5 Must-Haves for Your Side Table

When it comes to living room furniture, the coffee table gets all the glory. Aside from the sofa, it’s one of the first items people look to purchase when they’re setting up house for the first time or upgrading from the hand-me-downs of college days past.  It’s easy to understand how the much smaller side table might be easily overlooked, but we’d argue that it’s just as important a player. These flexible pieces of furniture offer a place to set a drink, provide storage, and, depending on the style of the table, pinch hit as an extra seat or a mini-bar.

Even if your side table isn’t front and center, it’s still worth taking the time to style it like you would your coffee table to create a balanced space that reflects your personality. Read on to find out what our favorite must-haves are for a well-styled side table.

1. Lighting

Shed some light on it. Side tables are a great place for displaying other elements in your design. Introduce much-needed accent lighting while displaying a gorgeous lamp that brings a color pop or a shapely design to your decor.

2. Something to read

Take the books off the shelf and bring them into the room. Books can say a lot about your interests and add a touch of color. Add a stack of  books (three is typically the magic number) on top or on a secondary shelf.

3. A Favorite Treasure

Put your favorite things on display. Unique accessories, such as a beautiful bowl or dish, a found piece of coral, a special trinket or a had-to-have-it tray, are what make a space your own.

4. A little ambiance

A scented candle in your signature scent adds instant ambiance, as does a pretty bowl of flowers.  And if you’re not up to the task of gathering fresh-cut flowers, faux florals or greenery work just as well for year-round color.

5. A Basket or Dish

The key to maximizing style is minimizing clutter. Our go-to strategy for keeping it clean is setting out an attractive basket or dish on a side table to collect the odds and ends. Now you can keep remotes and reading glasses tucked away while you aren’t using them.

For more decorating inspiration, browse our Pinterest boards for ideas, or visit our photo gallery to see all the gorgeous rooms found in our catalog.