In particular, we are still using this gem of a coffee table:
Did you ever own this coffee table? I feel like half the people I knew in college had some variation of it in their dorm common rooms, myself included. I mean, you can't beat the price.
The thing is, this coffee table is huge, taking up half the living room. And it has very sharp corners. I have a thing against sharp corners—not only am I pretty clumsy and apt to run into them in general, but once when I was four years old, I banged my forehead on a sharp-cornered coffee table at a friend's house and had to go to the emergency room for stitches. That experience convinced me that sharp-cornered coffee tables are The Greatest Hazard when it comes to small children. So the coffee table must go, before Baby is old enough to run around and bang its little head.
Frank and I have been talking about replacing the coffee table for months (and its best friend, the ugly black living-room rug—another holdover from Frank's bachelor days). But we haven't made much progress. We just can't quite commit to a plan. Do we want a coffee table with a shelf to hold board games? Should we look for a chest or storage ottoman instead, to hold Baby's toys? Do we want to get rid of the coffee table altogether and leave an open space for the baby to frolic around in? As you can see, it's a difficult decision.
While we try to make up our minds, I figured it might help to see what options are available. I looked at a few websites and pulled together my favorite cute and (relatively) baby-friendly coffee tables.
I currently have that coffee table! It's in our basement though, where Michael rarely is. In our main living area we actually have a storage ottoman. It's easy toy storage and its plus so kids can run into it all they want. Definitely recommend it! Only problem is you can't really put a drink down on it. But you could always get a tray for the top, I know people who do that!
ReplyDeleteNo to the glass one, with baby around! And I don't think you will want to store board games in it with the little one around either. If you don't have another good spot for toys I would definitely factor that in!
ReplyDeleteWe have one very similar to your current table. I like that we can store baskets of toys on the shelf, but Claire did run into it several times when she was learning to walk! I'd love to get (or make) a different one some day!
^^ agreed! My parents have coffee tables now, but we didn't for the longest time in the interest of baby proofing. Our board games are tucked away into cabinets. You do have a few months until your baby is crawling and then walking and by then you might find it easier to relocate the sharp corners in the interest of the baby's safety ;-)
ReplyDeleteHmmm I would say no to the glass one - but that's because I'm super clumsy and scared of glass surfaces. Also I knew someone who once fell onto a glass coffee table and it smashed and...let's just say it wasn't pretty and there was a trip to the ER involved. I love cushioned ottomans in principle, but don't like the fact you can't put drinks down on top as it isn't a stable surface. I totally see your point about sharp corners though - of all the ones you've put up, I like the second last one best (dark mahogany, oval, with a shelf underneath): I think it looks very classy :)
ReplyDeleteAgreed, the glass one is probably not the best, and I don't know that it's really baby-friendly either. I think we're between a storage ottoman and a round, dark coffee table like the one you mentioned... we'll see what ends up working out!
DeleteI think the storage ottoman-with-a-tray idea is best. I currently have this going on in my small living room and it works for what we need. I needed some kind of coffee table concept going on because I have no side tables,etc., which meant that there would be no available space for guests to place drinks/plates/whatever. The hostess that you are, I think you will appreciate having such an amenity for your guests! And let's not forget the added bonus: take away the tray and kick your feet onto a soft surface!
ReplyDeleteAs for baby-stuff storage, I don't think you could beat the storage ottoman in your apartment (unless you found something better :). You could get something that is compact enough that allows you the storage, "hostess", and relaxation capabilities, without taking up too much play space. And, let's be real, a smaller ottoman will most likely be cheaper than a big one!! Just my thoughts…!
If you or Frank feel adventurous, I just found this to help you build your own http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20616419,00.html
DeleteBtw--I think you could build it for less than what they are quoting.
I should've known you were the person to ask! :) I think we are definitely leaning towards the storage ottoman. I never even thought of making it ourselves—such a cool idea! I'm going to send that link over to Frank.
DeleteWe try to get most of our furniture at the local thrift store (lovely pieces and awesome prices!), and the thing we look for first is dark wood. We're both crazy about dark wood. :) As for baby-friendly pieces, I have a sort of in-between view. I do try to stay away from anything that obviously screams danger, but growing up with four little brothers I realize that they can and will hurt themselves on pretty much anything. Those four all survived with corners... and one of them needed stitches below his eye after encountering a round coffee table. Soooo... lol.
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