How To Maximize Your Coffee Table Space

By Francine Fluetsch on November 9, 2015

This article is brought to you by CORT, a subsidiary of Berkshire-Hathaway and the world’s largest furniture rental and relocation services company. To learn more about how we can help college students like you, click here.

Coffee tables are usually those overlooked pieces of furniture, not really noticed unless you are doing them wrong or really right.

image via www.lizmarieblog.com

For example, if your coffee table is sporting remnants of old food and yellowing magazines, or is so cluttered that its surface cannot even be made out, your guests are going to notice.

On the other hand, if you decorate them very nicely and put effort and thought into them, coffee tables can really tie a room together. Seeing as you want to go with the second option, here are some suggestions on how to maximize your coffee table space to avoid the clutter and have it catch the eye in a positive way.

Tablecloth:

Putting a small, cute tablecloth on your coffee table can do wonders. It allows you to add a pop of color, lets you display the things you currently want to display, and lets you store things under the cloth that no one will be able to see.

You can add a small shelving unit for under if you want to store old magazines that you are not ready to throw away yet, or can even store holiday themed things under there so they aren’t cluttering your current display on the coffee table. You want things on the coffee table, but it should be subtle, because people should still have a place to put their dessert when watching a movie, or their drinks during a hangout.

Use levels:

When I worked at a boutique, we always had to work with small tables, so to maximize what we could put on there, we used cute book boxes or other things to add levels to the table. You can use whatever you like to create the level(s), but make sure that it is still aesthetically pleasing.

You shouldn’t have a random high level on the table; it should either be one slightly higher than the table itself, or a few going up in progression. This will create a cool effect on its own, and will also allow you to have more space to use when displaying your items and still have room for the functions of the coffee table.

Rug of illusion:

Having a rug under your table will give it the illusion that it is bigger than it actually is, meaning you will be able to put more things on it without it becoming too overwhelming. A bright rug will really help with this, and will also complement the place and help the coffee table become more of an object to take notice of.

image via: http://www.nationalfurnituresupply.com

Picture collages:

Instead of attempting to cram a bunch of individual picture frames of your cheesing family onto your coffee table, why not invest in a picture frame standing collage? It will save you space so you can add other things to the table as well, and will let you display more pictures in an organized matter.

This will definitely add some personalization to that little table of yours. Possibly switch out the pictures every so often to give yourself and your guests new adventures to admire.

Magazine/book bin:

If you are a big fan of having multiple reading elements on the coffee table, why not have it organized with a cute magazine or book bin? You can design it yourself in a fun DIY project, or go pick a cheap one out at the store. This will help magazines get less chaotic than they would in a pile on the table.

You could also have the bin on the side of the table, or even under it, if you want to be able to display more things. This will keep the books and magazines where you want them, just in a different way.

image via: http://casualhomefurnishings.com

Coaster holder:

Instead of having coasters litter the coffee table, waiting to be filled with a drink, why not get a cute coaster holder to display your coasters and have them take up less space when not in use? Some stores let you customize coasters with your photos and you can even buy a display frame to hold them in.

This lets them be part of the decoration, take up less space, and be ready to go once the drinks come out. Maximizing your space and getting rid of your cluttered up stuff go hand in hand, so organization of even the small things like coasters will end up making a big difference.

As you can see, there are many things you can do to get your coffee table to make the statement that you want it to. Whether you want to dress it up or keep it simple and chic, remember to keep unnecessary clutter away from it at all times. Switch it up to keep it fun, and play around with different organization ideas to see what works best for your house and your table!

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