Furniture Archives

LIVING ROOM CHAISE WITH A VIEW

May 5, 2022

We knew we made the right furniture choice when the dog claimed the living room chaise mid-day before the family rolled in after work, school and tennis practice. My husband claims it after work- it is his recharging station. In our house, the living room chaise wins the popular vote.

The unwritten rule is whoever lands on the chaise first, gets the chaise!

It reminds me of when my four siblings and I called shotgun as we ran down the stairs to fight for the front passenger seat in Mom’s Suburban.

The fact that there is no television in our living room, speaks to the chaise’s popularity. With wide cushions and just-enough length, it is perfect for an end of day nap as the rains roll in over the mountains.

We found our chaise at Crate & Barrel. You can find the dimensions and details here. We passed right by this chaise when we did an initial loop around the showroom floor.

We wanted a couch or club chairs to fit the awkward, rounded wall and tiny nook in the living room. The living room is complicated.

Living Room Chaise

Never underestimate the power of pillows

The secret to the chaise’s popularity is with the pillows. My husband and I did not see the vision. But, thank goodness the sales associate pointed out the power of bolster pillows. The pillows make the chaise’s role in our living room flexible. It can be shoved against a wall or “free float” in front of our living room window.

And, the best part of this purchase was it took place during Crate & Barrel’s annual Labor Day sale.

The chaise is comfortable, stylish, flexible and the perfect spot to catch a nap or sneak in a chapter in my latest pick from this site.

The chaise was our Aussie’s favorite place to relax. I used to shoo Tanner off, but as his hips failed, I whispered in his ear, “You earned this Tanner.” We have visions of Tanner on security detail on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

The chaise was such a classy-casual addition to the living room I had to upgrade the rug. All of a sudden my indoor/outdoor rug felt like it belonged outside. I upgraded to this rug for a comfier feel our feet (or paws).

living room chaise for the win

And, with these views, the chaise is the perfect spot to watch the weather roll in over the mountains.

WHERE TO FIND FURNITURE LAYOUT IDEAS

January 11, 2022

This is the time of year when I start to think about switching things up before spring. Not the little things like candles and wreaths, but the big stuff like couches and desks.

My family knows I have a habit of moving furniture around (and the contents of my kitchen cabinets) on any given day. So it is no surprise I love to explore furniture layout ideas.

But sometimes I need a few fresh looks for room layout ideas. I love Pinterest and magazines, but honestly, my favorite place to look is online at my favorite home stores. The images are bright and uncluttered. There is no crease running down the center of the layout and I am not distracted by one hundred pins needling me on Pinterest.

If you are a regular visitor to Everyday Edits you know I love to look for decor ideas here.

I love walking into home stores and just taking it all in but this time of year my credit card is on life support and the weather is a bit frightful.

So the online versions of Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel or Arhaus are great places to peruse with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine depending on the time of day. And it’s not that I shop at these higher-end brands but their online and print furniture layouts are so pretty!

And this time I am just looking for furniture layout ideas. I am struggling with a few rooms and furniture.

FURNITURE LAYOUT IDEAS

Sometimes you don’t know you don’t like something until you see an opportunity. I spend the majority of my day in my main floor home office. But sometimes, while waiting for a contract or a text from a first-time homebuyer, I get to look at my office’s current layout situation.

I have an oversized desk that I purchased years ago during Pottery Barn’s annual floor sample sale. It’s a little big for my office. It fights for space with this recently relocated hutch and the necessities like a printer, tablet, and an office chair.

Sidenote: I love my new office chair I found at World Market last fall. During our extended work from home orders, I used a 1999 office chair in the garage. Eight months later I needed to upgrade.

Okay back to my office. So I found a few images for inspiration on how to either configure my office. ! I love to share these inspo images from retailers. Every online or print image can be an inspiration for decor ideas, staging tips (Realtor life), a room’s layout, or holiday ideas!

Are you ready? Let’s go! Oh, and it’s fun and free to look!

My office has a large set of windows too. It’s where I saw the bear cubs playing in the snow and posted on my Instagram.

How to find free furniture layout inspiration.

PLANTS

If there is one furniture layout takeaway from Pottery Barn swag it is the placement of a tree or plant (real or fake) next to shelves, built-ins or hutches.

If you want to start with a simple change to your room’s layout do this one! If you don’t have a large tree try this plant hack.

How to find free furniture layout ideas.

When our youngest was home from college with remote classes. This small desk came in handy. I purchased it on sale at Pottery Barn and got a discount with this tip.

The desk faces this awkward niche in the living room. My son debated about switching it to take advantage of the views but decided a mountain view may be a bit of a distraction.

After seeing Pottery Barn’s desk layout in front of a window (seeing a theme) I may relocate the petite desk to another space. What do you think?

Okay, this idea may not fall under furniture layouts and might be a better fit on this list. This is my least favorite image for this layout inspo post but look at the column of photos to the right. This may be more of a decor idea, but it impacts the room’s layout if you want to center it next to a couch or hutch.

Here is where I am looking to add a column of photos! Either to the side of the fireplace remodel or on the opposite wall. Stay tuned! Here is the family room remodel if you are just stopping by for the first time at Everyday Edits.

I loved this fun alternative to the bench at the end of the bed. If you visit Pottery Barn you will see several different bench options.

Of course, I don’t think Elliott will go for an update to the classic bench!

I recently painted my dining hutch when it relocated to my office. The hutch is deep so it definitely impacts the room’s layout, but it has so much storage potential.

When I saw this hutch I got an idea for mine.

Thank you for stopping by today If you enjoyed this quick read would you sign up for the Weekend Edit which shares my posts from the week. It arrives in your inbox on Saturday morning while enjoying a mug of coffee or tea. You can sign up here!

Happy Day ! Laura in Colorado

POTTERY BARN KNOCKOFF GLASS COFFEE TABLE

April 29, 2021

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I have a Pottery Barn mirror en route in 16-20 weeks. So when I found a Pottery Barn knockoff glass coffee table (for a fraction of the cost) the bigger score was I got to take it home the same day. Who loves to brag about a good knockoff. Here is a great place to start if you have not caught the knockoff bug.

POTTERY BARN KNOCKOFF GLASS COFFEE TABLE

Like when I found these matching, super comfortable chairs.

Recently, I decided to try a glass coffee table for the living room. No more Teddy Graham snack bags stuffed under the rug or Capri Sun juice boxes with the straws used as blow darts.

Glass tabletops are a right of passage for parents.

Us moms, earned the right to a lightweight, easy and breezy coffee table.

I found this one at Pottery Barn and loved its line and that it was round (I tend to be wired or 90-degree angles).

I found this very similar round glass coffee table at Ikea. It was just under $5o and it fit in my car which meant I could take it home the day of purchase.

This glass coffee table holds center court in the living room. The table is heavy, but it gives off a lightweight vibe with the glass top.

I purchased two of these plants for my coffee tables and based on your comments you love them too!

Yes, the lower shelf is wood-like material, but most of the time the lower level stores books or games.

The price difference was huge – like $450 huge and no shipping charge.

I love it and I can’t wait to share our living room to library reveal. I shared the details here in a picture-filled post.

Thanks for stopping by today. Looking for more knockoff ideas?

I shared another favorite Pottery Barn knockoff with our kitchen table.
This one was too easy
And, this was my most popular on Pinterest.

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5 TIPS ON HOW TO REARRANGE A ROOM

March 25, 2021

Sharing tips on how to rearrange a room before the couch ends up on the porch

My family is no longer surprised when they come home and see a couch in the middle of the entry or a coffee table in the kitchen. Even Elliott knows to just stay out of the way.

Rearranging rooms and kitchen cabinets is what I do when I have a free afternoon or a snowstorm.

One of my first friends, when we moved to Denver, was a neighbor. She was the friend who told me about the house we now live in had just come on the market. She shared this at a Bunko game. My husband refers to it as the most expensive Bunko game ever. But when it came to how to arrange a room my petite little friend who could fit in my pocket AND she can paint lines without tape, was to …

clear the room.

Yep, my friend Julie suggested the best way to envision how to arrange a room was to clear it out and start with a clean slate.

It seemed like lots of effort to move, shove and scoot furniture across the floors, but I tried it and explained to the family why the living room was empty.

This little idea on how to arrange a room was exactly what I needed.

Not only was I clearing the room, but it cleared my head of the clutter.

And, it got rid of lingering preconceived ideas of where the couch should be positioned in the living. room.

I get it- clearing a room may not always make sense. It was hard enough to get the couch into the living room, now I have to take it out of the same room?

So here are a few workarounds if you can’t clear out an entire space.

5 TIPS ON HOW TO REARRANGE A ROOM

1. Clear the accessories

When we recently scheduled to have our hardwood floors refinished we had to remove all of the furniture from the main level. I started with the small stuff like the accessories. You guys I counted almost a dozen lanterns.

My basement looked like the HomeGoods clearance section on Sunday evening.

2. Roll up the rugs

Rugs can be a little pushy with their preconceived furniture arrangement ideas. So removing the rugs is a great visual to see what your furniture could look like if it wasn’t married to a 9×12 rug from 2008.

3. If it doesn’t make sense to move the bed, move the side tables, lamps and ottomans. Those benches and can be manipulative and play tricks with your mind.

4. With your room opening up after the first three suggestions run through your house and find your favorite furniture pieces. I shared this find a few weeks ago and have a few places where it may land.

I essentially shopped my house instead of HomeGoods or an outlet.

5. Finally grab the painter’s tape and a tape measure. The 2nd best advice I got with furniture arrangement was to outline the furniture with painter’s tape.

It is a great visual for spacing out furniture pieces.

Finally, here is one more tip related to moving furniture. I shared it on my youtube channel if you want to take a look.

Pin for later!

Thanks for stopping by for my quick tips for everyday edits.

WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THIS MARSHALLS FURNITURE FIND

March 4, 2021

Just wait until you see this furniture find from Marshalls.

I love Marshalls for their stationery and cleaning products. And it’s a great way to spend fifteen minutes between a dental cleaning and a showing. Marshalls is a commitment-free shopping experience. It also happens to be the bitter, older sister to HomeGoods (think Ferris Bueller’s older sister). So I never thought to shop the furniture section, squeezed between home accessories and pillows. Just wait until you see this Marshalls furniture find.

It was right before the extended staycation was in place. My husband was on a ski trip and I had four days by myself. It was bliss and it is when I get projects done. This hutch caught my eye because of the stain and the weight. It had a ding on the back corner, but I knew this stain could correct the blemish.

I was on a high after I found these two club chairs from HomeGoods.

Sidenote: Those chairs are so comfortable and sturdy. We love them!

I grabbed the manager who was more than willing to help me shove this piece into the back of my car. And I got the scratch and dent discount.

FURNITURE FIND AT MARSHALLS

The tricky part was hauling this from the car into the house (remember my boys were not home yet for their extended spring break and my husband was skiing in Crested Butte). Ladies and guys, where there is a will there is a way. Just sayin’. Seriously, I have some kind of super-strength adrenaline rush kick in when I need to get something from my car into the house. I mean forget Ninja Warrior.. let’s do a mom with four flights of stairs and a 47″ wide hutch.

This hutch fits perfectly in our home. I was surprised by how sturdy it was and functional. But like so many spontaneous purchases it can take a while to find the perfect spot.

It landed in my office where it stored pending craft projects, but I felt like it was too big for my office and was not working to its full potential.

Look at this space behind the two doors.

With a pending floor refinish we have to move all our furniture off the main level. With missing chairs and lightweight pieces (we are hiring movers to move our dining room table and couches down two flights of stairs), I decided this was the perfect time to play with this Marshall find.

The stain is so similar to our dining room table that I may move the buffet into a different space to make room for this discounted hutch.

Oh and you can shop here for the clock.

What do you think? Have you ever shopped for furniture at Marshalls?

Pin for later or follow me on Pinterest.

WEEKLY IDEAS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

HOW TO CREATE A SPRING CONSOLE TABLE

February 23, 2021

Sharing a spring console table for this month’s Pinterest Challenge

It’s crazy to think we are heading into spring when most of the Denver-metro area has yet to have a winter. But with the days getting longer it’s hard to ignore spring is just around the corner.

I am joining Cindy at County Road 407 and a bunch of fabulous, supportive bloggers for this month’s Pinterest Challenge. If you are joining me fro >>> welcome to Everyday Edits. If you are stopping by from Niky’s blog, welcome.

This month’s console/sofa table inspiration is from Marie and her blog, Sincerely Marie Designs.

Can we just pause to take in this room and that fireplace? What is not to love about Marie’s sofa table.?

Marie used some everyday elements for her spring console table.

wood console table
greenery
plates
books
mister (who doesn’t love a water feature)?

On a side note, I love her furnishings in the room.

SPRING SOFA TABLE

Honestly, I thought this was going to be an easy challenge. I had a console/sofa table and plenty of accessories. I even had a pastel mister from the dollar-ish section at Target.

And, then …

I got stuck with height and scale. My books were not as large as I wanted them to be (they are on my garage sale search list). I am taking suggestions on where to find oversized decor books for cheap.

I used the books from this repurposed idea using packing material.

My table has a metal surface so to tone down the shiny reflective finish I added a grapevine ball and a chalkboard sign you can find on this daily deal decor shop.

I swapped out plants and moved the lamp from the left to the right.

This was a great challenge to get us in the mood for spring decor.

In full disclosure, the couches and the sofa table are the only pieces in our family room as we prep to refinish our floors.

A Reclaimed Wood Buffet for the Dining Room

September 8, 2020

I found a reclaimed wood buffet for my dining room. It’s true, sometimes non-essential dreams do come true. And, this wood buffet was not found online or in the dining room window display.

You will never guess where I found my future dining room buffet.

I found my wood buffet next to the bathroom at Pottery Barn. It was in a hallway leading to the women’s bathroom. Big surprise!

There was a hold tag on it for another customer.

So I ripped it off and marched up to the checkout counter.

Gotcha!

Just kidding!

But I ~~may have~~ thought about it. What? It was made of reclaimed wood. It was the perfect match for this dining room table.#ad

But, the story did not end in the Pottery Barn bathroom hallway.

I went home and checked out the details (price) and dimensions. And that’s when, in the final hours of a Sunday evening, in the top right-hand corner of my screen was a 24-hour flash sale with the following announcement in all caps.

**FREE SHIPPING.** It was a free-shipping miracle sent by a little angel.

But with tuition, mortgage payments and the neverending cash flow demands of my husband’s data analytics company, the online shopping cart usually sents empty or the catalog gets recycled.

Reclaimed Wood Buffet

I think this is where the term angel investors originated. #wink, #snarky.

Once the hutch was in my shopping cart I got my sign from the angel investors; the Bowery reclaimed storage hutch was back-ordered.

Backordered status translates to no credit card charge until the hutch ships from Chicago.

I had time to pay it off before it shipped.

I now refer to this as mom’s angel investor club (entirely different meaning in my husband’s vernacular).

So the best part of this new dining room hutch was that it fit perfectly in my little dining room niche AND it was paid in full before it shipped.

The dining room hutch was made from reclaimed wood with rough edges and dark brass hardware. It matched the industrial vibe and this dining room table.

What do you have your eye on that you might find in a store’s hallway?

“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

POTTERY BARN KITCHEN TABLE KNOCKOFF

August 3, 2020

I was ready to sell my kitchen table when I saw this Pottery Barn kitchen table on their website. I looked at this table online and looked over my shoulder to my World Market clearance kitchen table. It was an instant love connection and inspiration for my Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff.

My veneer-ish, shiny black table was screaming to get a makeover.

I painted my round table with this Benjamin Moore color. It is Mascarpone and it is my favorite creamy white. I use it in most of the accessories in my home.

The hardest part about this creamy white is spelling it correctly.

And, this Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff is one of my favorites! My kitchen table went from a shiny, veneer-ish finish to a creamy color to brighten the space.

kitchen-table-pottery-barn-knockoff-feature

Taking inspiration from the Pottery Barn table, I added four navy kitchen chairs. The chairs were cheap but functional.

I am looking for a long term relationship with my kitchen chairs. Any suggestions?

Next up I purchased a round sisal rug on sale at Pottery Barn. I had plans to add a rug but waited for Elliott to finish the puppy chewing phase.

Painting the table instantly brightened the dining area. The navy curtains no longer had to fight with the black table. And, the chairs had an instant connection to the window treatments too.

More recently, I added the light fixture above the table. The light fixture updated the space and made it feel lighter and open.

I shared these tips when shopping for light fixtures.

Do you have a fun Pottery Barn knockoff? Here a few favorite Pottery Barn related posts. Pottery Barn Knockoff Chaise and Where I find decor ideas.

How to Find Decor Inspiration from Pottery Barn

January 16, 2020

In the first ten days of the new year, after the Christmas gear was packed away I was in need of a little decor inspiration. I searched Pinterest boards and scrolled Instagram. Nothing! It turns out my inspiration was on the coffee table. It was hiding among the Christmas cards and gift receipts. I found my decor inspiration in a Pottery Barn catalog.

And, the best part? Decor inspiration is free.

Pottery Barn Decor Inspiration

If you are looking to tweak your family room, but not twirk your budget take a look at what I found. Pottery Barn did the heavy lifting; I was just the courier service.

Pottery Barn Decor Inspiration

In one image, Pottery Barn captured multiple interior design ideas.

This next image is filled with inspiration. I love the hutch, but my attention was drawn to the wall color behind the hutch.

Pottery Barn loves for us to linger over the catalog and online pages; they know we might splurge on something as simple as these candlesticks.

Pottery Barn Decor Inspiration

This next image is similar to my family room circa five years ago. My family room includes a large wall adjacent to a wall of windows. I love the arched floor light. And, that olive tree.

Maybe I will rearrange the furniture and wait for a weekend sale. Pottery Barn is happy to help with my decor inspiration.

Again, that olive tree in front of those windows. And, that framed print caught my eye. Maybe I could sketch a few leaves?

Do those pillows look like the ones in Grace & Frankie’s house?

Velvet would be a nice touch to my living room. And, those stems would add much-needed height to my 2 story living room & family room wall.

Do you like the stacked books on the floor?

Again, in one image, Pottery Barn shows us how to position a club chair in front of a bookcase.

I love the dark and stormy paint color in the image below. And, the simplicity of the white tulips and vases against the wall color. The geometric rug is a fun twist to the traditional space.

Pottery Barn shows us how to add glass tables to balance the weight of a leather couch. And, a plant is all that was needed to add a pop of color. It softens the space without breaking the budget.

Pottery Barn Glass Tables

Santa found a little inspiration from Pottery Barn too. He brought our family the tabletop Scrabble game for Christmas. The wood-framed classic game includes a convenient drawer to store the wood letters and a tabletop spinner on the bottom.

This might be my favorite look to copy in my dining room. I love the plates and the greenery in the table setting. And, there are those dark walls again. And, if your new year plans include a bar cart to corral the drinks, check out these finds.

Thank you Pottery Barn for the decor inspiration. It is just what I needed in January. And, the fun part of this inspiration is to take a few elements from these images and creatively source and search.

And, you might find that you have everything you need for a decor boost.

Pottery Barn Bar Carts for the Home

October 4, 2019

When the season rolls into fall in Colorado, we roll our bar carts indoors. My mom’s version of a bar cart was an aluminum, folding television tray. I have no idea how it stayed steady on 1 1/2″ shag carpet. With bar carts on the brain, I have my eye on a few Pottery Barn bar carts for the home and patio.

In full disclosure, I intended to share a variety bar carts from different sites, but I could not move my mouse away from Pottery Barn.

It turns out, Pottery Barn has a nice selection (and price points) so today is all about the Pottery Barn bar carts for the home and patio.

Let me know which ones caught your eye. I’ll share my favorite bar cart at the bottom of the post.

No affiliate links, just a good old fashioned helpful links for bar carts.

Pottery Barn Bar Carts

The Tristan Metal Bar Cart has come along way from my parent’s aluminum trays.

Source: Pottery Barn

I love the shape of the Hugo metal bar cart. It is priced at just under $500.

Here is a similar bar cart in a different finish; my mom might light one too for an update look from her t.v. dinner trays.

Source: Pottery Barn

Moving on to this budget friendly cart. The galvanized finish gives it a more casual look. And, the price will not disrupt a monthly budget.

Pottery-Barn- Bar-Carts-for-the-Home-patio

Source: Pottery Barn

My only issue with this mobile bar cart is with our two Berner Mountain dogs. In general, Berners require a generous turning radius to navigate tight corners and this bar cart might take a spin on those wheels.

Source: Pottery Barn

Here is the Abrego all-weather wicker cart. This one is ~~$699~~ $639 which sounds like a typo. I think I could rig up some wheels on an oversized basket and call it an all weather-wicker bar cart. What do you think?

Source
Finally, this Abbey Oval Bar Cart is a little fancier than my tastes, but it would be darling in so many homes. Again, our Bernese Mountain puppy rescue, Elliott, could upend this cart with a slippery paw.

Source: Pottery Barn

Do you have a favorite Pottery Barn bar cart? Or, did you find one you love somewhere else? I would love to know other places to source bar carts! I will be back to share more affordable options for tiny spaces and budgets.

This time of year coincides with the holidays which means holiday and cocktail parties. And, the perfect reason to invest in a multi-purpose cart!

The Painted Hutch

September 30, 2019

If you have been a follower of Everyday Edits you know I am passionate about my furniture. I got a lot of love when I published the story behind our dining room table. And, this is hands down our most popular piece of furniture. But, today is about the painted hutch in our living room. T

he painted hutch is a story about redemption and finding one’s place in a space. It was a lesson in patience and process.

THE PAINTED HUTCH

Yes, I am talking about the painted hutch that found its way in a brownstone-ish home in the suburbs of Denver.

What did you think I was talking about?

Today is about the ongoing transformation of the painted hutch in our living room. There is a collective eye roll from my family right about now. Honestly, I do not think anyone in my family noticed the living room hutch had gone from the original finish (black), to a creamy white and settled on a half creamy white and Kendall Charcoal gray combo.

I loved the Kendall Charcoal grey on the exterior and kept the inside a creamy white. But when it came to the fun part of staging the hutch, the accessories got lost.

I don’t have the photo of the combo paint job because that was when my Nikon had a complete camera breakdown. But the light gray walls and the white interior gives you an idea at the bland hutch.

So with a 1/2 gallon of paint in the hall closet and a new camera on order, I finished my vision for the painted hutch 3.0. In about an hour I painted the glass shelves and the interior of the hutch to match the Kendall Charcoal on the exterior. I grabbed a stack of white dishes to give me an idea of the potential in my newly painted hutch.

It was love a first stack.

Here is a quick look at the before an after:

I love this color! I painted my front door the same color too. It gives the hutch warmth against the expansive wall behind it.

THE PAINTED HUTCH WITH KENDALL CHARCOAL

Dining Room Table is Our Giving Tree

September 5, 2019

Do you know the book, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein? The classic children’s book was described as one of the “most divisive books in children’s literature.” I sided with the tree. You? And, I bet our dining room table wood too. Did you see what I just did? Our dining room table is our giving tree.

Here is her story.

We found our dining room table at a furniture store in Denver. We purchased it when we moved from Westerville, Ohio to Colorado. My traditional, cherry stain furniture did not work in our brownstone in the suburbs home.

My husband and I equally loved this dining room table and like proud parents we were happy to show it off to friends and family.

Like most dining rooms, however, the dining room table was located in the most unpopular room in the house. But over the years, our dining room table carries the load for our family.

Our dining room table turned into the catchall for tennis racquets, shopping bags, sweaty uniforms, and mail. It was our giving table.

Dining Room Table

During the holidays, we cleared the table’s clutter and dust and topped it off with a layer of furniture oil. Seasonal tablescapes were created over her rough edges. Friends shared their interest in our table if we decided to sell our possessions and move into

… a tiny house.

But, it turns out there is a twist in The Giving Tree analogy. Maybe, we gave a little bit of love back to the dining room table.

Let me explain.

During our first Thanksgiving, with a dozen relatives squeezed around our table, we discovered that the rough edges and bumps on the surface were a bit of a challenge for the dining experience.

It turns out the glasses wobbled.. like Weebles.

My husband panicked and had plans to order a glass table top. Over my grey roots (see what I did there)? On that Thanksgiving night, I fell more in love with our table; it wasn’t perfect. The design to create a table for a Colorado home, it turned out, could not keep a wine glass level. The glasses wobbled. Kind of like grandma after her second glass of Chardonnay. Grandma blamed the table.

Maybe it was the table. Our table.

My husband suggested a glass top for the table. I suggested bubble wrap placemats. It turned out, the table’s imperfections became the best conversation starters with a table full of guests (and drinking glasses). And, just like the book, our dining room table gave us a little bit more.

HOW TO MAKE A LIVE EDGE COFFEE TABLE

June 26, 2019

When I saw the price of a live edge coffee table in a high-end furniture store I knew I would have to win the lottery. And then I realized I won the lottery years ago when my husband showed me his DIY skills. It is the foundation of our shared passion for saving money and taking our builder-grade brownstone in the suburbs home into something on the Upper West side (of our neighborhood).

HOW TO MAKE A LIVE EDGE COFFEE TABLE

For a few hundred dollars (yes hundred-not thousands).

Do you want in on a little secret about how to make a live edge coffee table? It looks incredibly fancy and expensive, but it was so easy to make it almost feels like I cheated.

Seriously, this finished live edge coffee table rivals many high-end furniture stores’ live or raw edge side and coffee tables. And the best part? The only power-tool needed to make this live edge coffee table was a drill to attach the metal legs. Seriously!

My inspiration for this live edge coffee table came from the Arhaus catalog. I shared how I use catalogs for inspiration here.

LIVE EDGE TABLE DETAILS

Start with a Google search for “live edge slabs” in your area. We found our Russian Olive “species” at a Denver store appropriately named Denver’s Wood Slabs.
We visited the wood slab warehouse to find a slab that worked best for the dimensions we wanted for our coffee table.
Tip: Before purchasing make sure to map out the dimensions in the room. We went a little too big with our slab.
In the warehouse, each slab included details on species and where the tree was located. Most of the Denver slabs are from parks and city streets. The Russian Olive slab we chose was salvaged from a Denver park.
The Russian Olive wood slab was salvaged from a Denver park. We provided the staff with the approximate dimensions for the coffee table. We arranged to pick up the wood slab after it was cut, planed, and sanded on both sides.

And, that is the best part. For the cost of the slab, the company did all of the work on the front end for us. And, we did not pay the price of a semester’s meal plan to pay for this live edge table.

The table looked beautiful when we picked it up.

Tip: These finished slabs are very heavy. Plan accordingly for transport.

The hardest part of this project was transferring the slab from the back of our car to the table saw stands in our garage.

The second hardest part was we only had one shot at getting the stain right! #wink

STAIN DETAILS

This was the hardest step for me because I tend to rush through the staining step to get to the finished project.

Do we really need five coats of stain?

Apparently, we do need five coats of stain.

Tip: Do not rush through this process.

I used my go-to stain for this coffee table. Jacobean is my favorite because it brings out the grain and adds a rich finish to the barn doors and mantel in our basement. I even used this stain on my tiniest stain project.

Together, over the course of several nights, we applied five coats of stain. In between each layer of stain, we completed a light sanding and patiently waited 24 hours to apply the next coat of stain.

FINAL STEPS

Finally, I finished the coffee table with two coats of a water-based clear coat. Between application and dry time, it took almost a full week to stain and seal the table.

I ordered the table’s legs from an Etsy shop based in Utah.

As promised, the only power tool needed for this coffee table was a power drill to attach the legs! I do recommend pre-drilling the holes.

Line up the table’s legs based on the dimensions of the table.

We love the finished look of our live edge coffee table! Now, I think I need an end table to match!

Our Russian Olive, live edge coffee table is a little piece of Colorado history in our living room, family room and basement. We love it so much it is in a rotation throughout the house.

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Living Room Chaise With a View

June 24, 2019

The unwritten rule is whoever lands on the chaise first, gets the chaise!

It reminds me of when my four siblings and I called shotgun as we ran down the stairs to fight for the front passenger seat in Mom’s Suburban.

We found our chaise at Crate & Barrel. You can find the dimensions and details here. We passed right by this chaise when we did an initial loop around the showroom floor.

We wanted a couch or club chairs to fit the awkward, rounded wall and tiny nook in the living room. The living room is complicated.

Living Room Chaise

Never underestimate the power of pillows

And, the best part of this purchase was it took place during Crate & Barrel’s annual Labor Day sale.

The chaise is comfortable, stylish, flexible and the perfect spot to catch a nap or sneak in a chapter in my latest pick from this site.

living room chaise for the win

And, with these views, the chaise is the perfect spot to watch the weather roll in over the mountains.

How to Make a Faux Fur Side Table

May 23, 2019

A faux fur rug is needed for this side table. If you purchase a rug in the links below I will earn a very small commission.

This faux fur side table is the one girly piece of furniture in my house! Every time I pass it it makes me smile because it is unexpected in a house filled with couches and dark wood furniture. Faux fur is a fun fabric to work with year-round. It adds a touch of whimsy to space. And I had the vision to create something with this fun, fluffy fur element. After a few unsuccessful faux fur accessories, I settled on this table to make a faux fur side table.

How to Make a Faux Fur Side Table

It took me a year to create a seven-minute faux fur side table. I blame it on our 90+ pound, Bernese Mountain dog, Chloe.

I know, I know.. those big brown eyes. How could anyone blame her for anything, right?

Chloe is a curvy, four-legged girl who sheds when the wind blows. I was reluctant to bring in a fur accessory for fear the side table would either shed or be a magnet for dog hair and dust.

But, when I found this side table at Homegoods for next to nothing and a flokati rug for $16.00 at Marshall’s, I knew this was an opportunity to go for my vision of a faux fur table. I found this faux rug on Overstock too. And Amazon has an inexpensive rug that would be perfect for faux fur crafts.

I rationalized the decision with the face we already have a house full of fur, so what is a little more.

And, a fluffy side table would soften and girly up any space.

Faux Fur Side Table

Steps

Remove the table’s wood top with a drill or screwdriver.

2. Make a template of the circumference of the table’s top. I added 3″ to the template to staple the rug to the tabletop.

3. A staple gun was all I needed to attach the rug to the tabletop. I stapled opposite ends of the table and then stapled the remaining edges.

My goal was to have a large enough remnant to create something else that was faux fabulous.

It took minutes to complete this side table. The only issue I ran into was I needed longer screws to reattach the faux fur top to the metal frame.

The rug’s backing was thicker than I anticipated, but it was an easy fix.

I love this faux fur side table so much!

It adds a sense of whimsy to both the living and/or dining room. The table is lightweight so it can easily be pulled into any room.

I found this rug to try a new accessory to glam; like maybe a bench.

Now I am thinking about what to do with the rest of the faux fur rug.

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Looking for other everyday edits to your home? Here are some popular projects:

How to Create Mercury Glass Accessories here.

How to Make Cement Stepping Stones post.

How to Make Orbs with Embroidery Hoops here.

Garage Sale Wreath Makeover here.

POTTERY BARN CHAISE KNOCKOFF IN MINUTES

April 11, 2019

Sharing one of my favorite Pottery Barn knockoffs for our patio. Every spring when the Pottery Barn catalog arrives I scan each and every page. I fold corners, snap photos and/or tear my favorite pages from the 120 pages of swoon-worthy furniture and accessories. But when I saw the Pottery Barn double chaise it was love (and inspiration) at first sight. And, thoughts of a knockoff chaise were circling in my thoughts.

Never mind, I don’t have a pool in my backyard. And, I have dogs that will use my knockoff chaise more than any family member.

Pottery Barn Knockoff Chaise

We purchased two chaises from Costco a few years ago and while rearranging the furniture on our patio I just smooshed these two chaises together and all of a sudden I was channeling Pottery Barn on the patio!

And, the best part of this Pottery Barn knockoff is the cost is way less and pushing to chaises together means I still have the flexibility to separate them. Or, in our case, I moved them to the front deck where our Berner enjoyed the knockoff chaise.

The lesson? Never overthink a solution. I moved the chaise from the front deck to the back porch and back again. Flexibility is the key to any knockoff.

Looking for one more Pottery Barn knockoff? Check out my kitchen table!