Shortly after we moved into our Omaha house — so back in 2008 — Jordan and I drove up to Minneapolis for the day. We didn’t head into the city or even the Mall of America. The sole purpose of our trip was to stock up on furniture and decor at IKEA.
Among the bookcases and the dressers and the bar stools we brought home that day was a large white coffee table with metal legs. The rectangular piece was the perfect height for us to rest our feet while relaxing on the sofa, and its shelf offered storage for random magazines and (let’s be honest) clutter.
The IKEA coffee table anchored our living room for almost four years, until its sharp corners seemed a safety hazard when Levi was first learning how to walk. So we replaced it with an oversize leather ottoman that, truthfully, I hated. Although it was described as “ivory” online, it was definitely a yellowy beige in person and didn’t offer enough of contrast with our wheat-colored couches. There was nothing modern-looking about the combination at all.
For whatever reason, however, we couldn’t return the leather ottoman (and didn’t want to buy a new coffee table), so I lived with it. Besides, it was the safer choice for Levi. But when we sold our Omaha house and the new owners expressed interest in the ottoman, I jumped at the chance to sell it!
That old rectangular coffee table, which had been previously relegated to the basement playroom, has reclaimed its rightful spot in the center of our Washington, DC living room. Unfortunately, the table is simply too large for our now-smaller sitting area.
To replace it, I’m considering a clear acrylic coffee table. I love that this type of table, known as a waterfall table, has kid-friendly rounded edges and a see-through design that’ll take up much less visual real estate — perfect for a small space like ours.
Oh, and the old IKEA table? It’ll head back to the basement, which — at some point — will become a guest room/office/play room.
Where do you fall on the coffee table continuum: Standard table, pouf/ottoman, or nothing at all?
PS: A tour of Levi’s nursery and his big boy bedroom.
