Coffee Table Revamp: 5 Easy Updates

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference?

That’s how I feel about my revamped coffee table. She had been looking very lackluster lately, the product of 4 very busy roommates who have been treating her as a storage unit for old Nordstrom catalogs, junk mail, and unread Vogue magazines.

It was time for an update. A 26 year old woman needs a pretty coffee table. Don’t you think? So update, I did.

Speaking of, my favorite pieces you see here are from UPDATE Interiors, in Oak Park. If you haven’t been there yet, I’d say it’s absolutely worth the drive or train ride. They’re actually what sparked my desire to revamp in the first place!

UPDATE opened just over a year ago, and they’ve done a wonderful job of curating some amazingly fun pieces at a wide range of price points. Walk out with just one piece from this little store, and you can completely transform the look of your space — whether it’s a unique coffee table book, a little decorative accent piece, a light fixture, a new coffee table, or dinnerware. This is what inspired owner, Barbara Bernick, to open the store. She had fallen in love with restoring and updating her historic tudor home. When the project was complete, it sparked the idea to start her own design venture!

So, naturally, this inspiration created an itch to spruce up my coffee table, and here we are!

It’s pretty hard to play favorites, because I had so much fun curating these new pieces for the table over time, but I think this little glass display box takes the cake. Here I’ve turned it into a terrarium of sorts, housing two baby succulents (psst…you might recognize them from The Brand Market!) but the spiky gold ball looks just as great inside the box, or on top! I love that I can easily switch them up depending on my mood.

If you’re looking to make your own coffee table updates, here are my 5 tips below!

Choose a color palette. Opt for a specific color palette to make your look more cohesive and avoid looking mis-matchy or jumbled. Here I went with my favorites: metallics, cream, and black, with little pops of green.
Add some great books. Not just for entertaining your guests (or your boyfriend while he waits for you to change your outfit 5 times before dinner), but they play a big role in your decor as well. Choose books that fit within your same color palette. Low on cash? Consider ordering them used from Amazon! They’re a fraction of the price, and they often look new!
Decorative details. Think of decorative details as the statement jewelry of your living room. They add personality and character to your coffee table. Mine you see here are both from Update, and can be ordered by calling the store directly (more of that info below!). I also love these decorative metallic antlers, and these geometric vases.
Play with varying heights. Elements of different heights, like tall candlesticks, mixed with a short stack of books, will add some great visual interest to your table.
Freshen up. Add on the fresh elements, like flowers and plants, to really bring your table to life. (Literally!)

Shop this look: Glass box: Update Interiors (c/o) // Gold accent ball: Update Interiors (c/o) // Flower vase: Vintage (similar) // Candlestick holders: Vintage (similar) // Books: Amazon.com // Rug: Amazon.com (similar)