I started with a piece in my great room. There was a spot between two French doors that called out for a sideboard or console table. I had my old, beat up coffee table there. It was cheap to begin with, but was the only one I found that would fit in the space at my Minnesota home. I'd spent months looking, but everything was either too wide or too long--I had a very small space to work with. It didn't take long before the cheap wood cracked and my laptop going on and off the table scratched off the layers of stain and varnish.
This is what I replaced it with:
It's still not an expensive piece, but I like the style and it's much more functional in the space than that sorry old coffee table was.
Next on my hit list was that TV stand I mentioned, the one I used in my bedroom. I knew I wanted something with some functional storage. The old cart had storage, but it was one big open space and hard to use for much. This time I got a media chest with two large, deep drawers.
I really like this chest. The look is very contemporary/modern and it had plenty of space for tablecloths and napkins. It's also much safer than el cheapo was. I was always terrified to move it for fear it would topple over.
My last purchase was an ottoman for my family room. I had a coffee table there--not old ugly, a new one that wasn't falling apart--but I couldn't put my feet up on it. There was also zero storage. The ottoman can be used like a coffee table, but I can also use it to kick back, and it opens for storage. That's the one thing this house needs more than anything else--more storage!
I have one more piece of furniture that I'm saving up for. I'd love to buy a sideboard for my dining room. My Minnesota house had a built-in china hutch. Sadly, every sideboard I like is outrageously expensive, so it's going to be a good long while before I have one of these.
