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[Oznell]

Time for more coffee table "looks",  of which I never tire.  Especially now that it's spring.  How often does yours change?  Mine does at least seasonally, but usually more often.  It's a revolving little gallery that gives me a lot of pleasure to periodically disarrange...

I like having practical things, like coasters and books, but who can resist some of the eye candy elements that make life worthwhile?

Having at least one thing that's alive, like a plant or flowers, or organic, like coral, or a bowl of fruit or nuts, is always a plus...

Books at hand are always welcome companions on a coffee table.  But I'd be immediately drawn to this little brass elephant too.

Same thing with this little Scottie dog.  And I like that mirrored box for hiding utilitarian stuff.

This is fall not spring, but pretty.

And a turtle.  I noticed that the tables with little animals on them, regardless of other elements, tended to catch my eye...

Breaking the rule of no tall, obstructing elements.  But to me, the drama of this is what makes it.

Quiet, but creates interest with the crunchy texture of the baskets, the mystique of old pewter, the scholarship of a magnifying glass on books...

Sweet! 

Whoa, talk about drama.  Normally I love to mix up the materials on a table-- metal, glass, ceramic, wood.  BUT, this is so shimmery and beautiful.  Love the wit of having the equally shimmery gilt framed portrait behind!

Do you like strictly practical items, or do you see your coffee table as a place for expression?  What is your absolute must-have?

[Oznell]

If any of you who've come across coffee 'tablescapes' you've liked, and would care to post those, what fun.  Love to see what other people like...

[Imaoldhippie]

LOL, I had to laugh I like the looks and started out with a decorated coffee table.  But they all seemed to mostly have the decor removed so we could have room for our feet.  

[godi]

They are beautifully decorated but it too much for me. You can't live with all that on the table. Where do you put a coaster and a glass? A bowl of popcorn isn't fitting or my slippered feet. A little less for me. 

[Oznell]

Ha, ha, I should have known that classic movie buffs like you two (and me) insist on having space to put up our feet!  And have room for popcorn to boot...

My coffee table is rectangular.  My solution is to have a big old mahogany-stained wood tray, that is also a chess board, that I put everything on.  It's in the center.

So when we sit on the floor wanting to play Trivial Pursuit on the table, I lift the whole tray off (it has all my little decorative gimcracks and gewgaws, candlesticks etc. on it) and the table's all clear.

Luckily, when it is on the table, there's ample space on either side for some serious feet-putting-up-time....

Edited to put @Imaoldhippie and @godi 's names, which I forgot to insert at first!

[wilma]

When I was little we had a coffee table in the living room. It had flowers, magazines, & knickknacks on it. Somehow we never seemed to run into it or disrupt it as kids. 

Fast forward to my nieces & nephews. Oh, my! Between broken items and running into the corners of the table, my mom finally removed that table. 

I had a coffee table with stuff on it in both my apartments. Loved the look. When I got married we had coffee tables in the living room, sunroom, and family room basement. 

When we adopted our first dog, the coffee tables had to go. I tried to keep them up, but it was just too dangerous since we allowed the dog to jump up on the covered sofas behind the tables. My DH still has a coffee in the basement with his home theater. The only thing on it is coasters, remotes for his TV & other devices, and a box of tissues. Not very exciting. LOL.

[faeriemoon]

Love these.  I'm guilty of being a book stacker too.

The only one I'm not whacky about is the first one.

[insomniac2]

I don't believe in coffee tables.

[stevieb]

I do and always have periodically changed my table scapes... I also occasionally change out the entire table... For many years now, I've been using a glass top coffee table, as my 'real' coffee table is serving as a TV table... The glass top table is pretty but requires too much cleaning, so I keep threatening to change it out for something else... Maybe I'll get around to that one of these days...

[RetRN]

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@insomniac2 wrote:

I don't believe in coffee tables.

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Well okay then. No need to reply to the post then.