Not all that long ago, we decorated our way out of our Covid-era slumps with hits of kitsch: squiggly candlesticks holding similarly sinuous tapers, bookstacks in shades Mother Nature simply would never. ‘Gag’ decor still commands a pretty penny at certain downtown design stores here in NYC, but expert in all things timeless Shea McGee says it’s the one look she’d never attempt on her own coffee table for fall – or, actually, ever.
Most specifically, it’s picture frames (‘I would never put a picture frame on a coffee table because it needs to work from all sides!’ she laughs), but more broadly, ‘I tend to avoid anything that feels novelty-driven or made to imitate something it’s not,’ she tells Homes & Gardens. ‘Your coffee table is one of the most lived-in surfaces in the house, so I think it deserves materials with real weight, texture, and craftsmanship – not pieces that only look good for a season.’
