Gold and Glass

As we work on our home, and make changes to existing furniture, I've learned a lot about what I thought I liked, what I actually like, and what I really REALLLLY want.

I've mentioned before that the coffee table and side tables in our living room were a Craigslist purchase. A few years ago, I bought them from some guy selling the set at wholesale prices out of a storage unit somewhere in the East Bay.  It sounds more shady than it was - I brought a friend, and he had his 7 year old daughter with him, so it all felt fine.  No creepy killer lurking in the shadowy storage facility.  

Anyway, I'm not entirely sure how he was able to sell brand new furniture at wholesale costs, but at 24 years old, I was stoked to get a coffee table and two side tables for ~$100.

Here they are in all their glory... a little matching trio.

Don't get me wrong, they've definitely served their purpose, and I don't hate them, but I'm completely over the matching look, and all the dark wood (well, faux wood) is a little overwhelming.  I don't have immediate plans to get rid of them, but I've definitely started thinking about what I want to eventually replace them with.

What I'm really loving right now, is the look of clear glass, clean lines, and a gold metal frame.  Visually, the clear glass doesn't take up a lot of space, and I am into gold in a big way!

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This gold end table is perhaps one of my favorites - not only does it have a little shelf underneath to hold a few things, but detail around the shelf is amazing, yet still really clean and simple.

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I am also loving this side table - against the landscape wallpaper (which is fabulous in it's own right) the metal-work on the side is detailed without being overbearing.

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What I love most about these two side by side glass tables is that they are simply styled, and allow you to see the great graphic rug underneath!  A big complaint I have about our coffee table now, is that it hides a big part of our rug... which I love!

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Moving onto gold and glass etageres... this is an Ikea hack! I couldn't believe it myself, but this shelf was less than $100, and all it took was a little gold spray paint to look like a million bucks.

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This one is NOT an Ikea hack, but a pretty good inspiration for one, eh?  I love the symmetry, muted colors in the styling, and how the gold really pops against the concrete wall.

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Everything about this photo is love - the Thibaut Thibaut Tanzania Wallpaper is TO DIE FOR, and while this gold and glass etagere will set you back about $4K, it's so pretty to look at.  Isn't the greek key scrollwork amazing?  I think there is something about a bit of gold and a bit of animal print that says fabulous all the way!!

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What a surprise, more animal print and gold... love this coffee table - especially with the orange Hermes tray, and orchid.  Not exactly functional, but oh so pretty...

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Small space living all the way - love that this living space also serves as the dining room (and office).  This really just brings home my point about having a glass top table to maximize space visually.  And those striped curtains?  LOVE!