One of the most transitional pieces that we have had in all three of our homes is our coffee table. It has made it through all of the garage sales, moves and broken furniture “oopsies” we have had over the years. But one of the things that I have struggled with the most was how to style my coffee table since having kids. Before kids, my coffee table was ornate; decorated with breakables and, let’s be honest, things that didn’t belong on a coffee table. But now that we have kids, all bets are off. Anything on the coffee table is officially up for grabs by my girls and it’s taken me a little while to figure out what works and what doesn’t. So today I wanted to give you my secret of styling your coffee table with little kids in your home and it’s one word.

Trays….

When you have little kids in your home, things need be mobile and solid. Various trays make for the perfect coffee table styling piece for the mom with littles. When you need to move it, all you have to do is pick up the tray and everything is out of reach of small hands. The other great thing about trays is that you can experiment with them all year long! Switch out the décor with the changing seasons, move things around week to week until you find that “just right” look you’re going for, or simply have it as a place to hold magazines and coasters. Whatever your style is, a tray can be the perfect addition to your coffee table.

Here are a few of the trays that I have used over the years for the same coffee table. I even used an old kitchen cabinet door as a tray and it worked wonderfully!

Once you’ve picked the right tray for you, have fun! Add different textures in pieces of cloth, greenery or any other materiel that gives the tray some depth. I personally love burlap and doilies, as these make for a great contrast against a solid tray. My favorite centerpiece that I’ve created since being in the farmhouse has been this handsome rooster. I found him at an antique store in Lincoln and fell in love the moment I laid eyes on him! The tray he is on I purchased at an estate sale for $2 back a few months ago. I love the way the dark brown looks up against the vintage white of my coffee table!

Speaking of which….finding the right coffee table for your family can be tricky. My mom actually found this one for me at a flea market years ago, and finding one that’s this sturdy is pretty rare. BUT if you’re wanting to invest in a long term coffee table with a vintage style, I would suggest checking out Chairish. They have some SUPER cute coffee tables that I was swooning over. I love this vingtage baseline style coffee table and this vintage paint-splattered wood work table. Hop on over to their website and take a look!

I hope this has given YOU some ideas of how to decorate your coffee table while having littles in the home. And remember, it doesn’t HAVE to be expensive to make a statement…I just has to be YOU!