Interior designers rarely head into a furniture shop and come out with a completed living room set, including side tables. The design trend for a while now has been leaning toward a collected look rather than a matching one. Of course, one-stop shopping is simple and efficient. However, it can also be a bit mundane. While there are not any hard and fast decorating rules, you shouldn’t feel intimidated about putting a fabulous living room together piece by piece. It is possible to bring separate pieces together and have them gel into a sensational look.

Adding side tables to a living room is a great way to infuse character. Side tables are both stylish and functional giving you added flexibility as well as seating and storage options in the living room. So, don’t worry about injecting side tables into the mix. There are ways to blend a side table with your existing pieces.

Do Side Tables Have To Match?

Whether or not side tables should match the rest of the living room is an often asked decorating question though there isn’t an easy answer. Sure side tables that match the coffee table and console deliver a clean, finished look. You can’t really go wrong when all of the living room furniture pieces match. It’s a traditional way of decorating a living room and you can spice it up by adding accent rugs and pillows.

Yet, the problem with all matching pieces is the furniture is lack of contrast. So, to answer the age-old question: do side tables have to match, the answer is yes and no. The preference really is yours. If you prefer a living room where all the pieces match, then go for it. It is after all your living room though if you prefer a more contemporary look with mismatched side tables that complement each other and the existing pieces, go for it.

Color

Side or end tables are fun pieces of furniture that can also serve a purpose. A side table can be home to a lamp, plant or give guests a place to place a beverage. Side tables do not necessarily have to match each other or the other pieces in the living room. You can go with side tables that aren’t the same color or wood tone. However, the general decorating rule of thumb is to aim to repeat a color at least twice. The color doesn’t have to be a furniture color but can be a hue featured in a couch pattern, carpet or other room accents.

Colors should also complement one another, moving from dark to light. Darker hues are typically earmarked for the floor while lighter colors occupy the ceiling leaving medium shades for walls and furniture. It’s also perfectly acceptable to play warm and cool tones off each other. Warm colors are red, orange and yellow, while blue, green and purple are considered cool colors. Using a color wheel can also help you decide if the colored side tables fit into the living room’s existing color scheme.

Shape

A traditional style, matching living room would most likely possess a rectangular shaped coffee table and square side or end tables. However, when it comes to side tables, the shapes do not have to match unless you want them to. It is perfectly acceptable to bring contrast to the living room by deliberately having different shaped side tables. You can certainly have a circular side table on one side of the couch and a square one on the other though you should make sure the height is the same and the colors are in complementing families.

Another fun way to mismatch side tables is to vary the shape and material. For example, utilize a glass side table on one side of the couch and a metal on the other. Here again, make sure the side tables are the same height. Stumps are another creative way to add a side table and change up the shape at the same time. A stump can double as a side table and an extra seating option when company is over. Stylish stumps are available in differing shape styles like circles, rectangles, and squares. Or simply opt for one side table that is a contrasting shape to the coffee table and or console.

Go Eclectic

Eclectic decorating has been all the rage for a while. This style of interior design involves intermingling pieces from various periods and styles while bringing them together through color, texture and finish. The first thing to consider when going eclectic is the layout of the living room. From there you want to combine colors, textures, and finishes by repeating them at least twice. If you love the eclectic look, then opting for mismatched side tables in your living room is a must.

Keep in mind going eclectic can often be harder than simply having all matching pieces. It is also not totally random either. Definitely avoid simply picking any side table at an antique shop and popping it in. All your living room pieces should be connected in some way. When you don’t, you run the risk of the living room feeling too busy and distracting without any central focus. It’s important to keep the eclectic style flowing through the rest of the house as well. If you’re opting for eclectic side tables in the living room, don’t go with matching ones in the bedroom.

Blending Tones

Since most folks do not get their living room furniture in one location, the core group of couch, coffee, and side tables will not match. However, the pieces do need to blend. Wood pieces are notoriously easy to intertwine since wood is neutral. When trying to combine side tables, remember pairing a darker wood with a lighter wood will inject contrast into the living room. The same can be said for colors. If you plan on opting for different colored side tables, aim to mingle the colors by considering the color wheel. Remember warm colors like orange, red, yellow and pink are thought to infuse excitement into a room while cooler colors such as blues and greens are more calming. A well-balanced room is a mixture of both warm and cool tones and not necessarily in the same amount. When you are looking to complement colors choose one from opposite sides of the wheel.

Gone are the days when the living room was the showroom of the house. Today’s living room is a functional space for everything from relaxing to gaming to entertaining and more. Side tables are a welcome addition since they bring an added element of character. Don’t be afraid to mix and match side tables and dare to be a little different when it comes to blending side tables to your existing pieces.