Coffee Talk

I dragged Steve out with me on Saturday to visit some of my favorite flea markets. I was supposed to go with Valerie, but she promised her husband Kevin a trip to the lawn and garden show so we postponed our normal shopping day for Sunday.  I couldn’t wait so Steve “volunteered” to go out with me for a short trip. Our first stop, Charley’s Place, is a good one but they’ve been a bit, well, lacking in their selection as of late. Still, we found what we thought would be a cool coffee table. We weren’t actually looking for a table, we were there for a chair, but when you’re flea marketing you learn to go with the flow. The table is Danish Modern style, which we adore, but I’ve been leaning towards the mod 70s styles and wasn’t sure it would fit into the future decor of the house. Steve loved it and, at $30, declared it a bargain, no-brainer buy. We walked around discussing it and decided to wait. I wanted to look at the table/bench we were using at home before making the final decision. Last year I turned down a gorgeous Lane coffee table at a bargain price because it was too much like what we already had. I regret that decision!

Once we got home and looked at our current table again, we decided that maybe the one we saw would work. We both liked the clean, simple design and the marble top added a 70s flair to the mix. Although I’d dreamed of a chrome and smoke glass table I knew it would probably be too cold looking. I like mixing the warmth of the wood with modern pieces. Still, I hesitated because I didn’t know what I’d do with the bench we had been using and I didn’t want to get rid of it. I had moved it in front of the large picture window thinking the cats would love it for a perch but wasn’t sure if it crowded the room too much. I decided it was time to call a professional – Valerie.

Valerie arrived here Sunday afternoon and immediately took charge of the situation which is what I was hoping she’d do. She liked the bench in front of the window but thought it needed to look like a more deliberate spot. She took the black cushions from the ledge and placed them on the bench then added a stack of books. Immediately, it looked better. Then she pointed out that my furniture was spread too far apart and the space needed to be tightened up so it looked more cozy. Here I was worried about crowding but she said the room had enough space to avoid that. Things were looking better but she said they weren’t quite there yet. Keep in mind, she hadn’t seen the coffee table at this point. She was just changing what I had. Looking around, she determined that I needed to switch my area rugs. The lighter one with the circles needed to go in the bar area and the darker one with the squares needed to go in the living room. That was the way I’d planned them when we moved in, but the movers placed them in the opposite areas so I put them there. We moved the rugs and immediately the room took on a new look. Time was running out for us to get our maximum time in at the flea markets so we left to take a look at the coffee table. Here’s what the new window area looks like:

Valerie was a little unsure about the coffee table once we got to Charley’s Place and I wasn’t feeling it either. I wasn’t sure if the style was right for the house. We looked around and left to check out another place and discuss it further. About an hour later I’d talked myself back into it and we both decided that it was a good buy and would probably work. Worst case scenario, I’d sell it on Craig’s list for the same $30 if it didn’t work. Once we got back here, Valerie sprang into action once again. I’d found my grapes (yay!) which were actually the second set I’d bought this month (Valerie found me another set) and knew I wanted those on the table. The amber/orange looked great against the tan of the marble. We worked with a variety of plants and knick-knacks until we had the right combination. I love it.

Next, she put the final touches on the ledge where the black cushions once were and the room was done. Gorgeous! Valerie is a master at visualizing a room and putting everything together. I’m just glad she doesn’t charge me for her time and expertise!