Kid-friendly Coffee Table Styling
The top of my coffee table is the one place I allow my maximalist side to go wild. I like to keep a heavy assortment of things to peek the interest of anyone who sits in our living room, including my 3 year old.
So I felt inspired to share what I’ve learned about coffee table styling when there’s young children in the house. Now, obviously there are no hard and fast rules here. What you avoid/include is constantly changing. One day you avoid the candles and a pretty plants, the next day you can include them. You know your child better than anyone, so you decide what’s appropriate. My point with this post is to hopefully inspire you with new ideas and to encourage you to avoid giving up, and going museum-style with a bare coffee table.
Believe me; If you have little hands around, I know how tempting it is to not decorate the bottom three feet of your house. But don’t let that keep you from a missed opportunity! There’s nothing better than seeing a child fidget with an object on the table while you grab five minutes to yourself. Am I right?
You don’t want to spend all your time fussing at your kids and rearranging what you’ve put on your coffee table. So what is the anatomy of a well-styled, kid friendly coffee table? Let’s dissect this, shall we?
The key here is: What is pleasing to your eyes and safe for your child?
Things to avoid:
-Anything that could hurt them: better put the cactus elsewhere!
-Anything they could brake. Ask yourself, would this break if I dropped it on the floor? Would it break if I were to wack it on the table ?(because you know they will)? If the answer is yes, don’t include it. You want this to be worry-free.
-Anything that could make a mess: vases filled with water, tiny rocks etc.
Things to include:
-Textural items: tassels, antique quilt squares, cork coasters, a strand of beads, sea shells.
-Sturdy games, particularly with the pieces attached. There are so many of these on the market today. Rubiks cubes, tic tac toe boards, large wooden puzzles.
-Photography and Art books: look for age appropriate imagery, and make sure your little one is out of the paper ripping stage. If they are not, there are some very chic board books on the market that won’t hurt your eyes.
-Curious objects: a magnifying glass, binoculars, artist brushes…
-Sculptural items: The key here is find some that have weight to them. Ceramics, stones, paper weights and vases that are too heavy for your little one to pick up or move, but can still touch.
-Shape Shifters: Things that can change shape will keep a dose of humor on your table: pin-art, magnets on a tray, even wooden blocks or an etch-a-sketch!
-Generally, anything wooden: bowls, vases, baskets, trays etc. are interesting to touch and won’t break easily.
-Fake or dried flowers: skip anything with water!
-Lucite or resin items that have the appearance of glass are just as chic, but with none of the worry.
Once you have your kid-friendly items on display, the key is to rotate them often to keep things fresh and interesting.
When in doubt, pile on the books!
via @stylemepretty
I love Jonathan Adler’s collection of sculptural, lucite objects. Fascinating for every age!
via @jonathanadler
Don’t forget to include a little fun!
via @hausmattervintage
Domino blocks provide lots of visual contrast and come in a variety of sizes and colors
via @hgtv
Jenga blocks in a tray or box instantly add texture and dimension. AND bonus! They are easy for little ones to put away. (maybe leave the whisky off the table LOL)
Believe it or not; this puzzle is challenging, even for an adult.
via @hausmattervintage
A flat mirror on top of a stack of books can be very fascinating, particularly for babies.
A resin compass, wooden boxes, a book to write down the things your child says…
A tic tac toe game with the pieces attached, and an old remote with the batteries removed (trust me, on this one!)
A heavy ash tray with a beaded necklace. Make sure to look for one with the beads securely attached. If your little one is in the teething phase, opt for a silicone necklace or silk tassel instead.
What’s on your coffee table? I’d love to see!
XO,
Katie
all images are mine unless otherwise noted