I actually work a bit as a decorator, and for other people, I can pick out furniture very easily. Not so for myself -- why is that?? Certain things are easy. The living room coffee table is not. This will be maybe our fourth coffee table in 10 years? Something like that. I can't get it right. The last one was too big and boxy. The one before that was a fabric covered ottoman that got too dirty. The one we have now, which we have only had for about a year, is just an absolute magnet for pet fur and dust, and it has scratched very easily, partly because of my careless house cleaners who I am firing this week. We have decided to put the glass table into use in our new screen porch, and ONCE AGAIN get a new coffee table. This time, no glass!

So I'm looking for your ideas and input. Needless to say, I have a mishmash of stuff in this room. We do have two matching Stickley mission oak pieces -- TV stand and a small bookcase. That is as much "matching" as I can tolerate, so I don't want a mission coffee table. I also have the Durham end table from Ballard at one end of the sofa (big square table). I like it a lot, and there is a matching coffee table that is about the same size as the table we have now (8" longer). So that could be an option, although the wood is quite a bit lighter than the other woods in the room, which is OK in the end table but might be too much in a coffee table.

The table we have now is 42" x 24" and I would not want to go any wider than the 24" but could go a bit longer. The reason I liked the glass is because it was "airy" in our small room. So I am stil drawn to somewhat "airy" tables, meaning, I guess, something with just four legs and just empty space under the table top -- not a trunk style, and part of me does not want a shelf underneath, though another part of me likes having that storage space. A drawer would be awesome for remotes, etc., but not absolutely necessary.

My ideal table would be dark (real) wood, probably oak or dark walnut, not too "finished" looking, though, so a few dents wouldn't be terribly obvious. This would be a coffee table that people would put their feet on. I'm attracted to Parsons style tables and I like one at Room and Board, but it's almost $800 plus shipping is expensive (we don't have a store nearby). I am still considering it, though...sort of. I just wish it was $400 or $500!

Any thoughts? suggestions?

I will post a couple more pics so you get an idea of the whole room. Oh, ignore that mess under the window. We are getting rid of the radiator and then the bench will go under the window.

18 Demorestville, ON House Cleaning Services