Summer Coffee Table

It always starts with something, doesn’t it? Sometimes bringing in a new décor pieces makes you rethink everything!

I had been noticing on some blogs (here and here) some very pretty baskets so large they were almost trays.  Baskets that are big and wide, with a shallow lip around them.   I made a mental note to keep an eye out for one, even though that’s no guarantee I will remember!

A few weeks ago I was wandering around in our local ‘high-end’ consignment store, and  I found one!   I was in their back section, perusing their 50% off section, and ‘way up there on the top shelf, there it was.  If it had been full price, I may have thought twice about it, but at $8, it was a no-brainer.

It’s beautifully made, and it’s really nice and big!  It’s a perfect square, with a very low lip around it, and the bottom of this basket is nice and evenly flat.  I do not always find that to be true with woven baskets, so I am very appreciative of the high quality.

From this new tray, the inspiration for a summer coffee table struck! I wanted to build a vignette that included shells for a summer motif.  Apart from that, I did not have any real idea about how to go.

So I started with a candleholder with a candle.

For the shells, I have a few bowls or containers that were leading contenders to display the shells. This one sat too deep, I didn’t feel like it was high enough.

This footed bowl is high enough…. but it’s visually dense and a bit formal for summer.

My last option was this open weave ceramic bowl. I like that it is footed, and sits a little high, and the open weave allows for the layers of shells to show through. (I stumble across these bowls all the time: Home Goods, thrift shops…they seem to be everywhere!)

Then I turned my attention to the candle, testing out a few different variations there.  I have a seahorse candleholder (thrift shop find), and a beautiful candle with starfish decorating the sides.  Since these two pieces combined have been a standard on my summer mantels over the years, I thought it was time to change it up.

I finally decided on yes to the starfish candle, but no to the seahorse candleholder.

The next step was to fill the bowl with shells.  I wanted to make sure that shells would mound up higher than the lip of the bowl.  So the first step was to put down a layer of wine corks to provide a lifted base for the shells.

Then, I pulled out my shells, and added them in 3 layers:

The flat ribbed shells:

Then the small size shells:

And then on top, the showy-shells:

Then I swapped out a few options for the greenery and decided on this white pitcher with some arrowhead.

From a thrift shop basket comes a coffee table vignette that is fresh, simple and easy!  It is summer, after all! For some more summer ideas, please visit see these posts:  2017 Summer Living Room, Beach-y Summer Dining Table Vignette, Tutorial – How to Decorate a Summer Mantel.

From our home to yours!
Kristine

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