There is no better time in the spring for me than when all the fruit trees in our yard are starting to bloom!! I love snipping branches to bring them into the house, I rearranged everything there to include these beauties. While we tend to place large branches like these on dining tables, kitchen counters and dressers, I thought I’d show you how to style it on your coffee table this year.
Let’s start with the main feature: branches. Here’s a quick tip: I like to cut branches that have a more interesting shape to them. See how the one on the left is slightly curved? It adds a nice organic flow to the program environment. Using a low, wide vase or pot, start arranging the branches one by one. It’s all about keeping things imperfect, so don’t be too against it! Just leave room for other things to live under the arrangement. If you have trouble keeping the branches in place, I recommend a large flower frog at the bottom of your pot.
Next, we add several elements – always an odd number! If you have a small coffee table, you can make three of these, rather than five! A round marble tray, and a stack of books is always a winning combination! When putting things together, you want to be aware of the shape(square vs round angles)height(It’s always good to have variety!)and flow(do the objects invite your eye to wander through them all?).
Here, I started with the marble tray as the largest items. I added pillar candles with a little height which helps to connect the eye from the tall branches to the lower objects on the table. To balance this ‘heavy’ element on the right, a nice stack of books on the left. Notice how we introduced a new shape here in the rectangle!
Once I had those major features, I hunted around the house to find some pieces that would work with the palette and style I had started. One of my favorite tricks is to fill an old wooden bowl with glass beads.(Side note: I have an entire post dedicated to why I love beads as a styling tool!)Here, I chose a soft pinkish white to bring out the color of the flowers! Beads bring a beautiful natural movement to the setting.
Finally, I added one book. This feature took me a few tries(even seasoned stylists have to play around to get the perfect fit!). I wanted something more square here, and I didn’t want another tray. But it looked silly on its own. Looking at this book as its own style base I added three(rarely ever!)simple elements to give it its moment. A small vase filled with many flowers, a book of matches(makes sense with candles!)and favorite rock(yes that’s a thing!)in the green area.
Finally, I went around and did the final layers. I added more rocks and candles, to fill the tray a bit and tied in another rock. I added a stack of books with an antique brass bowl with seashells and another matchbook. You can also use coasters, or other functional items here! I like to find boxes or trays that fit perfectly with my TV remote control, for example.
What do you think of all these pieces? I can’t wait to recreate another setting like this as soon as our flowers bloom!