This season's hottest design trend is....

It's that special time of year! The holiday chill is in the air, and it's time to break out those special boxes of decorations, get a steaming mug of hot chocolate and think about....coffee tables.

Coffee tables? Why is now a good time to think about coffee tables? Aha, once I explain it, you'll be surprised you didn't think of it yourself. Coffee tables embody everything I love about the holiday season. They're the centerpiece of the living room. You get cozy on the sofa, a warm fire on the hearth, a mug of cocoa in hand, and where will you set that cup? On the coffee table. Where will the guests gather round as they lounge around, waiting for dinner? Yup, you've got it! Coffee table. Where can you put that a nice dish of candy or a platter or cheeses or charcuterie? The coffee table has you covered.

Now, if you think back to the old days, a coffee table was just a piece of wood on four legs that sat in the center of the living room. Things have changed sooo much - coffee tables have become functional works of art - a way to dress up the living area and add form to the function.

One of my absolute favorite tables is this faceted beauty -

I just love those clean lines, and the visual interest it brings to a room is amazing. It looks different at different angles, and the light in the room catches each of the facets in a unique way.

If you want something a little more traditional, just remember, traditional should not mean boring! Choose a classic - a piece that will never go out of style! The farmhouse look is always on-trend and this table is a great centerpiece for a big room.

I love the baluster corners, and that big shelf on the bottom provides extra storage and keeps things from accumulating on top. That weathered wood gives the perfect "welcome home" vibe. If you're big into entertaining like I am, you want a table that's made to be used, not just looked at like a showpiece. This is a table meant for board games, hot chocolate, and putting up your feet! A few bumps and dings by reveling guests or happily playing children (or grandchildren) just add to the story of a table that's sure to become a family heirloom.

If you want a way to display your carefully collected treasures, here's a coffee table that does double duty. Display cases can seem terribly old fashioned, but somehow when a display is built into this table, it makes a magnificent work of art! Meet the Apothecary Coffee Table! This is an idea that it takes an ultra-luxe designer like Global Views to bring to life. Modeled on the apothecary chests used by pharmacists in years gone by, it has a pristine glass top and an antiqued mirrored interior "floor".

By pulling the brass-clad "knobs" on the sides, two doors open so that you can put in and display your favorite objets in style.

And, as with all Global Views pieces, I love the fantastic detail on this table. That's not gold paint on the legs - nope, it's sturdy wood covered in a solid real brass sheet. The details are beautiful, from the smooth opening hinges to the solid brass handles. Although the original idea of this piece is to be a display case for collectibles or memorabilia, I also think it would be gorgeous filled with greenery or succulents - what a way to bring springtime inside on a blustery day and make a mini-arboretum!

One last great way to make a coffee table transform a room is to use a coffee table that can itself be transformed! Bunching cubes are amazingly popular right now, and I can definitely see why. Our lives are always changing right now. You might be having guests this month, and when everyone comes to visit, you can put four together to have a beautiful centerpiece table that's ready for company.

But, when it's time for a drink and an quiet evening, you can spread them around the room next to individual chairs.

There are so many great bunching table designs to choose from. There are bunching tables which can also double as extra seating, like these hairhide cube ottoman/tables: