What Should You Put On Your Coffee Table?

 

 via M.E. Beck designs

When it comes to styling a coffee table there are lots of different methods. Some like a more is more look and others, like myself like a less is more look.

 

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No matter which look you prefer there are some guidelines that will help you to decide what to use on your table.

 

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I think Phoebe Howard dissected a table vignette in a very easy applicable manner for most home decorators....

   

I have read many different formulas and I found hers to be the easiest to follow and to duplicate. Plus, I love her design aesthetics.

 

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In her formula she is telling you what type of objects make a good composition on a table.

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I agree with each element she says to use for a nice display on the coffee table. Let's look at each individual suggestion.....

1. Something tall, or varied Heights: Keep in mind the heights of each element. You should have varied heights making an up and down wave. Tall, low, tall, or low, tall, low. 

 You can also go from high to low, the point is to vary your heights to keep the eye moving in order to see the elements as one composition. Never jolting to the eye but a nice  visual flow.

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Also keep in mind the textures that you add to your composition. Try to vary them with shiny, smooth, dull, or rough textures. This will make for a warm and interesting display.

2. One oddball object: Something of interest, sculptural or organic. In Phoebe's compostion she literally did use a ball/orb as her oddball item. As she states this is a good place to show your personality. Use something that you love to look at, that speaks to you personally.

3. Something Fresh: This will give your room life, it can be simple fresh flowers in a vase or a plant. Anything that is green and alive.

4. A stack of books: Books can promote conversation, or give your guest something to look at. She is actually using hers as a lift for the glass obelisk. This is also a place you could add your personality piece, or odd ball as she calls it. 

 

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 In addition to this simple formula there are a few other elements that can be useful in making an interesting display on your coffee table.....

covered boxes

candles

trays to corral objects

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Decide how many objects you can handle on your table and the approximate sizes you will need and have fun treasure hunting. 

 

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Whatever your style of home, furniture of coffee table there are so many resources for each individual element listed I don't think you will have any trouble finding what you like, and in the end you will have a beautifully styled coffee table!! 

 

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Remember all of the above information is just a guideline, never let a formula stifle your own creativity. The whole object is to have fun and enjoy your home!!

 

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Homework assignment: Now that you have read this entire post, go back and look at each coffee table I showed you, and see if it has all or some of the elements mentioned above. Notice what they are, where they are placed, and how they are connected to the other elements in the composition.

Enjoy The Process Of:

Creating your very own masterpiece!!

 

 

Our New Coffee Table Has Arrived!

Our Coffee Table Has Arrived And Has Entered The Building!!

Coffee tables are my nemesis. I find it very hard to find a coffee table that I like. I might like individual tables, but find it hard to find a table to go into my own home.

I finally found one that I thought would be the perfect addition to our family room in our new home....

The table I found has a simple boxed frame, and a marble top. The marble top is what made it a slam dunk in my book....

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 I also loved it's narrow profile and it was a bit longer than most tables with a narrow profile. 48" X 17".

The day has arrived, and my table has been delivered.....

Isn't she pretty!? The marble top is  so nice and white with just the right amount of movement in the streaking of soft gray.

Notice how nicely the lines of the table marry with the tripod floor lamp. It also goes great with the wall sconces on the mantel Nice simple, clean lines...

I can't wait to see it tonight when I turn on the fireplace and have all the candles on and the lights down low.

I am going to live with it empty for a few days before I attempt putting anything on top of it. 

Remember I am a less is more gal, so this won't be easy for me to get use to something on my new table. For now I am just going to enjoy the beauty of the marble!

Trust me there WILL be  a blog post about how to style a coffee table in the very near future! 😉

 

 

Mixing Patterns & Colors For Decorative PIllows

 

I have been in the land of pillows the last couple of weeks. First there was the PINK pillows....

I spent many hours sourcing and making just the right combinations.

 THEN! 

The unthinkable happened. I received my sample swatches of the pinks and they were all wrong. Not clear, but a muddy almost make-up looking blush pink. It was just terrible in my room.

BE FLEXIBLE

With all design projects we have to be flexible so I went back to the drawing board. 

 A NEW COLOR EMERGES

This time it was all about yellow.

Luckily I already had two swatches that I knew were the perfect yellows so I ordered those pillows, and they are already on there way here!!

 Duralee Kilburn yellow found here

Schumacher's Chenonceau in buttercup found HERE!

Since my sofa is blue ticking I knew I wanted blue to go with these two yellow fabrics so out came my swatches....

Luckily I keep all my swatches past and present that I love, so I had a really good starting point.

I narrowed them down....

The darker check won over the brighter blue. I liked the contrast with the yellow better.

Next came time to make a collage and actually place the pillows on the furniture.

Here is where planning is so important!!

To my surprise I did not like the blue check with all the other fabrics I planned on using. 

I tried several different combinations, and it just was not going to work.

 REMEMBER:

When you have to keep changing things over and over to make something work, chances are it is the problem child and  it needs to be eliminated. In this case the problem child turned out to be the navy check.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AGAIN!

With that in mind I went to my pillow cover stash and got out these covers....

Thibaut's south sea fabric found here.

I immediately loved it with the yellow, however there was still something not quite right so I went back to my stash and pulled out some of the green swatches.

 AND

I made a collage and all of sudden I KNEW this was it!!...

Now my room felt like Spring to me!

When trying to combine your own fabrics for a project there are some good guidelines to follow, but never be afraid to do your own thing.

However I think it is important to know a few things before buying, or having pillows made for an upcoming design project.

 

 

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF :

• How many pillows can a homeowner tolerate?
• Do they like varied sizes and shapes?
• Should there be a mix of coordinating fabrics?
• How many different fabric choices will be pleasing to their eye?
• Do they like symmetry or do they like a more casual look?
• Should the pillows be tightly stuffed or more loose with a down filling?
• How about embellishments, ruffles, welting, braid?

As you can see there is a lot to think about when designing the type of pillows, and the placement of pillows on a piece of furniture.

 

 It is obvious that I can take more than a few patterns in my rooms and I realize not all people can do this, so it is important to keep that in mind when trying to formulate your own pattern mix.

 

Before making your purchases or figuring out what size you want, decide which pillow will go on which pieces of furniture in the room. Will the pillow be behind another pillow so it will need to be a bit larger or will it be in front?

 

Here is a size guide for pillows before they are stuffed with an insert and after that I found on Classic Casual Home blog.....

 

 

Isn't is surprising how much smaller they get when a down insert is placed inside the pillow?

Mixing patterns can be very daunting for most home decorators so where do you begin. I will use some of the patterns I am using in my room, but will keep it simple by only using 3 patterns for you to understand the concept

1. Choose the main player for your room.

 

I say choose one star fabric, a fabric that will make a statement in your room. It can be a mix of several colors or just a fantastic looking large scaled  print.

2. Choose an accent color
Add one of the colors pulled from the larger scaled pattern in a solid or geometric pattern in a medium scale. You can also use one of your accent colors in this pillow. In my case it is blue.....

3. Use a smaller scaled pattern

 Add a geometric in a smaller scale pattern. Stripes, check, and dotted fabrics are a good choice for this category.

This 3 step formula is probably the easiest to follow and remember you can always throw in one solid into this mix.

In design it is good to use odd numbers so keep that in mind when placing your pillows on your furniture.

All of these suggestions are only guidelines, nothing is ever in cement in design, and if you are brave enough, and confident enough of your own design aesthetic please break the rules, and be true to yourself. 

If it makes you smile then you have done a good job.

Now if you are designing for a client you must ALWAYS keep your clients desires in mind at all times, and guide them with your expertise.

Have fun playing with different fabric selections, and remember a good plan will always save you costly mistakes later!!