5.29.2012

Family Room: Putting my feet up in comfort

Hope everyone had a great long weekend.  We spent part of it in upstate New York with my family for my sister-in-law's baby shower.  So excited to meet that little guy or girl - they aren't finding out the sex which I love! We didn't find out for either of our children and although the suspense nearly killed me (especially the second time around), it made the delivery that much more fun and exciting.  Back to the blog...

When we got our new sectional a few months ago, it quickly became apparent that our coffee table was not going to cut it any more. It was a hand-me-down from my parents who bought it at Macy's circa 1973 soon after they were married.  I really wanted an ottoman here instead to make movie and TV watching more comfortable and enjoyable.  We also don't need a coffee table here because we have one in our living room which is great for games, puzzles, etc.  


So, I set about looking for an ottoman. I was looking for something between 30 and 34" square. This gave us a little more floor space but gave everyone sitting on the sectional a place to rest their feet.  I was open to fabric and leather, but did not want pleather or vinyl. Turns out - this was no easy feat!  Most ottomans were small - around 24" or huge McMansion ottomans - closer to 40" squire, or made of vinyl/pleather.  Not going to work for our small family room.  You can see some of my finds on my Pinterest board.

Then I considered making an ottoman.  In theory, it probably would have worked but I think ultimately, I would have ended up buying something after a few years. I feared it would look homemade which I most certainly did not want in my family room where we spend all of our time.  

I scoured HomeGoods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx, Target, World Market, Macys, JC Penney, Kohls, etc., but none of my discount sources were revealing anything great. I found a few good options on One Kings Lane and Joss & Main but nothing perfect enough to take the plunge on something non-returnable!

Finally, it came along on Gilt in a Safaviah sale earlier this month.  Clean lines, not too much tufting to interfere with magnatiles or other toys which make it onto this surface.  And the $239.00 price tag didn't hurt either. It's just about 30" square and the fabric is called gray but it has tan undertones which work well with the rug, curtains, and other golds and greens in the room.  



Fortunately the 3 week delivery window turned out to be only about 4 days!  I couldn't believe it when I came home and found it on my front porch on a Thursday afternoon.  When we first put it together, right before Alex's birthday party, I have to admit, I thought it was way too small.  In hindsight, I think it was just an adjustment from the too-big coffee table which was wider and taller. The ottoman actually fits the scale of the room and sofa better than the table did.


I love the tweed-like texture which plays off the sofa and other fabrics in the room.  I put together a little summer centerpiece while I was at it.  All the better for blogging from!

Any furniture purchases in your neck of the woods?  Fun Memorial Day weekend stuff?  Did you watch the Hatfields and McCoys on the History Channel?