This CBC project was featured on The Bead Chest Instagram page!

Designing a styled ottoman or coffee table can be as simple or a elaborate as you want it to be. I’ve designed numerous coffee tablescapes over the years, but in our new home on Sanibel Island, Florida, I tried an ottoman instead. An ottoman gives you extra seating when needed, but when paired with a tray, it can be functional enough to hold a few decorations or hold other items as needed.

Read on to see how I put together our ottoman as well as some other helpful styling tips and tricks.

The simplicity of the ottoman and the beachy-vibe our home puts off called for a simple look. I saw a glass beaded garland on the Pottery Barn website that I thought may look nice on our ottoman. After reading the description, however, I learned it was much too large for the space.

To see if I could find an alternative version of the garland, I did an online search for “glass beaded garland” and found the website The BeadChest. I searched their site and found the product “Super Jumbo Recycled Glass Beads (35mm)."

While the bead size was slightly smaller than the Pottery Barn version, I knew it would work. It was also about $30 cheaper than the Pottery Barn version.

I knew I wanted to place them on my wood farmhouse-style tray I purchased from Hobby Lobby, but when they arrived, I saw the edges of the tray prevented the beads from being seen. They were much too pretty to lay flat on the tray and never be seen!

I decided I needed something to prop them up on and thought about adding a piece of grapevine. I researched “sandblasted grapevine” online and saw grapevine is something often used in reptile cages. Because I only needed one piece of grapevine and wanted to choose my own piece, I went to a local pet supply store and found the perfect piece at a great price.

I placed the grapevine on my tray, draped the beads over it and a little decoration magic happened. I also placed some seashells I found on our local beaches next to the beads and grapevine and my ottoman decor was complete.

All in all, I love my design. It’s functional, the style was exactly what I was going for, and it suited our island home perfectly. I may change it over time as I love to keep things fresh. Updating your designs can be as simple as adding or removing an item.

This concept is especially good for when you are about to sell a home. Making a home look “Pinterest-y” (is that even a word?) can help any home look aesthetically pleasing and inviting to potential home buyers.

Continue reading below for more of my coffee table and ottoman styling tips and tricks.

My Top Five Ottoman and Coffee Tables Styling Tips

• Keep it simple. If you have too many items on your coffee table or ottoman (or in your home in general), it can appear cluttered. When things look or feel cluttered, it’s a proven fact that it can affect your brain and your train of thought.

• Add a little decor at a time. If you are having a hard time deciding how to style your coffee table or ottoman, try adding one item to the space first. Then add another and another and see how it makes you feel. You’ll know when you get it right based on how it makes you feel.

• Decorate it with things that suit your personality. Do you like to read? Try stacking some books and add small trinket on top of them. Do you like flowers? Add a small faux or real floral arrangement. Whatever you use to style any space in your home is best when it’s a reflection of YOU.

• Make it functional. While I added several decorative items to my ottoman, there is still plenty of room to set a glass, a cell phone or magazine when needed. I also can easily remove the tray and use the ottoman as extra seating if needed.

• Make it seasonal. Try adding or subtracting items based on the season. You could add holiday themed decorative items to your coffee table or ottoman as you decorate the rest of your home.

Have you used any of my tips and tricks? If so, let me know by leaving a comment in the comment section below. Or, leave a DIY home update tip for others to read about. Sharing is caring!