Coastline Treasures

Does it ever seem like your living room lacks that little something extra? Or your bedroom just isn’t as cozy as it should be? If so, chances are you’re in need of a little furniture revamp. Creating a warm and inviting space is possible in any room of your home with a few small additions. For example, an accent table adds a lot of character to a room, and placing a lamp on top of the table provides an instant cozy light source.  You might also think about rearranging your existing furniture to be more functional, and rearranging the furniture once in a while just for the heck of it makes the room different and unique.

The walls can also make a room look much barer than it is, so painting the walls, adding a chair rail, or placing pictures and posters makes for an appealing aesthetic.

My husband inherited Aunt Kate’s drop leaf table and chairs.  For years we stored it in the attic as it was just too small to use, or so I thought.  Many years went by before we cleaned out the attic only to rediscover this table.  It was a beautiful table from the 1950’s with dark stain and petite claw feet, both sides dropped down.  As we reexamined this table we realized that it would make a great accent table in the entry.

We slid it in place along the entry wall with the sides down to create a narrow landing.  We added a tall vase with flowers and an antique dish to collect car keys on the way in.  Above it on the wall we hung two smaller pictures that were framed and matted the same, one on top of the other.  With very little effort we were able to create a welcoming entrance.

Accent tables are great additions to a bedroom.  Because finding a night stand that is the right size and color can be difficult, using accent tables instead is a great alternative for any small space next to a bed.  In addition, accent tables make great night stands because of their versatility.  Many accent tables include a lamp, therefore making it unnecessary to find alternate lighting.  They also usually have enough room to place a clock, book, glasses, and a drink on them as well.

My night stand is an accent table that includes a floor lamp.  Its perfect because it gives off ample lighting while also giving me a place to put things next to my bed.  The table also has enough room to allow for decoration accents as well.  And, there is a table to mach and fit any room.

You just redecorated a room in your home and the way that the furniture fits together, there is a hole.  The hole is too small to place anything big there, but to big to just leave it empty.  This sounds like the perfect place to put an accent table.  Because they are so small, accent tables make great final touches to the furniture in any room.

An accent table is a very versatile piece of furniture.  It can be used just for display of other accent décor, or can be used as a miniature coffee table.  If the table is in the bedroom, using it as a night stand is a great idea.  You can even use it as a stand for a fishbowl if an aquatic pet is to your liking.  The possibility of ways to use an accent table are endless.

An accent table makes a great little sofa-side coffee table, or, if you prefer tea as your hot beverage of choice, a tea table.  Tea is one of the most widely popular beverages around the world.  And while its popularity is something awesome, tea’s history is even more interesting.  This drink, now served hot or cold and at all time of the day, dates back centuries as a delightful and special drink.

Because we tend to associate tea with high society and posh England, thinking primarily of tea time in the afternoon, you would expect that tea originated in Europe.  However, tea’s origins are actually in China.  Legend states that an emperor demanded all drinking water be served boiling, and one day dried leaves fell into the emperor’s cup, creating the first cup of tea.  From that point on, tea became an important part of Chinese culture.  It was through trade that tea found its way to Europe and the rest of the world.  We can thank China once again for introducing us to one of the finer, and commonly used, things in life.

Accent tables are a great way to make use of a small space in your home and make great decorations that also serve a functional purpose.  They are perfect to display small pictures, flowers, or little table top figurines. Accent tables are very versatile as well.  They look great alongside a couch or bed, but can also stand alone in a hallway or entry way.  They come in multiple shapes, sizes, and medium, so you are bound to fine one to fit any type of décor.

Choosing the right table for your home is essential.  You want to make sure that the table you choose not only matches your décor, but also does not take away from the room.  Use the table to play up a part of the room, whether it is a sofa or another piece of furniture.  That way, the small table in the corner does not capture the attention and remove from the room’s over all essence.  Once the tables are properly chosen, your room will look neatly put together and make a great place for the family to relax together or to entertain company.

We all need basic furniture; a couch, chairs, tables, and so on.  We can decorate in so many ways, too numerous to count.  The fun is in choosing our furniture, size and shape as well as color and design.  There are so many decisions to be made to make our abode exactly the way we want.  Adding a theme can be fun and lends itself to creativity.

When choosing a theme, make sure that it does not overpower the environment.  Using basic furniture pieces and then embellishing them with detail is best.  Adding themed pillows, pictures, figurines, accent tables and the like will make the room pop.  You don’t have to stick with ordinary, try finding a few special accents even if you have to pay a bit more for them.  It will certainly pay off in the end with a fabulous look.

When decorating you need to decide on what colors and feeling you want to evoke.  Is it soft and subtle or is it bold and dynamic?  Each of these looks will need different color schemes or at least different intensity of color.  Once the paint has dried, it is time to add furniture and accents.  Start by adding your larger items such as your couch and chairs.  Now you can see where to add accent tables, stools and lamps.  Get creative and find fun and interesting pieces that you will enjoy for years.  Feel free to mix it up a bit and add stripes with polka-a-dots.  It’s OK; just make sure that the fabrics carry a common color throughout.  A solid couch color will be enhanced when adding patterned throw pillows as accents.  A patterned chair will look great with a solid colored throw across the back.  At this point the larger items should be in place, now it is time to personalize your space.

The final touches on any room are your personal possessions; things that you love, things picked up on vacation or gifts received.  Don’t forget to add these items to table tops, mantles, shelves or walls.  Be sure that the items are size appropriate for where you are placing them.  A small figurine may feel lost on a large shelving unit but look wonderful on a side table.  Be sure that these accents compliment the desired look and not compete with it.  Have fun moving things around until you find just the right spot.  It will take a bit of patience and time to get your home décor just the way you want it.