A Coffee Table Update...Finally!

The last time I wrote, oh so many months ago, I was debating what type of coffee table to purchase for our living room. I searched and searched and eventually found our new baby at Overstock.com. I've never purchased anything from Overstock before, but the customer reviews were positive and the price (about $160) could not be beat!

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We've had the table now for a couple of months, and we love it! The frame turned out to be darker than it appears in the picture - less bright silver, more dark gray. However, this actually helps the table to better fit in, as we have other dark, gray objects in the room. The glass top keeps the space open, and the circular shape helps to break up the many 90 degree angles we've already. We're so happy with the purchase, and hope to keep this table for a long time.

That's HGTV in the background!

Coffee Table Re-mix

When we were first moving into our apartment, Tyler's mother offerred to give us her outdoor coffee table. Of course, we don't have an outdoor space, but we did need one for our indoor living room. The table was/is gorgeous. It is a big rectangle of heavy, weathered metal that looks super rustic and cool. We loved it and were happy to bring it home.

Last week, Tyler's mom called and let us know that she would be needing the table back. While we still loved the table, this news was actually very exciting. In our many months with the table, we'd come to realize that while gorgeous, it wasn't the best fit for the space we had. So, we're giving the table back, and more importantly, this gives me the opportunity to find a new one!

Naturally, I'm not super keen on buying a new, expensive table, when I can buy something much cheaper that I can then make-over using some Jessica-magic. Tyler and I have both agreed that we think something circular might be best. Our living room is currently filled with right-angles, and this will hopefully soften up the space. Here are a couple of my ideas:

Option #1:

I love the idea of using "wine barrels" to create a coffee table. Home Depot sells these for about $30 each, which is totally reasonable! 

Option #2:

This table is something I think Tyler would definitely appreciate. It's got that modern, geometric aesthetic that he likes. I think a darker stain would be better in our apartment, but I like the overall look. 

Clearly, you can see I appreciate the combination of a glass top and wood base, and our living space would definitely benefit from the more open, airy feel. I'm hoping a glass top will help to create that vibe.

At this point, who knows what it will be, but craigslist here I come!

Some Simple Additions

If you've ever visited our apartment, I've probably kept my fingers crossed that you would never ever open the door to the bathroom cabinet. This particular area is one I am not proud of, simply put, because it is a hot hot mess. While there is a semblance of organization below - some boxes on one side and some piles on another, our stuff generally meanders from side to side, slipping around until one of us realizes we can't find it and has to go digging through the piles that exist below. Then, we rearrange, convincing ourselves, "Oh! It's gotten cleaner!"

SO NOT TRUE.

So, where am I going with this you may ask? Well, one day, in my inevitable struggle with the behemoth that is my bathroom cabinet, I decided that it might be helpful to store some of the stuff under the sink elsewhere. Genius! I know.

The first idea that struck was to remove the handful of perfume bottles I had down there. Now, I don't wear tons of perfume. In fact, I wear it maybe only once a week when I remember that I actually own some. However, in my recent blog reading/Pinterest adventures, I begun to take notice of beautifully coiffed dresser tops, such as this one:

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The image above captures styling done by one of my favorite bloggers, Emily from Cashmere and Cupcakes. I looooooooooove it. Although, not 100% obvious, what struck me most about the design was the tray holding her perfumes and random pieces of jewelry. After more serious inspection, I concluded that the tray is made of lucite. However, upon first glance, the tray bottom looks like a mirror, and when I saw it, I knew I wanted something very similar. Plus, the entire arrangement looks so unbelievably elegant - the clear bottles, clean white backdrop, touches of gold and the lonely pink flower. I set out to achieve the same vibe for my own space.

On a trip to one of my favorite consignment stores, I spent about an hour or so perusing the many rooms for the perfect tray. Finally, tucked away under a myriad of antique brushes, I found it. It had a mirrored bottom (check!), edged by a gold, lacy trim (elegant, check!). It was $18 and I knew it would look awesome housing my perfume bottles and other accoutrements. I also happened to receive a gift from my one of students around the same time - a jewelry tree! With my two new accessories in hand, I went on my merry styling way. Here is the end result...

Unfortunately, I don't have a before photo, but I love the after. While it is not exactly the clean and pristine look of Emily's dresser, it looks so much more organized and sophisticated than it did before. Now, all I have to do is get a new clock. =)