The coffee table is one of the core components of the sofa area. First of all, it is necessary for the comfort and ergonomics of the site. However, the decorative value of this item should not be diminished.
The table itself can be a decoration of the area. But the main responsibility in this matter lies with its design.
The table can also be left empty. Or hold remote controls on it. In a minimalist interior this is, in principle, acceptable. However, the proper design of a coffee table adds points to the interior. It is better not to refuse this opportunity.
How to decorate the table in front of the sofa?
If we call a coffee , this does not mean at all that it is intended for magazines.
In many languages, a low side table is called a coffee table (in English, Turkish, Polish, German, Italian, Arabic and others). But this does not mean that the table should be used for serving coffee.
Somewhere such a table is simply called a low table (French, Irish), somewhere a sofa table (Swedish), and somewhere a salon table (Dutch, Norwegian).
Regardless of the name, such tables are decorated approximately the same everywhere. Most often, when choosing decor, they rely on the classic scheme. What is she?
Decorating a coffee table: a few general recommendations
1. High table decor looks more impressive.
If you decorate the table with one book, a dish and a low figurine, the decoration will remain almost invisible.
2. An effective technique is to vary the height of the elements. Multi-level decor is more expressive.
3. The more varied the textures, the more attractive the composition. Combine items with different types of surface: smooth, embossed, textured, glossy, matte, velvety, etc.
4. The decor can be located either along the entire length of the table or on the edge. The convenience of hosts and guests is paramount here.
5. Another arrangement option is a square. If the table is rectangular, decorative items can be positioned in the corners.
6. To make the design more noticeable, not only its height is important, but also its color. It is desirable that the decor contrasts with the surface of the table.
7. A practical solution is to use a tray. You can place all the items in it at once or only some of them. The tray is convenient because it allows you to quickly clean the surface of the table (for cleaning or receiving guests). At the same time, he himself is a decoration.
What books should I put on the coffee table?
Most often it is, of course, something expensive and beautiful. Gift editions. A common choice is books about interior design, painting, fashion, style, travel, celebrities, and landmarks.
The books chosen may reflect the interests and hobbies of the owners. If the family consists of a film buff, a photographer and a foodie, it would be appropriate to decorate the table with books about cinema, photography and food.
There is nothing wrong with choosing books based on the color of the cover. If they fit organically into the interior scheme, what’s wrong with that? If the purchased publications are too different in color, you can wrap them in paper or fabric of a suitable shade.
Source
You can place something else on a book or a stack of books: for example, a vase, a decorative box, a magnifying glass, a shell, etc. This will draw attention to the books and make the composition a little higher.
painting
The easiest way to change the appearance of furniture is to apply a pattern. The choice of sketch is made independently. It is important that there is a technical ability to do this. This method often works well for wooden surfaces.
First, the countertop is cleaned of the layer of varnish and old paint. To do this, you can use sandpaper and a sanding machine. Old layers should be removed carefully so as not to damage the wood.
Then you need to complete the following steps.
- Selecting a picture. You can apply it yourself or use special stickers or old magazine covers.
- Using a simple pencil, outlines are drawn and painted over.
- You can use masking tape to define the processing boundaries.
- After some time, when the paint has dried, a layer of varnish is applied.
These are the most common ways to change your appearance. It is important that the protective surface layer is as strong as possible. Under unavoidable mechanical stress, scratches should not appear on it.
Seasonal decoration
The design of the coffee table can be adjusted according to the season. Seasonal decor creates a mood and creates a current atmosphere.
In November-December, you can replace the bouquet in a vase with a composition of fir branches. Place decorative balls in a vase that was previously empty. Add candles. The surroundings of the winter holidays will envelop you with a joyful feeling.
New Year and Christmas are behind us - we are changing the design to a universal one. Spring has come - we buy tulips and add a bird figurine. Before Easter, we include a vase with multi-colored dragees into the decorative base. And so on throughout the year.
Changing the filling is not difficult at all. This may take a few minutes. But the sofa area will always delight and inspire.
painting
The easiest way to change the appearance of furniture is to apply a pattern. The choice of sketch is made independently. It is important that there is a technical ability to do this. This method often works well for wooden surfaces.
First, the countertop is cleaned of the layer of varnish and old paint. To do this, you can use sandpaper and a sanding machine. Old layers should be removed carefully so as not to damage the wood.
Then you need to complete the following steps.
- Selecting a picture. You can apply it yourself or use special stickers or old magazine covers.
- Using a simple pencil, outlines are drawn and painted over.
- You can use masking tape to define the processing boundaries.
- After some time, when the paint has dried, a layer of varnish is applied.
These are the most common ways to change your appearance. It is important that the protective surface layer is as strong as possible. Under unavoidable mechanical stress, scratches should not appear on it.
When opening the varnish, you need to make sure that it completely covers the design. The paint layer is not allowed to protrude above the protective surface.
Truncated classic scheme for a small coffee table
If the table is of modest size, you won’t be able to go wild with the decor. Here, too, you can give preference to the classical scheme by excluding one of the groups from it. And any one.
For example, leave only plant and decorative components (excluding books). Or use only books and flowers. Or just books and “something unusual.”
Non-classical solutions
You can still adhere to the rule of three (it's foolproof), but the groups can be changed.
For example, not flowers or a living plant, but a bowl of fruit. Not books, but a board game.
Furniture and interior items
The word "decor" means decoration. Having paints, wallpaper, pictures, mosaics, and natural materials on hand, you can decorate any piece of furniture, and even more so create original decor for a coffee table.
To do this, it is enough to decide what is available, choose the appropriate equipment and recharge with determination by studying the proposed ideas. So, here are a few options for you to turn an old coffee table into, at a minimum, an original interior decoration, and at a maximum, a work of art.
Types of coffee table decoration:
- decoupage;
- mosaic;
- painting;
- craquelure.
You can decorate a coffee table:
- mirrors;
- shells;
- wooden blocks.
As they say, there would be a table. Even if it is old, creaky, unattractive, it can be an excellent basis for creating a new creative household item. Let's see how the masters do it.
Decoupage
Decoupage is the application of paper or fabric to a surface. To decorate a coffee table, its surface is first primed and sanded, and then coated with paint.
A layer of PVA glue is applied to the dried layer of paint, and on it:
- decoupage card (finished parts);
- a piece of paper napkin (previously freed from the second layer);
- photos;
- textile;
- lace.
The entire dried image is covered with several layers of varnish. This technique allows you to give an original look to even the most ordinary wooden table. It will bloom like a lawn, turn into a world map, or become a storage place for old photographs.
The easiest option is to cover the table with wallpaper or fabric. It is important to secure the edges well and smooth the surface moistened with glue. Using push pins (with a shiny solid head) you can add some flair to your table.
A separate article is devoted to coffee table decoupage.
Mosaic
You can decorate a coffee table with your own hands using mosaics. To do this you need to prepare the following materials:
- spray paint;
- sandpaper;
- mesh tiles - mosaic;
- glue;
- grout.
Tools you can't do without are a brush for applying glue, a spatula and scissors.
1. Paint the table and let it dry well.
2. Cover the area to apply the tile pattern with glue.
3. Apply the prepared fragment of tile, press it and also let it dry.
4. The seams between the tiles must be thoroughly treated with grout, and then washed off from the surface of the tile.
Tip: before grouting, cover well the surface of the table that does not have tiles.
The result is an original and practical table. If you master the technique, you can take on more complex patterns.
painting
You can decorate anything with paint! It is enough to have 2 contrasting colors to create a bright pattern. Here you can show your talent and paint the table by hand, or you can make a stencil and apply an image on it. It can be butterflies, flowers, ornaments and much more. For your attention – contrasts when decorating a coffee table with your own hands: a red star on a white background.
For this we need:
- white and red paint;
- paper stencil;
- varnish
1. We clean all irregularities on the table surface, prime and sand if necessary.
2. Cover the product with white paint and let it dry.
3. Prepare the stencil. To do this, print out the drawing (possibly in black and white) on large format paper (the smaller the drawing, the simpler it is). We cut out the pattern with a knife.
4. Fix the stencil on the tabletop, carefully cover all other elements of the table and apply red paint.
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5. After drying, the stencil is removed, and if necessary, the edges of the image are drawn with a brush or contour.
6. Using paint polish will make the design brighter and more shiny.
Craquelure
Craquelure is a method of artificially aging a surface, when either craquelure varnish or improvised means such as egg white, PVA glue, vinegar or gelatin are applied to a not completely hardened layer of paint. The technique allows you to achieve a cracking effect on the surface. Cracks, depending on the materials, can be very different - from large to the smallest cobwebs. It looks good using 2 contrasting colors. The second layer is applied after the first has dried slightly.
To create a decorative coffee table, you can combine craquelure and decoupage techniques. In this case, the cracking effect can cover the entire surface, on top of which napkin designs are applied using the decoupage technique, and then varnish is applied.
Mirrors
A mirrored table will look great in a modern interior. To make it, you will need:
- base box made of chipboard;
- silver (spray paint);
- mirrors;
- liquid Nails.
1. We make a base box of any suitable size from plywood or chipboard. We pay special attention to the places where the sheets are fastened.
2. Cover the entire structure with silver.
3. We cut out ourselves or order 5 mirrors from the workshop, corresponding to the area of the edges of the box.
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4. We glue the mirrors with liquid nails.
5. Carefully remove traces of glue.
6. Fix the mirrors until dry with masking tape.
Shells
Seashells in the interior are always a reminder of summer and the romance of the sea coast.
Shells decorate finished glass tables with double bottoms. But you can try to build such a table yourself from wood, bamboo, twine and glass, decorating it with shells.
Materials you will need:
- plywood (sheet thickness - 2-3 cm);
- thick glass (at least 1 cm);
- thick and thin bamboo sticks;
- twine (2-3 m);
- silicone gaskets;
- fastening tools (nails and screws).
1. Decide on the dimensions of the future table.
2. Cut out a piece of glass and plywood of the same size. If the base is already there, then plywood is not needed.
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3. We attach a bamboo frame to the table base or plywood blank (we use bamboo with a large diameter).
4. We nail twine with small nails along the edge of the plywood or the existing surface of the table.
5. We coat the bamboo and twine with varnish.
6. Drill holes in the bamboo frame for attaching silicone gaskets (at least 2 holes on each side).
7. Beautifully lay out shells, corals, natural and artificial stones in the resulting niche inside the bamboo frame.
8. To add style to the entire structure, we decorate the table legs with thin bamboo.
Wooden blocks
An excellent table made from blocks will suit an interior where there are a lot of colors and the finishing is done with natural materials. Before decorating a coffee table, you will need to select a dry, even, without unnecessary knots birch log, the diameter of which is about 10 cm.
1. Prepare a wooden or plywood box of the required size. Its lower bottom should be 10 cm away from the walls.
2. Measure its height and add 2 cm. This will be the length of the blanks that need to be cut from the log.
3. After the log is sawn, each piece is sanded to remove roughness.
4. The bars are installed on the protruding part of the bottom of the box, along the perimeter. To do this, they are placed on glue (the bottom and the side adjacent to the box are coated) and fastened together.
5. To finish the tabletop, the log is cut into identical pieces 2 cm thick. They are laid out on the table, having previously coated each with glue.
6. The holes between the workpieces are rubbed.
7. The finished table is sanded again and then varnished.
8. The structure will be heavy, so it is better to equip it with wheels.
Decorative coffee tables would be especially appropriate in a country house or country cottage. They are easy to make and look very stylish! At the same time, you can experiment with the location of the pads.
Veneering
If a coffee table in a classic style fits better into your interior and you already have a table, but its surface has become worn out, then you can easily change it. Veneering is used for this. This is gluing thin sheets of veneer onto the surface, which is performed using the hot and cold method. Thus, you can imitate any type of wood.
An important condition for achieving a good result will be the presence of screw clamps or a press, which are used with the cold veneering method, which is more appropriate at home. But you can also apply veneer using PVA glue and an iron. To do this, coat the surface with glue, wait until it dries, lay a sheet of veneer, a white sheet of paper on top, and then apply a hot iron on top. It is important here to prevent the veneer from swelling, and if bubbles appear, to properly get rid of them. To do this, a small hole is made in the bubble with a needle, through which excess air or glue is expelled. Then this place is further processed with an iron. Once the veneer is applied, the edges are carefully trimmed and sanded. The last stage is coating the product with varnish.
The decor of the coffee tables, photos of which we showed you, is quite accessible even to a novice craftsman. A few trial lessons and we are sure your coffee table will turn out even better!
Basic Techniques
There are many ways to decorate your table with your own hands. It may seem difficult, but in reality, all you need is an idea and free time. High-quality table decor requires accuracy, patience, and you don’t have to be an artist to create. There are two main methods of decoration:
- finish the surface itself, mask imperfections in order to completely change the look of the furniture;
- use decorative elements for decoration.
The second method is suitable for those who are satisfied with the quality of the surface and do not want to radically change the design. Table decorations are convenient - you can always easily change them, without wasting effort and time, updating the interior every day. The original decor will look especially beneficial on a coffee table. An interesting tablecloth usually only emphasizes the beauty of the kitchen, but it is better not to overload the workplace with table decorations.
Before decorating a coffee table, you need to assess the condition of the tabletop. The choice of decoration method will depend on this.
Where to start
Any finishing, in construction, room decoration or decorative art needs preparation. Before you start decorating an old piece of furniture, you need to remove the old paintwork. You can use all suitable means for this: from sandpaper to special solvents. It can be especially difficult to work with Soviet lacquered tables, because they were made to last.
Whatever method of removing old paint or varnish you choose, you cannot skip the next step: the table must be thoroughly cleaned with fine sandpaper.
Then the item is inspected for cracks or holes that need to be repaired with wood putty. The dried composition must be sanded again.
The next mandatory step is applying a primer. This is the only way to be sure that the decorative layer will not fall off over time, and that the varnishes/paints will apply more evenly. After the primer mixture has dried, you can begin decorating.
There are several ways to decorate a coffee table, and we will tell you about them.
