Tuesday, October 29, 2013

What's On Your Coffee Table?

Most people I know have a coffee table in their living rooms.  I don't know how far back coffee tables go, but the use of them or their function has certainly evolved.  TV shows from the 1950s always showed stylishly dressed people sitting in a formal living room around a coffee table drinking, what else, coffee.  

Hardly anyone has the time to sit around a coffee table and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.  Coffee tables have evolved to become a place to display decorative accessories.   Coffee tables in a lot of homes serve many purposes:  dining table, a place to display collectibles, and sometimes catchall for things you have no where else to put.  You'll find coffee tables in some homes with some type of floral arrangement on them (hopefully not coated with dust!)  

My coffee table serves two purposes: (1) a place to display decorative accessories and (2) a place for decorating magazines and books for guests to browse through.  I try to keep the magazine collection current.  I don't want my coffee table to mimic tables you see in a doctor's office that have magazines from two years ago.  I try to maintain my magazine collection for about one to two months then I donate them.

I am always fascinated by coffee tables that have unusual decorative items placed on them.  Such items serve as a conversation piece.  I have a glass knot on my coffee table.  Most of my guests are curious about this art piece.  Take a look at my coffee table:

See the glass knot, top right corner.

As you can see, my coffee table is a 3 foot by 3 foot glass top table.  I chose a glass top table because my living room space is small and a glass top coffee table allows the room to appear more spacious--it disappears in the room.

Below is a picture of a coffee table with a tray, plant, books/magazines, and miscellaneous decorative pieces.  I'm sure the items placed on this coffee table are there to be used and also add a decorative touch.

Photo courtesy of House Beautiful Magazine.
So, what's on your coffee table?