The Friday Five: Coffee Table Styling

Online vintage furniture retailer Charish recently asked me my opinion about the following questions:

1. What essentials does everyone need for their coffee table?
2. How do you properly layer the items?

I think I might be out of the ordinary on this one, because my coffee table is quite empty and unstyled. I have a small basket that holds my remote controls, coasters, and a few kinds of lip gloss (you can never have too many).

White-Cabana-House-Tour-3-1024x740my home

But there are so many inspiring interiors that do beautiful coffee table styling. Calgary-based designer Erica Cook, for example, is a master stylist in my opinion. I love how she pulls items together on her coffee tables.

coffee-table-Erica-Cook-1via Erica Cook

coffee-table-Erica-Cook-2via Erica Cook

coffee-table-Erica-Cook-3via Erica Cook

As I browsed through Charish‘s coffee table inventory, I thought about what I might display on particular tables. Here are five of the tables that caught my attention and the items that I might use to style them up pretty!

On this woodsy timber coffee table, I’d use a few stacks of beautiful books (with cream and white covers, of course). I’d arrange them symmetrically to follow the squareness of the table, and I might add some brass trinkets to contrast the wood.

coffee-table-Charish-6timber coffee table, $700

On this brassy number, I’d add a collection of cloisonné bowls because it reminds me of what my mom would do in her traditional living room. I’d increase the fancy factor because that’s what those curves are calling.

coffee-table-Charish-3brass ring cocktail table, $925

The mid-century coffee table below would have minimal styling. Perhaps I’d add a tray or two with some books or objets neatly placed inside.

coffee-table-Charish-5vintage Florence Knoll coffee table, $585

I don’t think this modern glass table actually needs anything on it because it already has so much to offer what with its curvy lines and such, but if I had to opt for something, I’d include a carefully curated stack of books with a simple, but interesting, object on top to complement the table rather than compete with it.

coffee-table-Charish-7tempered glass coffee table, $250

Finally, I think this simple travertine gem would look beautiful with a collection of colourful floral arrangements on it. Who could ever go wrong with flowers? Am I right?

coffee-table-Charish-8travertine coffee table, $1200

For those of you who may not know, Charish is an amazing source for vintage furniture and decor (yes, including coffee tables). It currently only ships in the United States, so here’s hoping it considers shipping internationally very soon so that the rest of us can benefit from the unique inventory!

The Friday Five: Hearts Galore

I didn’t actually mean to have such a Valentine’s Day-focused week on the blog this week, but my posts just ended up that way. I wonder if this is when I’m supposed to realize that I should be moving towards using an editorial calendar for my blog posts? I’ve resisted using such a calendar because I have always taken more of a let-the-blog-evolve-naturally-my-life-is-already-over-scheduled approach to blogging. Anyway, I digress…this post isn’t actually about how to be a blogger. It’s about how to live with hearts! It is February, after all! So, let’s get to it, shall we?

Living with hearts…do you? will you? could you? I’d love to know if any of these spaces strike your fancy.

bf2-frenchbydesign-blog

Bodie and Fou via French by Design

heart-print-chalkboard-Caravan-shoppevia Caravan Shoppe

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Tutze store in the Netherlands via Jelanié

letters_bankje

via Vtwonen

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via The Design Chaser

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Enjoy your weekend (it’s a long one for us in Ontario…Happy Family Day, too!).

The Friday Five: Gallery Walls

Gallery walls continue to make a major art statement as we near the end of 2014. Do you think it’ll be an ongoing design element in 2015?

Home-Tour-Career-Contessa-Full-Gallery-0027-e1393303937764

via The Glitter Guide

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source unknown

2p1

via SF Girl By Bay

fd42dca6496edde20b595935297b9304

via Pinterest

P1010893

via Typical Domestic Babe

I am continuing to add to the gallery wall in my office, and I love that that each image reminds me of a trip or special moment.

Design: Fireplace Style

Time to get the fireplaces going…turn on the heat and style them up pretty! Isn’t the collection below so inspiring?

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via Sparks Fly

bolaget_fireplace

photo by bolaget, via 79Ideas

fireplace_Thomas OBrien

Thomas O’Brien

JO Malone_via Lonny Mag_March 2013_2

Jo Malone headquarters London, photo by Patrick Cline, via Lonny Magazine March 2013

bridgetfoley12_martinborough2Bridget Foley Design, via Desire to Inspire

modern-fireplace

via This is Glamorous

James-Gardiner6_EL_29nov12_pr_b_1

via Easy Living

Do you have a fireplace? Does it start with logs and a match or do you flip a switch?