If your living room feels unfinished, your end tables are probably the reason it’s not quite right. These small surfaces are easy to forget, but they actually do a lot to make your whole room feel connected. What you need are these 24 easy ideas to get your end tables working, so your space feels finished and inviting.
Textured Boxes Add a Layered Look to a Side Table
Source: @frengpartyof6
On the lower shelf of your end table, stack two lidded boxes in a muted olive green atop books. It’s a simple way to add some color.
Unique Vessel for a Scented Candle
Source: Pinterest
A multi-wick candle nested within a fluted ceramic bowl with a scalloped edge will sit nicely on stacked books, bringing height to your end table.
Woven Tray for Reading Essentials
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Woven strands form a small basket with handles, ready to hold your current reads. It’s perfect for a stack of books and a pair of reading glasses.
Delicate Flowers in a Textured Vase
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Place a matte gray vase on your end table, then fill it with a spray of small white flowers. The vase has a subtle texture.
Stack Books Under Lamp for Height and Texture
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To give your lamp more presence on the end table, stack two books horizontally underneath it; their visible spines add a subtle textural element to the base.
Old-World Charm with Glass Box and Books
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Place a lidded glass and brass box atop a stack of coffee table books. The books provide varying heights and textures.
Marble Base Grounds Your Lamp
Source: Pinterest
Marble forms the cube-shaped base of a lamp, sitting on your end table. Its veined pattern contrasts with stacked books and a glass vase.
Cozy Vignette with Ribbed Vase and Candle
Source: Pinterest
A textured, ribbed vase holds flowers and greenery next to a lit candle on a marble coaster. Place this grouping on your end table.
Vintage Books Anchor a Dark Lamp
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A dark, textured ceramic lamp base, placed atop a stack of old books on your end table, gives the surface a grounded history, visual weight, and intellectual charm.
Textured Stone Mortar Holds a Small Spoon
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If your end table’s book stack needs a rustic touch, a small, rough-hewn stone mortar will do it. It’s just right for holding a single spoon.
Ornate Frame Adds Personal Touch to Book Stack
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An ornate photo frame rests on a stack of vintage books on the end table.
Natural Texture and Time with Stone Clock
Source: ig: rushtonhome
A rounded clock, made to look like stone, sits on the glass top. Its marbled pattern adds a natural texture. The useful part is that it also tells the time.
Rustic Charm with Dark Ceramic Jar
Source: Instagram
This dark, textured ceramic jar pairs well with books and a small dish of matches.
Rattan Shelves for Books and Greenery
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Rattan shelves on the end table hold books, and a small succulent sits on the top.
Carved Candle Adds Warm Texture to Coffee Table Book
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If that open book on your end table feels a little bare, rest a textured, pumpkin-shaped candle with a carved surface on it. The candle’s surface creates a warm contrast.
Liven Up Your Table with a Potted Plant
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Terracotta holds a small plant, ready for your round wooden end table. The simple pot keeps the focus on the greenery.
Woven Baskets Contrast Marble Surface
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If your smooth marble tabletop needs a textural contrast, stack two woven baskets with handles on the end table’s lower shelf. Their natural texture offers a pleasing break.
Sculptural Coaster for Candles
Source: Instagram
Protect a large clear candle by placing it on a decorative coaster. This item, made of earthenware with a sculpted surface, has an edge shaped like a rope. It subtly enriches the surface setup.
Verticality with a Tall Olive Tree
Source: Pinterest
If the corner beside your end table needs a vertical accent, place a tall, artificial olive tree there. It sits in a woven basket and its branches balance your furniture’s horizontal lines.
Rustic Stool for Books and a Bowl
Source: Pinterest
Next to the sofa, a rustic, tripod-leg stool can hold two books and a woven bowl, offering a natural wood accent for the space.
Stacked Art Books Frame a Decorative Dish
Source: Pinterest
If a small, ornate dish needs a stable spot, stack two art books with clean white spines on your end table. It’s a convenient place for tiny treasures.
