The Coffee Table

Before the boys were born, we had a glass-top coffee table in our living room.  It was passed down from my parents and was fairly old, and once James started crawling, we moved it into the guest room to avoid any possible bumps or bruises.  Once we knew Rhys was on his way, we sold the table to prepare for his arrival.  Thus, we’ve been without a coffee table for over four years now.

That’s not a bad thing with small children, since the extra floor space gives them plenty of room to play.  We also have a small table and two chairs, which are ideal for afternoon snacks, but not much else.  I’ve missed having a coffee table, and now that the boys are older, they could use a little space to chuff their trains and color their pictures without having to lie on the floor or sit at the kitchen table.

(West Elm’s Carved Wood Coffee Table.)

I’ve had my eye on this Carved Wood Coffee Table from West Elm for a while, and I think it would work perfectly in our eclectic living room.  But, as Ryan pointed out, those holes in the sides are perfect for inserting food and other small items, and it would be a chore to clean.  Plus, it is fairly small and low to the ground, so I can easily envision lots of elbowing and screaming as the boys attempt to share the small space.  For now, it’s a pipe dream, but maybe one day I’ll treat myself to that gorgeous little table.

(The Everlasting Play Table from The Land of Nod.)

A second option is the incredible Everlasting Play Table from The Land of Nod (don’t you love their creative names?), which comes with three sets of removable legs (stored under the table!) to change the height as your children grow.  This idea is pure genius, I think, and I really love the grey color shown here.  But, at $400, I’m fairly certain I’d have a hard time accepting the inevitable bumps and scratches that go along with two little boys; so for us, it doesn’t seem like the best investment piece at the moment.

I browsed the table selection at IKEA, and as usual, felt a little disappointed, so that left Craiglist.  My goal was to find a table that I liked well enough that also met the boys’ needs.  It had to be big enough for James and Rhys to use together.  And while a few scratches and dings were allowed, and even encouraged so I don’t get too worked up about more inevitable damage, I didn’t want it to look like a hunk of junk.

(Both boys claimed the table for themselves right away.)

Monday night, I found this sweet table, and it will fit the bill quite nicely, for now.  I love its shabby-vintage style, and it fits right in with my eclectic cottage decor.  Plus, those pink knobs from Anthropologie had me from the very first sight.  Aren’t they sweet?

And maybe one day, once the boys are older and can work in their bedrooms, quietly doing their homework (a mom can dream, right?), then I’ll go ahead and splurge on that West Elm table.  Of course, by then, there will be a new design to capture my fancy.