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Coffee Table
Do You Use a Chest For a Coffee Table?
I love the idea of using a chest instead of a simple table in the living room. Not only does it add an unexpected element to the room, but it also provides great, hidden storage for games, blankets, CDs, or DVDs. This particular chest (which I love — is that a checkers board pattern embedded in the top?) is from Lovely_1's new home, which you can tour here.
Roundup: Mirrored Cocktail Tables
I was taking a look at some set photos of Melrose Place and noticed this showstopping clover-shaped mirrored cocktail table. It was from Horchow/Neiman Marcus, but it doesn't look like it's available any longer — to be honest, this whole room looks like it could have been furnished by Horchow. Anyway, you know how I love mirrored furniture, so it's no surprise that this caught my eye.
Have You Ever Built Your Own Furniture?
I can do a lot of crafty things, but I am not a builder. So I am super impressed with this coffee table that Chez Larsson's husband and son built. Aside from the fact that it's gorgeous and one of a kind, it's not just a table top and legs: it has shelves and wheels and curves.
Cool Idea: Isabel Quiroga's StoryTeller Book Rack
I imagine some furniture lovers might find Isabel Quiroga's Storyteller Book Rack to be sacrilegious. Considering how many tables and desks sit abandoned on sidewalks and in thrift stores, many with dated or worn finishes, I think it's brilliant. Not only is this book rack made of old tables a great way to repurpose something that's no longer needed, but it proves that there's strength in numbers.
Open House: What's on Your Coffee Table?
A coffee table in some ways is a window to your soul. On my coffee table you'll find a plentiful stock of shelter magazines; DIY, design, and art books; expensive candles (a guilty pleasure); matches; coasters (for my wine habit); a silver dish to catch odds and ends; the workings of my latest craft project; and a deck of I ♥ NY cards. My mother's coffee table is much more formal, with flowers, decorative (useless) accents, and a big Taschen coffee table book opened to her favorite botanical illustration.
Casa Quickie: Double Up
The difficult part about decorating is that sometimes we're drawn to furnishings that may look pretty in our homes, but simply won't work due to size or shape. It's kind of like the glass slippers that never quite fit Cinderella's stepsisters. Beautiful, but sorry girls, not for you.
Roundup: Out of This World, in Front of Your Sofa
Let's face it: when we're not hovering over the kitchen counter, our lives revolve around the coffee table. So why not make yours the center of attention, style-wise? I love the Barbarella-esque look of this Mondo Coffee Table ($273) from Overstock.
Found It! Julia Restoin-Roitfeld's Coffee and Side Table
Art director and daughter of Carine Roitfeld, the longtime editor-in-chief of French Vogue, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld recently let photographer Todd Selby into her New York apartment. Selby has a knack for making everything look stylish (as does this beauty), but I was particularly taken with Restoin-Roitfeld's marble coffee table and side table. Her apartment may be decked out with fancy, fashionable accessories, but I thought there was something understated and unpretentious about these tables.
Cool Idea: Architectural Elements as Furniture
I spotted this living room in the portfolio of New York-based interior designer Andrew Kepler, and couldn't help but notice his use of a column capital as a coffee table. It's not unusual that I see an un-traditional item used as a furnishing, but in most cases, it's in a modern home. Here, the alternative table makes the room look more classic and masculine in style and makes a historical reference.
Ask Casa: Furnishings For My New Sofa
Hi Casa,
I read your post about your new favorite color — that slate color with the blue/purple undertones — and I have to say that I totally agree. In fact, I just moved to a new apartment and bought a couch from West Elm in that color. I love the couch!
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