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You are here: Home / Summer / Summer Coffee Table

Summer Coffee Table

May 19, 2018 by Kristine 2 Comments

Building a vignette for a Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

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.

The new basket that inspired the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

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.

A candle on the new basket starts the vignette for the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

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.

 

Adding a metal a basket as part of the vignette for the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

Adding a topiary to the new basket for the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

 

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

Adding this footed bowl to hold shells for the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

 

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!)

This open weave basket will hold shells for the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

 

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 starfish candle with the new basket on the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

 

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.

The first layer of wine corks in the shell bowl for the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

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

The flat ribbed shells:

The first layer of shells going into the shell bowl as part of the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

 

Then the small size shells:

Second layer of shells going into the shell bowl on the Summer Coffee Table. www.redshuttercottage.com

 

And then on top, the showy-shells:

Top layer of "showy" shells going into the shell bowl as part of the Summer Coffee Table vignette. www.redshuttercottage.com

 

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

A Starfish candle, plant and bowl of shells complete the vignette of the Summer Coffee Table vignette. www.redshuttercottage.com

The completed Summer Coffee Table in the living room. www.redshuttercottage.com

 

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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21 Rosemary Lane

Filed Under: Decorating, Furniture, Spring/Summer, Summer, Vignettes

Previous Post: « 5 Steps to a Beautiful Mantel
Next Post: A Bright and Easy Summer Living Room »

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Comments

  1. Leanna says

    June 11, 2018 at 3:15 pm

    I never drop by your blog without noticing how cozy everything is. I like the vignette, but the overall feel of everything really speaks to me. I hope that makes sense. Beautiful rooms.

    Reply
    • Kristine says

      June 18, 2018 at 1:10 pm

      Leanna – thank you and it does make sense. It’s what I hope people take away from my blog: we each define the beauty in our homes by using our own standards, not what’s current or trendy.
      And working with what you have is both a challenge and rewarding. (A strong streak of creativity like yours never hurts, either!!)

      Reply

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