Coffee Table Candles

I absolutely ADORE candles!  Nothing adds that intimate, inviting and illuminating touch to a space like a beautiful candle.  Candles have become a staple throughout my home.  I love displaying them in my bedroom, on my tablescapes, along the back wall of my bar and of course on my coffee table!  

Nest Fragrances Blue Garden Candle was the perfect addition to this blue and white themed coffee table.

As I have mentioned in my post on Coffee Table Decor, Candles are a functional staple that are versatile in shape and purpose.  The three categories of candles that I tend to use for purposes of coffee table decor are:

Tiffany & Co. Crystal Rock Cut Votives - accenting my coffee table for a cocktail party. 

Candles

• Hurricanes - Love hurricanes because they not only provide your table with candlelight, but they also create variety with the height of the candles, texture and overall ambiance.  Here are a few of my favorites:  Crate & Barrel Spin Hurricane Vase (YES!  It can be used as a hurricane or a vase!), Williams-Sonoma Small Footed Hurricane, Pottery Barn Silver Plated Hurricanes, World Market White Ombre Glass Honeycomb Hurricane and Simon Pearce Revere Hurricane (again, a splurge but classic and something I find myself using/decorating with frequently)
• Fragrance Candles-  Over the past few years I have really grown to love fragranced candles.  When hosting a dinner party, I will more often than not light a fragranced candle or two to help mask any smells of cooked food.  I feel like guests would prefer to enjoy a cocktail hour free of cooking smells that should really be saved for dinner.  In addition, I also appreciate a good fragranced candle to help freshen up a stale/musty room.  While I am not a "Country Apple" or "Baked Sugar Cookie" girl (not saying those flavors are bad just not my personal preference), I love floral and woodsy scents.  *Fresh Linen scents are also great, but I tend to use those scented candles in my powder room/bathroom.*  Here are a few of my favorite scented candles that I have been loving lately: Nest Fragrances Blue Garden, Pottery Barn Paperwhite Glass Pot Candle, Trapp Candle Lavender de Provence and Thymes Frasier Fir Candle.
• Votives- A great addition that can help to balance out tall floral arrangements and votives have fabulous placement versatility. A few of my favorites include: CB2 Hoth Candle Holder (adds a great splash of color), CB2 Hatch Candle Holder, Pottery Barn Smoked Glass Votive Cup, Simon Pearce Silver Lake Tea Lights (a moderate splurge) and my favorite the Tiffany & Co. Crystal Rock Cut Votives (a definite splurge…or "investment").

I hope this post has both inspired you and shown you how candles can really add to a space.  Whether you are enjoying a night in on your sofa or entertaining your friends, candles are a warm and wonderful addition.   

Coffee Table Decor Ideas

Decorating and redecorating my coffee table has definitely morphed into a hobby for me.  I actually have found it to be somewhat salubrious, given my insatiable appetite for home decor.  Let me begin by saying that the styling and restyling of your coffee table decor does not have to be expensive.  Often I find myself taking different items from around my home to reinvent my coffee table.  The biggest change is often in the flowers, which you know from reading my post on Budget Friendly Florals and Greenery does not mean that you have to break your bank account.  I have put together a list with links of my best advice for decorating your coffee table, along with links to items that I love to use when decorating and redecorating my own coffee table.    

Make it functional  

Whatever you choose to display should be at least 80% functional.  Meaning that it's great to have to decorative trinkets, but also remember to include items like: 

• Coasters- Chilewich Dahlias (my favorite as of late), Caspari Lizard Embossed or these Agate Coasters
• Candles- See my post on the different types of Coffee Table Candles that I like to incorporate into my decor. 
• Matches for Candles- I love the oversized decorative match boxes sold by Caspari or HomArt

Fresh is Great

Florals and Greenery can really freshen up a space.  I think that the addition of something living/alive helps to create a warm and welcoming environment.  

• Plants- Peace Lilies, Orchids, Succulents, Cactus
• Flower Arrangements- There are so many great varieties of flowers available at all different price points.  Some of my personal favorites include: Hydrangeas, Ranunculus, Freesia, Carnations, Roses, Zinnias and Sunflowers.  
• Vases -I love having an assortment so that I can accommodate whatever flowers I may be working with on a given week.  A few of my favorites include: Happy Chic JA Nina Link Vase, CB2 Hook-up High Gloss Vase, Metallic Honeycomb Vases
• Bud Vases- A great addition or filler on your coffee table when you have a little extra space or maybe a few leftover flowers from a recent arrangement.  My favorite bud vases include the CB2 Ai Bud Vase, Dartington Little Gem Vase, Small Mason Jar Vases or even these Opalescent Tumblers from Anthropologie
• Planters- Plants last much longer than fresh flowers, but theres no reason why you can't change the look of your planter as your coffee table decor changes.  A few of my favorite planters include: West Elm Metallic Planter, CB2 Bennie Low Vase-Planter or this Metallic Crackled Herb Pot.

These opalescent juice glasses from Anthropologie can also be used as a bud vase. 

Coffee Table Tray

Coffee table trays are great for many reasons, but my top 4 reasons for using a coffee table tray are: 

1. They consolidate all of the decor on your coffee table into a single organized space.
2. hey can serve as a foundation for the theme of your coffee table decor aesthetic.
3. Coffee table trays make it easy to pick up your table decor efficiently when  you need to make space on your table for cocktail party hors d'oeuvres.
4. Coffee table trays (depending on the tray you use) can also serve as additional serveware.  I have used my West Elm Lacquered Metallic Wood Tray to serve cocktails, desserts and even breakfast in bed!

A few of my favorite coffee table trays (in addition to my West Elm Lacquered Metallic Wood Tray of course!) are: the Z Gallerie Pascual Mirrored Tray, CB2 Square Walnut Tray, Williams-Sonoma Leather Tray, West Elm Reclaimed Wood Tray, World Market Rattan Tray and this Barclay Butera Large Horse Bit Handle Tray (had to include one splurge!). 

This is the first of what I am sure will be many coffee table decor posts.  I hope that this post provides you with the initial information and inspiration to start scaping your coffee table.