Side tables without decorative accents are comparable to cakes without frosting. They are both plain and lack a finishing touch. Decorating accents for living room tables are available in a wide variety of shapes, colors, styles, materials and sizes to suit any decor. Choose accessories that are in proportion to the table size as well as colors that complement a room’s existing color scheme.

But, much as the right earrings can dress an outfit up or down, a side table can make or break a sitting area. It’s important to have the right accessories, but the side table, can easily be the piece of art by itself. If you need inspiration to find the most beautiful accent table for your perfect home decor, this is for you.

We offer you the top 5 for side tables. Find side table ideas and inspire yourself!

The finest side tables, according to designer Suzanne Rheinstein, not only serve their purpose—holding a lamp at just the right height for reading, offering a handy surface on which to set down a cocktail—they act “like beautiful pieces of jewelry”.

Decorator Markham Roberts explains, “A side table should complement the rest of your furniture.” Depending on the room, he adds, “sometimes you want the table to recede, other times you want it to make its own design statement”.

Whether the table is industrial-sleek or lavished with ancien régime flourishes, one guideline holds true: proportion is key.

Like a full-bodied Bordeaux paired with a juicy steak, a side table that’s tall and substantial will better accompany a sturdy chesterfield sofa than a low-lying chaise longue, for instance.

And don’t forget functionality. “A side table,” Roberts notes, “is always a surface.” So make sure it’s sufficiently large and readily accessible—close enough and high enough for adjacent seating.

Explore our pinterest board for more inspirations. Get more ideas for your projects and find functional, stylish and sizable lighting choices.