some overlap to connect the items as part of a whole.
Styling Principles
Odd numbers
It is generally a good idea to have an odd number of items in an arrangement. And by odd numbers, I mean 3 or 5 NOT 13 or 15! A stack of books counts as 1 item for our purposes. And trays generally don’t factor in the count as I consider them more of a surface.
Fewer and larger is always more elegant than a whole bunch of little things, which tend to look more cluttered. Also, easier to keep dusted!
Nine collectible statues would probably be better deployed in artful clusters of 3 scattered around the room rather than all lined up on a console table like they are facing a firing squad or mounting a revolt!
Varied heights
Once you’ve established your items, consider the heights of each. We generally aim to have 3 or more different heights represented to create some visual rhythm.
Books elevate a floral arrangement to create a pleasing rhythm of varied heights on this console table by JRL Interiors
Varied shapes
Have a mix of rectangular, boxy items, items with more organic lines, and rounded items for the best dynamic compositions.
Pro Tip: try not to match the shape of the tray to the coffee table - i.e. on a round or oval table or ottoman, I’d use a rectangular tray - rounded surfaces almost always benefit from the contrast.
There are exceptions for square and rectangular surfaces, but varying the angle of the tray if it is a similar shape to the coffee table, creates a more dynamic arrangement while aligning the orientations is a more static feel.
Dining Table Styling
Dining table styling is a whole other category, as it depends whether it is going to be used imminently or regularly for dining as well.
You can create a more expected floral display, or a grouping of hefty ceramics or glass pieces like this trio of Spanish glass bottles tucked full of branches from the yard.
For dining table centerpieces to use during entertaining, several other considerations factor in - like being low enough to see over for conversations across the table at a dinner party. More ideas in this centerpiece post.
