Metallic side tables, especially gold ones, have been big news in home interiors for a while now. Not only do they add a touch of glamour, they provide a practical element, offering somewhere to place a drink, book or phone whilst you relax in an armchair or on the sofa.

With the trend for house plants still going strong, too, they are an ideal spot to display a small potted plant or two.

So when Wayfair offered me the chance to style a gold side table of my choice from their extensive furniture range, I was delighted and picked this side table by Safavieh.

Having recently painted my living room in Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue which is a rather deep shade, I thought this side table would contrast nicely with the walls and radiator, which I’ve also painted in the same blue colour, and bring a little shimmer and shine to the room.

The circular mirrored table top adds an extra reflective element and I think it’s altogether a chic addition to the space.

But how to style the top of the table? I thought it would be fun to play around with some different options:

Eclectic Style

There’s a good range of decorative accessories available from Wayfair. I definitely knew I wanted to put some greenery on top. As I’m not always the best at remembering to water my plants, I opted for a fab faux plant. Personally I love home accessories that are a little bit quirky, so the phrenology head seemed like a good choice to add a bit of visual interest to the table top. As a fan of scented candles, too, I was taken by the aged, antique look of the Himalayan candle with wooden lid.

Tropical Style

Last summer the tropical trend was huge . It’s as simple as adding some faux exotic leaves and a gold pineapple to nail this look and give yourself a jungle inspired side table.

Party Style

If you’re entertaining guests, a side table can become a perfect little drinks station for snacks and fizz. The next best thing to a vintage gold bar cart!

Other ideas to style up your side table would be a small stack of antique books with a trinket dish on top; a small terrarium; a cloche with plants/curios inside; a gold skull; framed print or treasured photo; a small lamp; a vase of fresh or faux flowers.

Do you have a side table you could give an eclectic, tropical or party twist to? What home accessories do you like to style with?