A Coffee Table in Summer Bloom
In this edition of Grace’s Scapes—a series where I break down the stories behind styled tabletops that feel layered, lived-in, and unique—my coffee table vignette evokes summer in bloom. It’s fresh, nostalgic, and layered.
At the focal point: an open spread from the Slim Aarons book (shop below), turned to a retro beach scene and anchored by my great-grandfather’s engraved silver lighter. I love including something personal when styling—a vintage object that sparks conversation, brings a sense of history, and serves a purpose by keeping the page open.
A silver scoop tray and small woven basket (shop below) brims with matchbooks I’ve collected from restaurants across NYC. Here, they add a pop of colors that keeps the palette from feeling too matchy-matchy.
The core vignette sits atop one of my favorite coffee table books, John Derian (shop below), stacked as a base for an emerald green marble tray (shop below). Nestled inside: a crystal vase of daisies and the Cannabis candle (shop below) by Malin + Goetz (a woody scent with soft, floral nuances). The vase and tray strike a nice balance between polish and organic texture.
A small stack of Architectural Digest magazines adds height to glossy brown sculptural ceramic candle holders (shop below). I love how the curved base resembles two people walking hand in hand—it brings a playful touch to the table scape. Paired with taper candles, the arrangement adds two levels of height.
Though each element has its own tone and texture—silver, crystal, marble, glass, paper—the whole composition is unified by a natural color story of browns, greens, yellows, and beige. The beauty of styling a coffee table is that it can evolve over time. This one, for now, blooms with summer nostalgia.
♠ Grace House Rule: Make the eye travel with visual movement in your scape. Use tall taper candles, vases with flowers, or book stands to create height. Stack books to add layers or to lift smaller items.
CAMERA FILM:
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