I didn't think skirted tables fit in my home decor 'cause they spoke to me of a "fussy" house.
Perhaps thats because both mom and grandma had very formal "do not touch" skirted tables in their homes, back in the day.
And by the way, fussy isn't our style.
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| {Skirted table dressed in fresh, modern fashion. The table "floats" in the space and is a flexible feature of the furniture arrangement serving as welcome & reception, a library table, pull-up seating for large groups, a place to sit and chat with someone special, play board games, you name it!} |
But I've noticed that designers {such as Tobi Fairley and Amanda Nesbitt}, shelter mags {ELLE Decor and others} and lots of fun bloggers are on a campaign to resurrect skirted tables in a
fresh, modern way.
OK, it's time for me to
experiment try this.
My Current Situation That Needs a"Fix":
I have a rather large room that really needs a
two-zone attack decorating plan so it doesn't resemble a furniture show room.
The primary zone in the room is very symmetrical and quite tailored. Two sofas, two leather chairs, two side tables, two lamps. All matchy-matchy as each item was purchased as a pair. Sort of a Noah's Ark approach to decorating ... two by two by two. Let's call this the
yang space.
On the other end of the room I wanted to create a zone of yin to compliment the yang. Keeping with the concept of yin this secondary zone needs a softer feminine feel. I want a free-flowing space you meander through. Maybe you pause and notice a fabric, a texture, or a tchotchke {had to look up how to spell that one!}. Sit and chat with a friend, sip a beverage, or settle in with a book to read. I want a "whatever" space in this zone and that's very different from the primary zone that's all TV watching, large group gathering, and a place where the hubby feels at home.
So, here's a disturbing before of the zone that will become the
yin space ... this was the topsy-turvy appearance of the room as I tried to figure out wall color and furniture placement both at the same time ... and yes, we lived with the space like this for longer than I'm willing to admit. Keeping. It. Real. Ugh. Hope you understand, maybe you've been there too?
Here's My "Fix":
Believe it or not, the following picture is from the same perspective as the "in process" pic above ... notice the archway, the sofa, and the pair of windows above ... these elements prove this is the same shot!
This perspective is from the TV / large gathering zone {the "yang"} looking into the free-form
whatever zone {the "ying"}. And if you really squint, you'll see I haven't finished painting yet over there in the rear right wall. But the skirted table is finished, and that's what today's post is about :)
Now for some table shots :)
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| {A skirted table "floating" in the center of the "yin" zone in a large room. A simple, large scale emerald green glass vase with branches, a bold IKAT pattern - Duralee Kalah Blue on the fabric topper complimenting a saturated green-turquoise skirt, and pull-up seating draped with IKEA sheepskins, all help to modernize a skirted table.} |
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| {Skirted table with shelter magazines and accessories.} |
Here's what I had to work with to create my skirted table vignette. Lacking a bit in the oomph factor, wouldn't you say?
No worries.
Add a king-size flat sheet in a saturated green-turquoise {Walmart, $15}. And don't bother hemming the sheet, just tuck the ends under, puddle and fluff.
Toss some IKEA sheepskins {we have a lot of them around cause the puppy dog finds them oh so comfy} over the seating ...
Grab a remnant of Kalah Blue fabric I've had for quite some time. Cut to even off the ragged edges, approx. size 54 x 58. Use simple double-fold bias tape to hem & trim in one step. And can you believe it, I actually sewed the bias taped on! Yes, I know that's shocking given my love of removable fashion tape {read how I used that on lampshades
here.}
Done!
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| {Knowing this is my grandmother's table makes this not only a pretty vignette but more importantly, Meaningful Decorating.} |
And even though the round table is a wee bit small {the
room zone could accommodate a larger table, this one is 33" diameter and I could go up to 40"} I love that I'm putting this table to good use ... my grandma loved sitting at this table {a vintage 1940's bistro table} under the trees in the summer, pouring me lemonade and talking about everything and nothing at all ... having this table, although under wraps, in my home is special to me. Meaningful decorating.
"My" Idea was Inspired By ...
Here's a final thought on my skirted table and how I came to realize that I needed a second zone with a different function to make this large room comfy and livable ... totally inspired by blog reading. The specific post that opened my eyes to the possibilities was written by Kim @ Chattafabulous and you can read that post
here. Kim actually wrote a 7 post series on her room redo as it was part of the One Room Challenge. In her posts she provides great design insight into space planning for a large or long & narrow room.
So what do you think?
Are skirted tables old-fashioned or can they be used in a modern setting and still feel fresh? Would you ever consider using a skirted table in your home? Do you have any spaces in need of a little
yin softness to break up lots of straight lines in the decor? And how about me tossing a flat-sheet over the table as a skirt ... in your opinion am I lazy or a short-cut superstar?
I haven't finished working in either zone of this room yet.
And, there's an adjoining foyer that needs to be addressed as well. So there will be more posts about this part of our home in the future ... hope you'll drop by then to see it all come together. In the meantime, if there's any questions, please let me know!
Till later,
Robin
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