Three tier refinished wood side table

October 04, 2012

ash tree cuttings

We’ve reworked our family room so that the layout is  SO MUCH better than it used to be. But it was lacking something…and that something was a side table.

I have discovered over time that I NEED a place to put my drinks, my snacks, my magazines. My tissues. :) Why yes, I am 95 years old.

We have the little candlestick table next to the chair:

DIY pottery barn wood art

But it is teeny. And I wanted something next to the sofa. We do have a coffee table and a sofa table and now that I’m talking about all these tables it sounds like we would have plenty but (breathe)…no. There’s something about a spot right next to where you’re sitting, right?

I wasn’t sure I could make it work though, so I didn’t actively look for anything. And then one day a couple weeks ago, when I was moving some furniture around upstairs, I realized I no longer had a spot for one of my VERY favorite pieces in the house.

Years ago this table sat in the living room, and until recently it was up in the loft:

I found it years ago at Goodwill, and it was an awful, horrible, no good green color. Some of the trim around the top was coming off too. I bought it hoping to restore it, but it was an overwhelming task. Then my Dad offered to refinish it for me and he did a beautiful job!

It is just gorgeous and as I said, one of my favorite pieces in our house. And it just wasn’t right that it was upstairs and not being used. So I brought it downstairs and tried it next to the family room sectional.

I thought it may be too big, but it worked perfectly!:

accessorizing end table

I did it late at night and it’s just silly how giddy I was as I shopped the house to find a lamp to put on it. I turned it on and loved how cozy that spot felt! I’ve always had a Goodwill floor lamp there, but this felt so much warmer to me.

Isn’t it funny how moving one little thing around can make a room feel so different? I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I love when that happens! When I walk in there now, my eye goes right to it. It’s just perfect.

And of course, an extra little spot to accessorize doesn’t hurt. :) I grabbed a vase and cut some of branches off of our ash tree. They are just gorgeous in the fall:

tree cuttings in the house

velvet pumpkin 

The candle was from Bath and Body Works last year (it’s not about to catch the leaves on fire, it just looks like it), and a cute little velvet pumpkin I found at HomeGoods a few weeks ago. (Five bucks! I loved it so much I grabbed two!)

I adore how warm and cozy this space is now. And of course, I found a spot for the tissues. And of course, they had to be cute:

accessorizing end table

I’m a total and complete sucker this time of year. Any item that comes out with a fall or Halloween theme…I am so. there. Same with Christmas. I’m helpless, I can’t fight it.

Instead of trying to accessorize the shelves just so, I decided they would be the perfect spot for some of the Bub’s favorite games. He’s SO into games all the sudden, just over the past couple of months. I love having them accessible where we spend so much time.

The games stacked up aren’t necessarily magazine-worthy, but they are what makes it feel like our home. :)

But really, the Kleenex. Easy access may be the most important thing:

antique wood end table

;)

I think the best part may be that all of it was FREE. I used what I had around the house and I love that. It just goes to show it never hurts to try moving things around – I never would have thought the table would work in that spot!

Does one little change make a space feel brand new to you too? Do you move furniture around often? We don’t just because of the way our house is set up – the way it is is the way it stays, for the most part. So this was especially fun for me. :)

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Comments

  1. The table is adorbs, even with all the games on it! But what I really love is the big round basket on the floor next to it. What do you store in that?

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  2. I LOVE the velvet pumpkin! I'm headed to Home Goods tonight to see if I can find one!!

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  3. it's a perfect size table and totally cute. love the kleenex box!

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  4. I love your giant wicker "pouf" and to think you simply shopped your house to come up with this corner! And yes it is so fun to shop your own house and make use of what you already have. (or make it over into something you love!) This corner now looks warm and inviting! The tissue box is adorable! Now I'm going to have to be on the lookout for them. I love owls and our middle son would love it in his room (he LOVES owls!)

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  5. Function vs. Beautifully Decorated: It is a tie in your new addition. I always find that decorating and keeping function in mind is the biggest challenege. For my family the home has to function. If I want a place for tissues, there has to be one. You made it look wonderful. I love late night shopping in my home.

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  6. "The way it is is the way it stays." Yep, that's me. If I get something just where it works and I like it, I tend to stick with it. Not sure if I'm boring or practical. Or maybe both!

    By the way, is your sectional by Arhaus? Are you happy with it?

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  7. love the kleenex box. I haven't seen anything near as cute around here-I think someone should have a little chat with those kleenex companies and explain that for the most part, their boxes are ugly. I'm going to have to go out and look for one like yours-there is hope in the kleenex world, after all =)

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  8. Cute fall items, lookin' great!


    Brooke


    =)

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  9. With the cute box of tissues you really don't need any other fall item in the room. LOL They speak wonderfully of the season at hand.. Just LOVE that owl on the box.

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  10. So with ya! The Kleenex box has to be ca-ute! And, oh by the way, thanks for making me want an ash tree! I'm sure the husband will be all over planting a tree for me! ;o) Seriously, looks great, and like you said, free. Love the color of that pumpkin, too.

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  11. The little table is cute, fo sho. You have me thinking about making a similar place in my home...

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  12. It looks great! And I love this velvet pumpkin! So cute!!

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  13. As one who often plans dinner around the sour cream, I completely understand planning a room around the Kleenex. It looks great, and I think the stack of games IS magazine-worthy. Beautiful, relaxed, functional--what a warm and inviting spot.

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  14. I love shopping the house...finding a new way to use things is more exciting sometimes than getting something new...it looks lovely - will be heading out to find me an owl kleenex box real soon!

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  15. I absolutely loved your post today. I can so relate to having a small table near to where you sit and definitely has to be done beautifully. I would love for you to be a follower. My follow gadget is close to the end of my blog. Smiles, Jen

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  16. I not only move the furniture around my house, I also move accessories. I have to change things up all the time. Sometimes I just take all the stuff off the walls in every room at one time and move it all around for a different look. I really am compelled to do it. I get antsy thinking, "How would that look over there?" Fortunately, my hubby is the same way and my grown daughter now does it in her home, too.

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  17. I love playing musical furniture in my house! Everything looks so cozy!

    question -- what source do you use for the matchstick blinds? i had no idea it was so hard to find them in the sizes I need! or maybe our builder was cracked out when he built our house and just made up the sizes as he went along?!?!

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  18. My kindergartner is also super into games now, although she refuses to play junior monopoly anymore, now it's all about the "real one", which makes the math much harder:)

    Love the owl tissues, where are those from?

    Jessica

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  19. Looks great, such a cute table!! I love to move things around the house every couples months just to change it up. I always end up finding at least one thing that I love even more in its new spot! :)

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  20. I am ALWAYS moving furniture around....in fact it drives my family mad at times. =)

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  21. I am a firm believer in having easy access to a table no matter where I am sitting in my family room! The table is lovely and works great with your space.

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  22. Love the table! My husband says I play 'musical furniture' because I move stuff around so much! Like you, I know a little change can make a big difference! And I always remind him how I just got new decor inspiration for free..that usually quiets him right up! :)

    Barbara at Chase the Star

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  23. it's so cute i love the games - makes it look fun....we don't really change furniture around but i do have one spot that needs serious help
    i love the owl tissues...i cry everyday during katie and ellen
    hahaha

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  24. So pretty and cozy! I definitely agree that one little change can make a huge difference. I'm always changing the accessories around in my home. Since the furniture works best where it's at, I like to change all the little things. Recently I've been excited about the crate that I stacked on a small bench in my dining room. I accessorized with tall autumn branches in a vessel, a scarecrow, pumpkin, and a candle. Made a boring corner much warmer and cozier!

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  25. We're so lowbrow around here I make the kids run to the powder room for kleenex (aka toilet paper), ha ha. Maybe if I had a cute owl box...There's only so many places the furniture can go, but I love to move accessories around.

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  26. I am a big kid in the fall and Christmas seasons....so I understand !! Love love love the table and all your fall touches!!

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  27. Cute Table. I love shopping in my house!

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  28. I just moved furniture around in my office. I didn't spend a cent, but the difference is huge! My desk is now under the window, and I love the sun shining in and watching the birds at the feeders in the tree outside.

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  29. Pioneer Woman had the same velvet pumpkins on her blog the other day...for MUCHO DINERO. Really, it was a group of 8 for $275 or something cray cray.

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  30. Hmm, I smiled this dreamy little smile the whole time I read this post. I definitely know what you mean about changing a room around to make all the difference. My hubs and I did that a lot in our early broke years. We would just rearrange our apartment with hand-me-down furniture and accessories, and it wasn't grand, but it was thought about, lived in, and love because it was ours. This post made me remember those times and I thank you for that!!

    Love the velvet pumpkins too by the way. I adore them and wish I had the talent to make them! Thanks for sharing,
    Shirley

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  31. Seriously the cutest tissue box ever!

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  32. I love it, it is so wonderfully warm and cozy. My favorite part is the games, they show this is a home, not a showplace, a family lives here, and there is fun and joy in this room. That is what makes any room truly beautiful!

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  33. The changes that don't cost a thing and make a space feel like home are the best changes!! And three cheers for holiday theme everyday items. And Candy Land!

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  34. Great job! Love it all! So where did the super cute owl tissues come from? :)
    Dawn
    dccrader(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  35. Dawn, those tissues were from Target. :)

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  36. Looks so nice! I love the table; hurray for Dad.

    I just got that cute owl tissue box at Target a few weeks ago. :)

    Happy Fall.
    Chrissy

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  37. Love it! But I have to tell you...I found those little velvet pumpkins at Ross for only $2.99 each!! :) They only had a few, but two made it home with me. I love them!

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  38. Ofelia, from Mexico CityOctober 5, 2012 at 2:04 PM

    I love your fall decor, the bos under the TV is amazing, but I miss the mices...

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  39. Love the changes, and the benefits of collecting over all the years, means plenty to shop with, in your own home!

    I am going to make some changes now!!

    Also really love the table your dad re did for you!

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  40. Love your space. Shopping your home is such a good idea. Could you please tell me where you bought the wicker pouf? I have searched for quite a while for one just like that.Thanks.

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  41. I love love love your outdoor fireplace. I swoon ever since I first saw your post. wow....enjoyed your fall recap.
    beth@secondhandmom.com

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  42. Vikki - I saw a pouf similar to that at Target yesterday. It wasn't wicker, but some sort of heavy rope type something or other... It was $50 though.

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  43. Looks so adorable & very cozy! You are absolutely right, just changing or moving one thing from one spot to another can make such a huge difference. I'm always doing that. I even switch lampshades....lol!

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  44. Judy, that is a rattan poof thingy, and it doesn't open (wish it did!) I got it from Meijer last year I think?

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  45. Richella, we LOVE love LOVE the Arhaus sectional. Would do it again in a heartbeat. :)

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  46. Cassie, I have bought the bamboo blinds from Target, Lowes and Home Depot. Target and Lowe's don't carry the ones I like anymore, but I love HD's version -- it's a really tight weave so no sun or light gets through.

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You can find our paint colors and links to items at the "Our Home" tab at the top of my site.

THANKS so much for reading!