Back in November, we ordered a coffee table for the living room from ShopCandelabra.com–seriously drool-worthy pieces over there (this affordable planter basket is in my shopping cart)–after seeing it in my dear friend Jane’s home (here). It was on back-order until March, but we loved it so much, we decided it was worth the wait and the money. We ended up getting a different coffee table for upstairs because we needed one in place for a shoot, however, it was truly fated; the Arteriors Jacob coffee table was absolutely meant for the family room.
I am always on the hunt for family-friendly pieces (something aesthetically pleasing for Chris and I, and kid approved for the girls, you can read more about our decorating mindset here) and this coffee table is the epitome of that. It’s solid wood, round and finished in a wash that already feels a little worn, so it’s not too delicate. The price is more than we have spent on coffee tables in the past, but the quality assures it’s a piece we’ll have for a long time and maybe even pass down one day. In the end, the heart wants what the heart wants.
“Styling a coffee table” might seem like a silly thing, I admit. But, it’s also a really fun, satisfying thing if you have a passion for decorating or a love for home like we do. I’ll be the first to make room for popcorn, but day to day a styled coffee table (or nightstand or shelf, etc.) can help me keep an entire room clean and tidy because I’ve already put forth an effort to make it look nice. Does that make sense? Are you the same way?
Styling a family-friendly coffee table 101:
1. Start with a coffee table you love to look at, and one you don’t have to worry about kids hurting, themselves or it.Â
2. Add something green, leafy, or floral to give it a sense of life. If I didn’t have two little ones running around, I might go for something fresh and living, but at this level, I love using faux plants, like this succulent, because it’s not going to get dirt anywhere or die. We just get to enjoy it.
3. Add in something layered. This can be decorative boxes, trays, or I prefer books. They’re virtually unbreakable (remove the jackets if you’re worried about them getting ripped) and are actually usable decor–like when Chris is watching Road House. Again.
4. Go for height. The quickest way to add interest to any surface is to vary heights. You might notice at fancy parties (or really, any party now thanks to Pinterest) that the main food/dessert table has platters at all different heights. It just looks better. I added a trio of these tall, metal candlesticks (I originally got them for the built-ins, but they were too tall to fit in the shelves!) that, again, aren’t breakable.
5. Lastly, add in something quirky or meaningful. I’ve long loved Jonathan Adler’s ceramic elephant (for luck!), but my rule is if something is breakable at kid-height, than I have to not care if it does end up breaking. I found this fun, little ceramic elephant–a good low to Adler’s $170 option–for $5 at Target. It’s the perfect finishing touch.
Oh, and we like to leave enough room for feet, too. ;)
SOURCES
Arteriors Coffee Table- Shop Candelabra | Books: The Things That Matter- Nate Berkus, The Kinfolk Home, Cabin Porn | Faux Succulent | Candlesticks | Ceramic Elephant.
although the set up looks nice, nothing about it is really family friendly. Others have mentioned the obvious book, but even if the elephant is cheap….its still breakable and can really injure a child if it did break. And the candle sticks can topple over extremely easily from a toddler or dog walking by and bumping the table
Or, you can get stung by a bee, bit by a dog, or worse yet, hit by a car. Every. Time. You. Leave. Your. House. Relax, live and breathe people. Please don’t let tiny ceramic elephants bring you down.
Does the coffee table feel too small for your space in real life?
I thought maybe it was a perspective issue in the last image since it looks TINY compared to your giant sofa and large scale built in’s but when I went to the product listing for the coffee table, it says it’s only 12 inches high….that seems almost useless.
Just a note though, I never see ads on your page because I have AdBlock….do people actually use the internet without an ad blocker anymore?! This is 2016 isn’t it, or maybe AdBlock hasn’t made it to middle America yet?
We definitely considered height and dimensions before ordering it and decided we wanted something a couple inches shorter than our sofa so it would feel natural to prop our feet up if we wanted. This coffee table feels just right. :)
Any tips for decorating with babies/toddlers. I liked your post of covering toys with blankets in the baskets around the house. That’s really helpful! But everything on a shelf or coffee table, my 11 month old grabs or plays knock it all onto the ground. What did you do to decorate your coffee table when Greta and Faye were around 1?
What color did you paint your family room wall? Im looking for a color to paint our guest bedroom, and this color looks very relaxing!
Benjamin Moore “Simply White”
#1…I love everything about your downstairs! It’s beautiful! Thank you for the inspiration!
#2…I feel as if I’m the odd one out here, but I actually LIKE the “read more” option on the blog posts. I read a few blogs regularly and really like the ones with this set up. That way if something doesn’t interest me, I don’t even click on it. (But who am I kidding with your site – I read everything you put on the world wide web)