layering a coffee table and ottoman

Our new sofa should be arriving in just a few short weeks and I am the hunt for a new coffee table. Currently, we have a table that Jeff made for me for my 22nd birthday. It has a wood top and tubular steel base. Its a great piece that I plan on having for a long time to come but it no longer works as our main coffee table. Namely, its quite narrow and lightweight meaning the dog can easily knock it over. Also with the large scale of the new sofa, I think its going to look pretty dinky (technical designer speak).

I am drawn to the idea of a layering a coffee table with an ottoman (or benches) as we have/will have two chairs opposite the sofa. This set up will allow for footrests for those chairs as well as serve as more seating when we have people over. I am thinking a parsons style table to contrast the soft and curvy lines of the sofa. I love the configuration Lauren Liess had in the loft of her old home (image 1) as well as the set up designed by Nate Berkus (image 8). 

Craigslist here I come....

from top left - home of Lauren Liess via Domaine Home - via Elle Decor - source unknown - source unknown - design by Vicente Wolf via House Beautiful - via Better Homes and Gardens - home of Margot Austin via House & Home - design by Nate Berkus via My Domaine -  design by Tom Scheerer

Want to read more? Check out one or all of these related posts.

ming/kang tables
july 14, 2014

random craigslist finds
may 25, 2015

rediscovering print
july 10, 2015

rug inspiration with chairish

I am super excited to share today's post which is in collaboration with Chairish. If you aren't familiar with Chairish, it is an online reseller of design-oriented home furnishings and one of my favorite places to shop and gain inspiration (see this post and this post). So when the people at Chairish asked me to be a part of a blogger series focused on using area rugs as design inspiration I was more than happy to participate. 

One of things I love about Chairish is the ability to find designer goods as a fraction of the price. In this case, a Madeline Weinrib Westley Cotton Carpet in Thunder. MW rugs are of excellent quality, have great patterns and colors while still remain a classic piece that will stand the test of time. Generally speaking, shopping for rugs can be really difficult. They are costly, need to be highly functional and can really set the design for the whole room. In conceptualizing a room centered around this particular MW carpet, I thought of a space that would have a cool sort of moody, eclectic feel. The carpet has a large, graphic pattern of tan and black so I wanted to find pieces that would both complement the carpet's bold design but also contrast it with warmer, curvier elements.

Madeline Weinrib Westley Cotton Carpet via Chairish

I started by selecting this Hamilton Leather Sofa by West Elm. Its lines are great - not to straight and not too curvy. It has has just a touch of that vintage feel that works well when combining new and old pieces. And I pretty much love anything that is chestnut leather.

Hamilton Leather Sofa by West Elm

I then thought about introducing color. These vintage poufs by Karl Springer in a dark blue raw silk sort of make the room. They are a complete statement piece with their solid brass base and rich color. I also really like that the dark blue is a bit unexpected when paired with the black in the rug. 

Karl Spinger Poufs via Chairish

The Scandinavian teak and glass table also found on Chairish does the perfect job of bringing together the color tones of both the sofa and poufs. I also think having the smoke glass filtering the pattern of rug would create an added level of interest in the space while still allowing the carpet to be the main focal point in the room.

Scandinavian teak and glass table via Chairish

The coast swivel chair by Jayson Home tones down the feel of the room making it more fresh and current. The smaller scale of the stripes works well with the large scale pattern of the carpet and the slipcover makes the room feel more casual and lived in. 

coast swivel chair by Jayson Home

The Alexa Side Table by Bungalow Classic is a great little side table that paired with a mid-century brass urn lamp and black shade brings the whole color scheme together. 

mid-century brass urn lamp via Chairish

Alexa Side Table by Bungalow Classic

Finally, the Gaetano Sciolari chandelier just finishes of the space creating interest from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. 

Gaetano Sciolari chandelier via Chairish

Thanks to Chairish for asking me to be a part of this series. For more amazing carpets check out their complete collection of rugs. Happy shopping!

sectionals

Sectional or L shaped sofas seem to be a hot item in the world of interior design and I totally get why. They are extra comfy, they provide lots of seating (usually 7 butts as we like to say at work) and they are very family friendly. My parents recently purchased one for our northern Michigan home (see design post here) and Jeff and I loved lounging on it during our post-wedding staycation. They are, however, not the easiest piece of furniture to work with. They are difficult to size and visualize in a room (lots of measurements involved), are generally expensive (its more like buying two sofas than one) and are often times sort of sloppy looking (think a giant recliner). Needless to say, we are sourcing quite a few of them at work so I have them on my mind. Here are a few of my favorite "sectional" inspiration images. 

1. via House Beautiful design by Cary Tamarkin  2. via Architectural Digest design by Standard  3. via Lonny design by Hillary Thomas  4. via Lonny design by Jamie Meares of Furbish Studio  5. home of Rachel Bilson design by Kishani Perera