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Last week we chatted about the new, DIY picture ledges in the family room and I promised I’d be back this week with more family room updates. I’m so excited to give you all the details about our extra large coffee table (today) and our black side table (tomorrow). Slowly but surely this room is coming together and I’m so excited!
Before we get into the coffee table drama, let’s first take a look back at this space when we first moved in. Do you guys remember when the family room looked like this? I love looking back at this picture because it reminds me of how far we’ve come.
The Challenge in Finding the Perfect Coffee Table
But the real reason I share this picture is to show you how big this room is. I’m not saying it’s HUGE, but it’s a pretty large room at approximately 19 ft by 15 ft. And the size of this large room made for a bit of a challenge when choosing a coffee table. Allow me to explain.
We added two couches to this room (the extra long gray one and the comfy caramel one) and realized that this space we had left in the middle of these couches was still pretty big. This was a great “problem” to have, but it did make shopping for a coffee table a bit more complicated.
If I bought a regular sized coffee table, would I put it in front of the gray couch? But then what would go in front of the caramel couch? If I put the new coffee table in front of the caramel couch instead, what would go in front of the gray couch? Or what if I just plopped a regular sized coffee table in the middle of the room, would that look way too dinky?!
Our Extra Long Coffee Table
I played around with a lot of different options because I really wanted a regular sized coffee table to work. Not only are there SO MANY more options to choose from, but standard sized coffee tables are a lot more budget-friendly than an extra large option. But as much as I tried, a regular sized coffee table just was not going to work. I ultimately decided that I needed an extra large coffee table so it could sit in the middle of the room and “service” both couches. 
But finding an extra large coffee table was challenging. I looked everywhere online and finally decided to go with this one from Crate and Barrel. It’s 60×36 and would be big enough to sit in the middle of the room and would provide a tabletop for anyone sitting on either couch.
When it arrived and made its way to the center of the family room, I knew I made the right decision. 
This piece was definitely more expensive than I wanted to pay for a coffee table, but I’m hoping I will have it (and love it) forever. The marble top and simple black legs are classic and versatile. They work perfectly in this space now and my hope is that they will continue to work well in this space regardless of what changes happen down the road.
Plus, the heavy marble and durable legs make me confident that this table can stand up to lots of wear and tear.
Prepping the Extra Long Coffee Table
But before the wear and tear, I needed to prep this bad boy. I needed to seal the top before we started using it because the top of the table is a piece of marble. I used the same steps Casey used on her dining room table, which is identical to my coffee table (even the exact same size!)… with longer legs of course. Her table has held up really well so I’m hoping the marble sealer protects my coffee table just the same.
I love everything about our new table and love that it seems to “finish” off the middle of this room. The only challenge now is figuring out how I can style this large surface. I’ve been scouring Pinterest for inspiration and frequenting HomeGoods to see what accessories could work. I think I have a few ideas but need to play around a bit to find the perfect combo.
Progress, Progress & More Progress!!
This room has come along way since last September, the biggest change is that cutie on the floor (and I’m not talking about the coffee table this time haha). But the best part is that there’s more to come!! Stay tuned tomorrow for details on the side table I recently found on eBay! After that update, here’s what’s left on our living room to-do list:
- Find End Tables (tomorrow!)
- Add Lighting (lamp? sconce?)
- Style tabletops
- Squeeze in storage for Ben’s “someday” toys?
- Find a large plant (that I can keep alive!)
Bridget
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