Strategies for Decorating Coffee Tables

To create a unified display, group like items together: whether in color, texture, shape, material, age, function or origin. Go through your gathered accessories and look for obvious relations (everything green), as well as less obvious relations, like the starfish, fishing floats and sea glass collected on your last beach vacation.

Another idea: Set an item atop a stack of books that relate to it. For example, a fallen nest on a bird-watching guide, or a small potted succulent on a vintage gardening book, author and home emporium owner Mary Carol Garrity suggests.

Even though you're decorating with a theme, don't forget to go for contrast among the items you've chosen. Whether it's rough with refined or rounded with square, the opposite pieces will highlight special elements of each other. "I like cut glass against plainer things — you really get the contrast," says designer Nancy Barsotti. Garrity's suggestion: "Try layering a rusted metal birdbath with fresh green apples in a polished silver tray."