Ask:
I posted in the chit chat section asking if people have end tables/coffee table.
I am in the process if simplifying my life in MANY ways and to the point of doing it to my furniture. I had my carpets cleaned in my livingroom On Tuesday and now I am puting things back.
Does this sound like I did a good "simple living"job?
*I removed the collage frame pictures, as I thought it was too cluttery looking, and replaced them with 3 framed pictures of my children above my sofa.
*My TV is on a corner stand with doors to hide the DVD player type stuff.
*I removed a candle wall holder type thing (it meant nothing to me emotionally) and replaced it with a Coo coo clock that is very sentimental to me from my childhood that was packed away, not being enjoyed. I am garage saling the candle thing and now do not have the clock in storage.
*I got rid of a round end table that had a tablecloth on it...it seemed fussy and was a junk collector. Also got rid of an old bench that served as the end table on the other end of the sofa.
This means the only things we have in the livingroom are the sofa, recliner, TV, one floor lamp, one hanging lamp by the recliner, dog kennel, 3 pictures of my kids, the wall clock, and three plates that the boys painted.
It feels a little sparse....is this a little weird? I don't want to come off weird, but without end tables and coffe tables there is no clutter AND no eating and drinking in the livingroom!
Think I should put them back?
Answer:
We have never had a coffee table! I hate them, they just take up space. I only have one end table.
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What do you set your drink on? If I have someone over, I always offer them a drink and they would have to have a place to set it down. I have lots of little tables, I couldn't be w/o them.
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Maybe try keeping it as it is for 2 weeks and see if you're really desperate for something to come back. I think it sounds very neat and simple. And easy to clean.
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I'm a table person, too...as far as end tables. I agree that a coffee table takes up too much space. My sister, though, is a clutter free type of person...and has a GORGEOUS "simple" home. She has not a single table in her living room, and like you, NO eating or drinking is done in there...including by guests. If they eat or drink, they do it on the tiled kitchen or dining room! Because it is just the rule, no one ever questions it or feels odd about it. I just spent a week at her house...and I came home to clear out, too! Dh was picking on me earlier because he came home to a new lamp and a new dvd holder...BUT I bought both of those things in order to get rid of other "junk" that was nothing but cluttering up the looks of my house. Like you, too, I am in the process of taking out all things that don't hold sentimental meaning...and also a whole lot of pictures of my kids on the walls. I am going to put them in scrapbooks designated for professional pictures only...and keep one grouping of current 8x10's on one wall with just favorite snapshots framed here and there instead of knick knacks. I think what you have done sounds great...and like the abover person said...if you can give it a few weeks to make sure you can handle it like this, it is a win win situation!
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I like the idea of getting rid of end tables/coffee table. We aren't quite ready to do so yet, but our coffee table spends most of its time up on end in a corner to give us more room. My husband was concerned about not having a place for food & drink when we watch movies, and we're discussing getting a set of tv tables that fold up on their own rack to solve that issue. We just have to find ones we like, the ones Walmart has do not detatch from the legs and I would like ones that can be either tables or lap trays.
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I got rid of my coffee table when my dd was starting to pull up and try to walk - I thought it was safer. I love it! It's not coming back. My living room is much more open and it's one less place to collect stuff. Now, I don't think I could do without the end tables, but it's definitely worth thinking about!
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I have both coffee/end tables, but only b/c DH insists on them. i can live with the coffee table as I do like to use it to scrapbook while watching tv (can't see tv from dining room). But, the end tables are so annoying. They have become a dumping ground for all our books. I'd love to get rid of them- we don't need them since all our lamps are free standing, I don't keep plants or anything on them b/c of the kids and we rarely use them to hold snacks/drinks b/c the kids would knock them over. So why keep them other than we are "supposed" to have them ??
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We have end tables and lap desks, just no room for a coffee table, but if I had the space I would want one, but right now there just isn't any space for one.
try it for a while, if you need them back you can always bring them back in.
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We just have 1 end table, works for us! When we do have guests if they are drinking something were usually sitting at a table so its never been an issue.