The Midas Touch - Style a side table 2 ways
Oh, the elusive side table. You have searched the internet so many times and still have not made up your mind about one. You need it in the living room or in the bedroom. It's meant to tick the following boxes: it needs to have on trend materials and by that I mean gold/brass; it needs to be big enough to carry more than just a lamp; and ideally, it needs to provide some storage space, so a second shelf would be handy for books or boxes. Oh, and it needs to look really, REALLY good, without breaking the bank.
I hear you. I've been down that road many times and while many good - great - side tables made it to my online shopping basket, none was 'the one', and none ticked all the boxes above. Am I being to fussy? I don't know. Are you? Well, how hard can it be to tick 4 little boxes with one table? Apparently, too hard. Until, that is...
The day I found the one
It was an early morning and I was on the train to work, browsing rugs on Wayfair. The morning commute is long, so I always log onto their handy app to find new things. Skipping between sections, I found a sale on side tables and that's when I saw Safavieh's Milton side table.
Now, I have known Safavieh primarily for their very big collection of rugs and table lamps. They are bang on trend with colours and patterns. But did you know they also have a great collection of occasional furniture?
So back to the side table. It comes in various colour ways: gold frame with white opaque glass; gold frame with mirrored glass; and steel frame with black glass (perfect for those contemporary styled or masculine rooms). Without any hesitation (you always know when you see 'the one') I ordered the gold framed-mirrored glass table and a few accessories to style it. Within a couple of days, it had a new home.
The Safavieh Milton side table available here.
The whole buying experience on Wayfair was great. I ordered with ease through the app and was kept informed of the delivery timeline via automated emails. When I received the table, everything was well packed (you always worry about glass making it in one piece!).
What impressed me the most was how solid and robust the frame was. It had a good weight, which is always a god indicator of something well made. Even the husband commented on it and the husband rarely registers new things around the house. Come on, this must tell you something!
I assembled my table by inserting the two pieces of mirrored glass in place but then...
I could no longer decide if I would keep the table in my bedroom where I would have it as a bedside table... or in the dining room, where it would work hard as a side table/bar cart. At the end of the post you get to find out what I decide, but don't just run to the bottom, read on!
How to style a side table/bar cart
First I gave the Milton a chance to prove that it can go far when it comes to storage, by placing it in the dining room and treating it as a bar cart. The beauty of the Milton table is that it looks different depending on the side you look at.
With its mirrored surface, an otherwise boring setting suddenly gains depth and interest. When I placed the table in front of the Little Greene Camelia wallpaper, it came alive. As the theme in the room is 'opulence', the table fitted right in with its gold frame.
With its two shelves, the Milton looks great as a mini-bar. Keep all your drinks and glasses on the bottom. It can easily carry six big bottles and 4-6 glasses. On the top shelf I kept the actual drinks we had on the day, some bar accessories (coasters, shaker, bottle opener, cut fruit), something 'live' (plants are always great to have; I used this vase by House Doctor), something quirky (a gold pear candle) and a table lamp.
There was still space left on the top shelf. I could have placed a small tray or a book as well. But that would have been too much, don't you think? But an alternative styling would be to fill the bottom shelf with "coffee table books" and having a couple of brass pots with succulents or cacti on the top shelf (again, together with the brass lamp).
I would say, if you are looking for really eye catching pieces, definitely get your inspiration from Safavieh. After all, they have been offering clients products with timeless, classic style for more than 100 years, so that should tell you something about their expertise !
Milton side table, mirrored and gold, Safavieh; Walden marble Coasters by Endon Lighting; gold stripe vase, House Doctor, all Wayfair.
How to style a bed side table
After we enjoyed the table in the dining room for a day, I moved it to the bedroom. And I was blown away. I had originally looked at this particular design a good few months ago but thought it would not fit in the space between the bed and the build in wardrobes we have on either side.
I didn't think that turning it sideways it would fit in the length - I was certain that it would just stick out badly. And that's because I don't like tape measures... So when I placed it in the little gap... it just filled it perfectly
Getting inspiration from the table frame, I added the same gold - striped vase from House Doctor, a palm-shaped jewellery stand for any earrings/rings that I take off overnight, and made space for a candle (must!), my perfume (so I don't have to look for it in the mornings) and filled the bottom shelf with the books I am currently reading
Having used a stack of magazines for more than 6 months as my informal "side table" I was particularly happy to have found the perfect side table.
Now, if you love a gold frame but are not sure about the mirrored top, do consider the white opaque glass alternative. It is described as "clear" on the website but it is actually opaque, you cannot see through it. And it is also fabulous. I know because after a few days, I also ordered that one to give it a try before deciding which one I liked more.
In the end, the husband said he wanted the opaque one and I preferred the mirrored. He insisted on each of us having their own on their side of the bed but I explained that for consistency we could only have one style. So... now both sides of the bed have this superb gold side table with mirrored top.
As you can tell, I will be on the look out for a different side table for the living room and actually, I am also looking to replace both side tables AND the coffee table in the living room. And will I be looking at Safavieh for my inspiration? You bet!
This post was written in collaboration with Wayfair. I was very kindly gifted one side table which I chose myself but all opinions are my own. I loved the product so much, I bought a second one on my own! I hope you will like this product and support the brands that provide Seasons in Colour the opportunity to bring you fresh content!
Now scroll down for a little giveaway. This is run exclusively by Seasons in Colour.
