Well - I like the first one - as the glass is a lighter look and comliments your mirror.
BUT, #2 works because the shape is similar to your mirror.

I guess I'd go w/#1 as I like the glass and lightness of it - also the base is a conversation piece.

I like the tray on stand in that room.

Not a regular poster here but I sure do enjoy reading and looking every day! I vote for #1, hands down! #2 is lovely, but ordinary. #1 rocks it in your beautiful room.

Hello,

#1!

Number 1, absolutely.

There's more 'tension' as they say with the first one. The uniqueness of it really draws the eye but it doesn't bother the eye because it has so little weight. So that is the way to go. The second one Is a little too 'in keeping' so it doesn't make as much of an impression. And though it is a beautiful table the second the scale is a bit off to my eye.

IMO, for the style of your room, the one in the second picture for this room. Please find a place in another room of your home for the one in the first picture, too.

Thanks all for your replies; sounds like the consensus is for #1, and the only issue that I have with it (and perhaps the reason for even trying the other one) is that sometimes I feel that the base of #1 fights with the pattern on the rug. It blocks some of the center medallion. I could move the rug but would have to hire some help to do it; part of it is sitting under my piano and I can't lift it! The rug is staying, so do you think the base works with the pattern underneath?

#1 - the curve of the base mimics the curved arms of the chair to the right, and the glass top helps to give the mirror a little more presence and reason for being in the room. The other one, for me, is too spindly to work in your room.

Interesting responses. I would have voted for number 2 except that it seems a little bit too small. Number 1 is interesting, but I didn't feel like it added anything to the room.

Another vote for #1, its unexpected and I think it really adds to the interest of the room. I don't think its a problem being on the medallion.

You really have a lovely room. I hate to be the odd man out but I don't think either one is right; at least from the angle the picture is showing.

#1 is lighter yes, but almost too light, if you use a glass top you need something with a little more bulk on the bottom because right now it looks empty or even out of balance with the space.

#2 is the wrong height and scale and the legs are not heavy enough.

The shape of table one is good but I would try to find a table that maybe just a tad larger in scale and has legs that are similar in shape to the legs on your two chairs. That will tie the pieces together.

thanks lukkiirish, I'm often the odd man out in these things,and I see your point. I had never even thought of #2 as a coffee table when I spotted it at a consignment shop (in New Mexico of all places!) but I see lots of variety in sizes of coffee tables, so I thought I'd try it there. Not sure it's ideal, and while I love #1, I ultimately think it belongs in a sunroom or even a sitting room off a bedroom (too bad I don't have one of those) For now, the LR is kind of a waiting area for so many things that I don't know what to do with! I'm always looking at the flea market and CL, so you never know, something just like what you described may show up, and then I'll have another dilemma on my hands :)

#1 great conversation piece..number 2 we've all seen, somewhere.

You're welcome, I love that you're thinking outside of the box, that's my style too. Even though it didn't work out, it's still great that you tried it. I feel your pain, it's hard to find "the one" with there are so many options. I've been visiting my favorite consignment stores weekly for months to find a side table for living room with no luck. I hope you post a picture of the one when you finally find it.

I didn't want to leave the impression that I won't be using either of these tables; I definitely will, and I want to thank all of you for your fresh eyes. I loved susieqo7's comment that #1 was a great conversation piece; and some others echoed similar thoughts about it. That is something I always look for in a room. If you don't have something unexpected, or a good conversation piece, as susie said, no matter how nice the room is, after a few minutes looking at it, I'm ready to leave. I've never really worried about having a "perfect" piece anywhere in my house; it's always about trying to make things I love work together. That's where the fun is, after all....:)

I think #1 makes the room look like a "fun" room with a little history. #2 makes it look staid and like a grandma's house. (nothing wrong with g'mas; I am one). The tree roots represent family, strength, and history to me, so even with the contemporary feel, it "goes" with your older pieces.

I love the uniqueness of the first. Makes the room a little less formal feeling.

I think Woodie nailed it:

"#2 is lovely, but ordinary. #1 rocks it in your beautiful room."

Just to say it again in slightly different words -- Because #2 is so consistent in style with the other pieces, it swings the whole room into the 'antique' (Granny?) vibe. Because #1 is so different and unexpected, it prevents (Saves) the room from that vibe.

I am laughing out loud for sure here; because just about everything in the room came from either my mom (age 96) or her mom, so I guess its age is showing!!! Yes, I totally see how it was turning into a granny room; that is probably why I was hesitant to bring in the needlepoint chair in the first place! Thanks all; and to think I was inches away from the dreaded Granny Living Room, and I didn't even see it coming!!

That room is so beautiful. Both tables are lovely, but number #1 is my vote (I agree with Woodie).

I like #2. I always like that kind of a try table.
I love your granny room and your granny's chair.

I too have a granny LR, and proud of it too, :)

#1 gets my vote, too!

A vote for #2. I like the lighter brown color with your other furniture and fixtures.

#1.

Unexpected, charming, full of personality. Makes everything in the room look like a conscious choice by someone with her own sense of style. Thanks, mother darling, but it's MY room now!

I like both tables, but would probably opt for #1. The tray table is too small to be useful and is also very predictable. However, I don't think #1 is the perfect thing for that spot, just miles better than #2. The covering up of the medallion is a non-issue, imo. A good rug provides background color and pattern, with the emphasis on background :)

I love your yellow and white curtains and would love to see that needlepoint chair updated with yellow upholstery. And as long as I'm fantasizing, I would love to see an oval or rectangular brass and glass cocktail table!

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments and votes. I have learned so much from reading what you have to say!

kswl, you brought up two points that have been on my mind; the needlepoint on the chair was done by my grandmother, so it's got to stay. I would like to repeat the yellow in the curtains somewhere, maybe will do something with the other chair, the one I got off CL today. And you mention a brass and glass coffee table; every time a thread comes up about a La Barge brass and glass table I think it would be gorgeous in my LR! The last time I was in Santa Fe visiting my mom I saw one at the same consignment shop where I got table #2, but shipping it to NC would have been so expensive, I talked my mom into getting it for her apartment, and it looks great. She has told me I could take it any time I want it....but I've decided to hold off for now. I guess I just need some more rooms for my favorite finds :)

I love the first table, but I think it is too low for the rest of the furniture in the space. I also feel like the very thing that makes it interesting, the branch, is kind of lost among all the chair legs and fussier details of the furniture.

The second piece is nice, but too small, and perhaps too expected.

I think the brass and glass solution is the right one, or a pair of bunching tables. I think these would be stunning:

lexington st tropez bunching tables

jjam, I understand completely about wanting to keep your grandmother's handwork, and you can---by having the back and seat made into pillows. Any shop that sells needlework supplies can make those areas of the chair into pillows, and I think they would look better on your sofa than the two smaller ones you have there. In fact, if the pillows were piped in a lighter color picked out from the flowers and backed in a pretty velvet, they could be really wonderful.

Such a gorgeous room, even more so because you so successfully mix in such interesting pieces. So how would it look if you used the Drexel Chinoiserie table as an end table and kept table #1 as the coffee table? Could you try the Chinoiserie table next to the CL chair??

#2 brings class and logic to your room on the whole. Not a jarring uninvited guest as in #1

Wow, my head is spinning! So many great ideas here.

Les, you have such an eye. I've always liked the look of two small cocktail tables; in fact that is what we had in our LR when I grew up and my sister and I used to spend hours coloring and doing homework on them. Those would be fab, but out of my price range at the moment. If I see something similar on CL, the flea market, etc., Lord knows what could happen :)

kswl, once again, great minds think alike. I have considered doing pillows, because I know the needlepoint is quite old and has already started fraying in some places, but I guess I'm just not ready to tear into the chair yet. I also can't quite visualize what the chair would look like with "regular" upholstery. Maybe it's because I've been looking at the chair this way for so long. I've seen settees redone and they look lovely, so I'm sure I could find something when the time comes. I have redone the back of the chair already and want to redo it again; it has a jewel tone plaid on it that worked with my old color scheme but not with this one. I think I'm just going to replace it with black; maybe leather, as I know many chairs in that era were done in leather. The back was originally done in a black fabric made to look like it had been stitched, but it was literally falling apart. So the chair will no doubt continue to evolve at some point.

Loribee, You have a great idea, but the chinoiserie table is really too big to sit next to the CL chair. But I do have an idea; I think it can go next to the couch, and the bookshelf that is sitting there now can move to where the table had been sitting; just up against a corner wall. I will post some pics later. I do love both tables, and I know they can both find a home in the room.

Thanks again all, you have really made me love my LR again!

Les, you are right, I think, about the details of the base kind of getting lost. I considered moving the rug into my DR and replacing it with a seagrass so there would be less going on around the base. But the light color of the rug would be a problem in the DR, I think. Eventually I see table #1 in a setting that allows the base to stand out more, but for now I don't have a room that fits that description. My head is always coming up with ways to use what I have, because the trouble is, I generally only buy what I love, and hand me down pieces all have sentimental value to me. So I keep tweaking and with the help of GW, things seem to find a way of settling in.

Thanks again for your great eye and wonderful suggestions :)

You have Table #2 closer to the sofa than Table #1. I think if you moved Table #1 where Table #2 is, it would look better.

I like #1 better because I think it's more interesting. Maybe changing the decor on top would give it a bit more weight. Perhaps a square or rectangle wicker type tray with a few itmes. I agree #2 might look better pulled out more but I think the scale is too small.

You could always switch them out with the seasons to change it up a bit.

Thanks everyone.

suero, IRL, the glass on the table cuts very close to the sofa if I move it much closer. Just the nature of the round shape, to some extent. But I'll try moving it a bit.

shee, great idea. I put a bowl of green apples on the table and I really like the look; and love your idea of some wicker. And yes, maybe it's time for some limes instead! I'll keep my eye out for some good looking faux limes or lemons.

brownwynsmom, thank you so much for your thoughts. I felt a boost of confidence right away after reading them!

Woodie, I hope you post more often. Your two cents made a lot of sense, and many others seem to agree with you :)

So many of you had very constructive ideas and I really appreciate them all. It was good to hear some different viewpoints, too.

I think the size of #1 is best there and I do like the less traditional feel of it.

As to your grandmother's chair-I get the sentimentality you have for it. I gave my son a larger chair from my grandparents home that has a handwork seat and the very dark mahoghany wood. I saw an article years ago in a magazine with a variety of old chairs similar to yours or mine (which has a high curved caned back and is a really heavy piece). They had painted the wood and used new splashy upholstery on the chairs. They looked really cool and fun-definitely not granny anymore. I know a lot of people hate the idea of painting wood, but if you don't love the piece the way it is and you don't want to sell it for sentimental reasons, I wouldn't hesitate to update it. I suspect if my son and his sweetie do that to the one I gave them, my grandma will be smiling down on them, especially if they paint it pink-her favorite color! The chair can always be refinished to the natural wood later if they want.

cyn, thanks for your thoughts. I honestly don't have a huge amount of love for the chair as it is, but loved Grandma's old house so want to keep the only thing I have from it. I'm probably afraid to do more harm than good. I've never seen one done like the one you are talking about; I'll google some images and hope I come across something.

jjam. here are some examples. Not the ones I originally fell in love with, but as someone who also treasures "hand-me-downs", I love this way of incorporating some of them into our own styles. I have lots of pieces I would NEVER paint, but I think the dark dark mahoghany pieces (chairs especially) lend themselves to this. Of course, I don't have a Victorian house and I am not really a fan of dark, heavy furniture, but even if I did or were, I would love this effect as a bright spot.

Here is a link that might be useful: bright paint/antique fruniture