I was always a bit disappointed that we bought those things new and didn't find something second-hand. We knew we wanted a coffee table to go in front of our corner sofa but we needed something quite specific as our room starts off thinner at this end before getting a bit wider towards the patio doors and it needed to fit within the corner shape. We didn't' know what we wanted and we used my wicker picnic hamper as a temporary solution- one that lasted till yesterday! We definitely wanted one as I like to have something to dump stuff on! Honest, but true!
When we visited Ghent earlier on in the year, we loved the retro style and really wanted to find see if we could find a coffee table in Belgium as there are a lot of flea markets and opportunities to find something cool. Alas, we didn't find anything suitable in our price range and so we continued tableless.
On Sunday, our friends Lara and Tim came over for dinner and to play boardgames and they talked about how they had found really nice pieces at Battlesbridge Antiques centre which isn't SO far for us to get to. They mentioned someone who does reclaimed furniture and so yesterday, on our way back from a fruitless search for Farrow and Ball pigeon paint (CBC wants to paint the hall- I've given up fighting against it. It DOES look scuffed, but I think it's ok but I need to pick my battles and this is one to concede to), I suggested we drive to Battlesbridge as it isn't such a detour.
Surprisingly, we only saw about 4 coffee tables in total in the whole building, there was a distinct lack of them, but we found the perfect one!
Solid oak, it was the perfect size and it has a fold-open top as well so if we wanted to play board games (with Lara and Tim!) we can extend it. It was reduced by £100 from the original price-tag and the man knocked a further £15 off the price.
We brought it home and I suddenly thought that our grey sheepskin rug which has been sitting in a bag in the garage for 2 years, would go perfectly under it thus freeing up a bit more space in the garage which CBC has been moaning on and on and on and on and on at me about.
And Da naaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
Here it is in situ!
What do you think?
I've avoided all sales shopping (in fact all shopping full stop...except CBC has just bought us a new TV grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!) this holiday so it's nice that we have put the money into something that works so well, something that has already had a life, something made out of proper materials and something that is frankly, rather lovely!
What do you think?
xx
Well done on buying a second-hand table! It's hard to find a good one for playing games on.
ReplyDeleteAlthough L and I have had to buy a few things new, most of our furniture was either made locally or bought second-hand. It's amazing what you can find!
Gorgeous Kezzie and your sofa is really nice too - we've been looking for one for ages as well - ours is a small multi purpose room and finding the right corner sofa, maybe doulbling as a bed hasn't been easy - like yourself we're looking for good used stuff rathre than new and frankly not so lovely pieces. I'm getting very inspired by your eco friendly posts - keep it up and have a wonderful 2020.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, looks like a solid piece of furniture, a good height for your sofa too. Worth the wait I think.
ReplyDeleteOoh, it looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteHas it really been two years? Wow, that's gone fast!
I think it looks amazing. Such a pretty coffee table and the sheep skin rug looks so cozy. Your living room looks very chic. Two years already....Why does time fly!
ReplyDeleteOh Kezzie, it's lovely! Most definitely worth the wait. I love poking about in antique shops to see what I can find. I'm waiting to find a sideboard but I have specific dimensions so I'll have to hunt for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of new furniture and most of ours has been bought secondhand or given to us. We have a fabulous dining room table that used to belong to Andy's grandparents that extends enough to fit more people around than I feel comfortable cooking for! It's so nice to take time to find the right pieces, and each piece has a story. It's lovely.
xx
It looks great. I've avoided sales shopping too, until today, when I went into H&M to look for sweaters. I tried some Alpaca mix ones on and liked them, but didn't like the fact that they shed hair more than my dog does. I am now covered in hair and so didn't buy the sweaters, which serves me right for looking. I did also go into the Card Factory, to see if there were any bargain cards for next Christmas, but there was virtually nothing left. I bought a pack of tissue paper and a money wallet gift card for 73p. Probably a good thing too.
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely perfect, Kezzie, as is the sheepskin rug, which makes your sitting room very cozy indeed! xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's fab, the perfect size and a great colour match to the feet on your settee. When it comes to furniture we're happy to wait (often years) until the right piece comes along. Buy in haste, repent at leisure! xxx
ReplyDeleteYour room setup looks great! Everything goes well in the space xx
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I like it! And the fact that it opens up for playing games is a real plus. I have never had a coffee table and what I think I want is some nesting tables that can hide away off to the side and be used for individuals' coffee or whatever. But we've been able to get away with this lack because most of our socializing with food and drink, or our game-playing, happens at the big dining table.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! It's solid and sturdy and made of natural materials, and it's flexible with the expanding top. And I really like the rug under it - makes the space look very cozy.
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