About two years ago or so, I spilled turquoise nail polish on my favorite rug in our den. I mean blue, blue, blue in turquoise and the rug was cream! I tried nail polish remover, Simple Green, and rug cleaner. Nothing worked. It was bright blue for a couple of years. At the time, we were using our antique green coffee table, which didn't help conceal the spot, and I ended up trading it out for a wicker trunk that housed extra pillows and blankets. It was nice in theory, but it didn't work for drinks due to the fact it was wicker. There was no solid top, just the waffle of the wicker, which caused drinks to tip easier and spill through the cracks onto the extra pillows and blankets underneath. Needless to say, it wasn't the best coffee table. So, I gave it to my mom and she uses it as a trunk to house McKinley's toys. The green coffee table made a comeback and so did the stain that had been hidden by the wicker trunk. It was time to find a new rug!
During a recent trip to Home Goods to look for outdoor decorative pieces, and a black bathroom rug, my mom and I found an amazing rug for the den! It's definitely not something I had been looking for in design, but when we laid it out on the floor of Home Goods, we knew it was a winner! The only issue was the fit in our den. We decided that if worse came to worse, I could put a portion of it under the couch to help keep the rug from taking over the space. I didn't need to do that!
I took some pictures for my mom that night just so she could see what it looked like it the space. Then I added the old coffee table. What is glaringly obvious?
It was time for a new coffee table! I immediately went online and found several. I loved the look of this one. This Mid Century Mod table was perfection but not the price! And this one was nice as well, but I wanted something not so new. I have this thing for antiques. A thing for pieces that are a little beaten up. That have a ton of character. That tells a story. I chatted with my mom and we decided it was time to go dumpster diving! Or to our favorite antique store, Mission Road Antique Mall. That's when we found the perfect coffee table.
It was sitting in the middle of the hall. No price tag. No one in sight to tell us about it, and we were about to walk away, when the owner came around the corner. I asked if it was for sale and she firmly said no. It was her display table. After showing my disappointment, she asked what I was going to do with the table. I proceeded to tell her I was going to cut down the legs and make it my coffee table. She was so upset at the prospect of the table losing it's legs, but after a few minutes, she made an offer. We countered. And it became ours for $70! A school house table that had been used for painting, as you can see from the paint stains. I was so excited about my new table!
After getting it home, there was some work to do, so my dad come over one afternoon to help me. He brought over his portable circular saw, clamps, L-Square with level, and we got to work. (I'm not allowed to have knives so using the circular saw was out of the question!) Other than cutting off the legs, nothing else was really needed. I had originally planned to sand down the table and stain it, but after looking at more closely, I decided I loved the color stains, the roughness of the wood, and the years of use its seen. Nope, leaving it just as it was! Blogging about turning it from work table to coffee table later!
The table has been in the den for a little over the week and I've been making tweaks to the room ever since. This rug and table have really been a motivation and inspiration for me to get this room back to a room I love spending time in. I had lost my love for our den. It was over crowded, dark, and just not a space I found joy in anymore. There were piles of this here and that there. And it just didn't scream family friendly or inviting. Aside from my office, it was space of a frustration. Not anymore! I love it! Let's take a tour.
Here is what the space looked like before. I'm adding back in the before office photos so you can get a perspective of how this whole room has really taken shape and become more light and airy.
Here is the rug with the concealed nail polish stain.
And do you see that black table in between the chairs? Well, there were two and they had made their way to either side of our couch. It dawned on me, once I got a larger table in the room, especially one so light, that there were way too many pieces of furniture and it was dark. I felt like the walls were closing in and something had to go. The end tables were the answer! They are now in our booth in Louisburg waiting for a new family room. (And you are getting a birds eye view of just how messy my house is on a daily basis!)
It was time to get this clutter, and dark room, back to its old/new self. I got to work cleaning out all the books, making piles of the ones I'm going to donate to our schools upcoming mobile library, and the ones that I wanted to keep. The end tables made their way into my mom's Explorer. Then it was time to clean out the hat boxes over in the right hand corner and consolidate old photos into the larger of the boxes. Two hat boxes are now making their way to the booth! Then it was time to dress up the coffee table and get this room in shape.
After a solid week of work, and proper placement, I'm happy to reveal the new space!
And I've already made a decorating note. We need either an incredibly large print over the sofa or a wall full of art. Excited to get that started!
Can you see the paint spots?
The next thing on my agenda is to take down the ballet posters and pointe shoes from over the yellow cabinet and turn it into McKinley's art work wall. He as painted and created some amazing pieces this year, that they need to be on display. Can't wait for all the artwork over the next few years to be added!
And every room needs a bar!
What do you think? Do you like it? Have a favorite spot or piece? Do you like the new coffee table? All of the pieces you see on the table are from Michael's and they were on super sale! You don't have to spend a fortune on small room accent pieces. I love Joann's, Home Goods, and Michael's for these exact reasons. A room on a budget is everyone's favorite thing, right?
I will make sure to share my updated art walls once they have been completed. Up next, our bedroom! I've been dreaming and scheming for a while now and I just need to make the final push to actually do it!
XO,
Andrea
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