Gold coffee tables are an elegant addition to a living space, exuding a luxury feel. To maintain that premium finish, you’ll want to be sure that you style your gold coffee table with decor that perfectly complements it.
Gold may feel like a difficult colour to style, but we can assure you it isn’t! Whether you want your coffee table and its decor to be the focal point of your living room or used more subtly to blend the rest of the room together, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can adopt to get the look just right.
We’ve got the lowdown on what works well as gold coffee table décor, from the accessories to use to how to style them. Keep reading for our top tips!
In a rush? Here’s our top 3 gold coffee table decor items:
What should I decorate my gold coffee table with?
If you’ve already found your perfect gold coffee table, you’ll now be thinking about how to make it look good. Whatever your aesthetic, we’ve got some top notch styling tips and decor suggestions that will enhance the look of your gold coffee table in an instant!
1. Coffee Table Books
Not only do coffee table books look great but they are a great conversation starter for when you have guests over. A gold coffee table would look great with a stack of neutral-toned books on top of it, or even on a shelf below the tabletop if you have storage.
Stick to the rule of three and stack your largest book at the bottom with your smallest on the top. They look great on their own, but you could also pop a candle, perhaps in a gold pot, on top to further play with height and tie the look together.
2. Potted Plants
Plants make a great coffee table addition, and the green tones will enhance the gold of your table. Having plants in your living room isn’t just a good decorative item; they also help to improve the room’s air quality. Pick plant pots that compliment the tones of the table and the living room, overall.
3. Flower Arrangements
Coffee table flower arrangements are the perfect addition to any living room as they help to soften harsh lines in the room, add additional colour, play with height, and, of course, they’re pleasing to the eye! For your vase choice, opt for the opposite shape to your table; for instance, if you have a square golden coffee table, then use a rounded vase.
Shop the look:
4. Decorative Accessories
Introducing a sculptural piece to your coffee table is a great way of injecting some personality as well as continuing to play with heights. Always style your decorative accessories using the rule of three to avoid overwhelming the set-up, and because odd numbers are always more pleasing to the eye.
For smaller pieces of décor, place on top of a stacked book or on a coffee table tray. Styling-wise, glossy white ceramics always lift the tone of the table and look super chic when paired with gold.
Shop the look:
5. Coffee Table Tray
Using a coffee table tray helps to keep decorative items neat, containing rogue clutter that always makes its way on top of your gold coffee table. Use your tray to add a variation in colour and texture to maintain a pleasing aesthetic. We’d recommend using an opposite material to your table, such as wood or porcelain. When it comes to how to set a coffee table with a gold tray, adhere to the rule-of-three and keep the tray central on the tabletop.
6. Candles
Create a cosy home ambience with candles on top of your gold coffee table. Not only do they make your living room space feel welcoming, but they also reflect light off the metallic gold tones on your table. Opt for a scented candle to gently fragrance your home.
Shop the look:
7. Woven Baskets
If you love farmhouse, coastal, or just more earthy style homeware, add in a woven basket on top of your gold coffee table. Not only do they add some beautiful texture and tie in well tonally with the gold table, but they are wonderfully functional for keeping your tabletop clutter free throughout the day.
Shop the look:
8. Decorative Bowl
Adding a decorative bowl to a coffee table is a great way of softening angular lines and creating some balance. They can be used to contain clutter or you could even fill them with pinecones, shells, pot pourri, or glass balls for some additional texture and visual interest. If gold isn’t in the overall colour scheme of the room, and is simply the shade you’ve selected for a coffee table, then consider choosing a bowl that ties in the room’s colours for balance.
9. Elemental Objects
Bring a sense of calm to your living room by choosing some items from nature to decorate your gold coffee table, such as rocks, shells, and branches. If you are looking for something to put on your table instead of flowers, these types of items offer a great alternative. The naturally derived texture of these items creates a feeling of serenity in your living room. Natural tones tend to work well with gold and when placed on top of your coffee table can create a cohesive, harmonious look.
Shop the look:
10. Picture Frames
Popping a small picture frame on top of your gold coffee table will help to support the aesthetic you want to create but also allows you to add a more personal touch to your tabletop. You can add a favourite photo or piece of art to the frame that adds a little bit of your personality to the room. Match the frame to the style of the table or choose a contrasting design that still complements the overall look.
Stunning Gold Coffee Table Designs
Of course, the type of decor you choose will depend on the style of the table. If you are still on the search for the perfect gold coffee table, we’ve got some options to suit all homes, and more importantly, the type of decor that would work best with them!
1. Oval Gold Coffee Table
This statement oval coffee table will work perfectly with bigger seating areas and sectional couches, with the curved nature softening harsh lines within the room.
Decor Notes:
- Match your coffee table to statement artwork on the wall as shown with this table
- Keep decor neutral and let the table do the talking.
- The addition of a potted plant in a sculptural vase supports the softness and adds some texture.
- Balance out the softness of the table with some coffee table books
2. Round Gold Coffee Table
The brushed gold of this elegant, round coffee table with scalloped edge adds some textural interest to your living room. The small surface area will require more delicate accessories.
Decor notes:
- Go for a stacked look like this table shows. Start with a large base, perhaps with a book or magazine stack, then add some smaller decorative items, such as a short floral display and some tea light holders.
- Don’t overwhelm the space with lots of large decor pieces
- If you prefer a clean, simple aesthetic, choose a low key glass vase of flowers and keep the rest of the space clear.
3. Square Gold Coffee Table
Marble and gold are a match made in heaven, with this subtle tabletop complimenting (but not distracting from) the gold metal legs. If you’re wondering how to polish these gold coffee table legs, take some white vinegar and water mixed in a spray bottle and gently buff dry with a microfibre cloth.
Decor Notes:
- Break up the angular nature of this table with softer lines in your accessories, perhaps with vases, candle holders, or a bowl.
- The decor styling in this image is quite cluttered, which is a definite don’t in making table centrepieces. Stick to the rule of 3 when adding accessories to smaller surfaces.
- Marble and gold on tables are both quite soft colours, balance this out with darker toned decor.
4. Rectangular Gold Coffee Table
This gold-framed rectangle coffee table is sleek and delicate with a large glass top, making it perfect for those who like to style the top of the table with accessories.
Decor Notes:
- Make use of the shelf underneath as an extra space for coffee table decor. Adding a stack of books or even some wicker baskets will add depth and texture.
- With a larger surface area, you’ve got more opportunity to play with decor. Keep the height of your accessories varied to maintain visual interest. Vases, candles, and sculptural pieces can all add height.
5. Drum Gold Coffee Table
With delightfully-textured detailing, this gold drum coffee table is a real statement piece that offers durability, making it perfect for a high-traffic room.
Decor Notes:
- When limited on tabletop space, keep decor minimal to avoid a cluttered look. Tie in style with other accessories in the room, as shown here, with the planter and wall art.
- Use more angular pieces to offset the curved nature of this drum table. The caged tealight holder on this table is perfect.
What Compliments a Gold Coffee Table?
Gold can be a tricky colour to work with. When you think about decor, you will also want to consider elements, such as colour, that can enhance the table.
1. Colour Schemes
The versatility that gold offers means it actually works well with most colours, but you will want to consider undertones first.
Metallic gold coffee tables are best paired with warm, deeper tones including chocolate brown, olive green, charcoal and deep beiges. If you like to keep things bright and airy, then warmer white shades will also work.
Brushed golds work best with deep browns, navy, soft greys, forest green, reds and cooler-toned whites.
2. Sofas
When it comes to matching a sofa to your coffee table, think about the shape as well as the colour. Having a table that’s the wrong shape and height for your couch will ruin the balance and harmony of the room. The shape from your sofa may also determine the shape of decorative items used on your coffee table.
In terms of sofa colours that will compliment your gold coffee table, here are our top picks:
- Brown leather
- Grey
- Cream
- Navy
- Green
- Mustard yellow
3. End Table
To play with various shapes and heights in your living room, add an end table to compliment your coffee table. They don’t need to match – in fact, if you haven’t bought a matching set, then don’t even try as it will look odd, but do try to stick to a continuous theme.
When it comes to what end table to pair with a gold tone coffee table, consider the following. If, for example, you have a metallic gold-framed table with a glass top, then introduce a warm wood-toned end table. Marble also works well with gold coffee tables, particularly in a more contemporary home.
You could also tie in decorative pieces across both your coffee and end table by using similar or matching items.
4. TV Unit
Much like an end table, it isn’t essential that your coffee table and TV stand match, but they do need to work in harmony together.
If you want your gold coffee table to be the focal point of the room, keep your TV unit more subtle, perhaps a minimalistic white design, so that it enhances the gold tones of the coffee table, rather than distracting from it.
5. Rugs
Using a rug underneath your gold coffee table can help to tie the room together, making it look more finished. Rugs are particularly useful if you have a gold, metal coffee table as it can help protect the flooring from the table legs.
Enhance your gold coffee table by choosing a rug that perfectly compliments it and select accessories that pick out shades from it. We would suggest looking at neutral tones such as cream, beige or brown.
6. Wall Art
A contemporary interior design idea is to match your coffee table to your wall art. This creates a cohesive look that helps put gold right at the forefront of your living room. It can be quite a bold look so if you’d prefer to tone it down, then try matching wall art picture frames to the table or even use complimentary colours to lift the gold on the table.
7. Light Fixtures
If you’re using a gold table, it would be well worth matching any other metal hardware in the room as mixed metals can create a discordant feeling. Matching your gold coffee table to your light fixtures will help to create an overall feeling of balance and cohesion in your living space.
How to Maintain a Gold Coffee Table
Your gold coffee table should come with care instructions, and we would advise you to refer to those prior to cleaning as you won’t want to tarnish your piece of furniture with harsh products.
As a rule, soapy water and a soft cloth are best for tables that are made of more delicate materials. If your gold coffee table has a glass top, spritz this with white vinegar and buff clean with a glass cloth. You can use the same method to polish gold coffee table legs.
Maintain regular dusting using a microfibre cloth and kill germs by spritzing an anti-bacterial spray daily.
How to Make Your Coffee Table Gold
If you already have a coffee table and fancy a change, try upcycling it with gold leaf. Follow our simple step-by-step:
- Clean your table to remove any dirt.
- Paint the table in your colour of choice.
- Key the surface with sandpaper.
- Apply adhesive.
- Press on the gold leaf.
- If you want a distressed look, use a dry paint brush to gently scrub at random parts.
- Be sure to seal it with a finishing wax.
Conclusion
Gold coffee tables are a sleek and elegant addition to any living room and with clever styling tricks and statement decorative accessories, you can make them a real focal point of the room. If you don’t yet have a gold coffee table, what are you waiting for? Upgrade yours now with our simple gold leaf method!
