It’s no secret that I love decor, entertaining, and, most of all, making our house a home. So, I thought I would share a little bit about our living room coffee table refresh, the process, and why we updated this space. The first thing I wanted to update was our coffee table. We love our old coffee table, and it served us so well for 6 years. But, we desired one that was not only a little larger, in a lighter neutral hue, and more functional, but also more reflective of our personal style. I had been eyeing the Serena and Lily South Seas coffee table for as long as I can remember, and I got to see it at Carly’s house which sealed the deal for me. It certainly checked all my boxes and more!
When it comes to decor style, I love a good mix of antiques and current pieces that feel collected. The goal for this space was to keep things classic yet on-trend, warm and textured, and inspired by American design. Pretty much all the things that Serena and Lily nail in their coffee table designs. I have a penchant for antiques, which stems from my love of decorative arts and my Master’s in American Decorative Art History. I worked in the decor and antiques field for most of my career (I now work full time in administration), and our home definitely reflects that. I’d also say that even with our antiques, our home decor style is truly liveable. So, among the criteria for size, color and functionality, the coffee table had to complement traditional American antiques, which the South Seas coffee table definitely does.
One of the reasons I was so happy Serena and Lily gifted us this coffee table is because they value great design inspired by coastal, light and airy living, that seamlessly jives with everything I try to achieve in my own space. The South Seas Coffee Table appealed to us for a few design reasons in addition to it’s size and color. We love it’s use of a natural material like rattan, the gallery around the top tier that creates more of a sunken nook, and the large lower shelf was a must to display our coffee table books. Rattan is a material that is in nearly every room or space in our home, I utilize it often because I love how the color ages and changes in sunlight over time, which gives it a nice lived and loved feeling along with our antique pieces.
Even though we live in a 2-bedroom apartment, our living space is an open concept and relatively large, so our last coffee table felt a bit too small of scale and when I wanted to display a tray or books, there wasn’t a ton of space left for much else. So, I love how with the South Seas coffee table we have enough surface space to display our tray, fresh flowers, a few books and still have room for whatever else lands there! Let’s be honest, in the chaos that is day-to-day life, a lot of things end up tossed on the coffee table.
Overall, I think the South Seas Coffee Table completely transformed the space. Below you can see in the before and after how much brighter, lighter and collected the room feels. It’s crazy how one piece can make such an impact. The lighter color brightened up the space, made it feel larger and warmer. The texture of the table added some dimension to the area, and the size is a much better scale, making things feel more intentional while still keeping an element of whimsy and serendipity. With all the time we spend at home, it makes sense for us to create a place that we love and love to be in. When it comes to furniture, I know investing in your home can feel like a leap of faith. But, pieces like this really do last a lifetime. So, If you’re looking to refresh an area of your home with one piece, or maybe a handful of pieces, Serena and Lily definitely has something for everyone while keeping things timeless, fresh and design oriented. My very first piece of furniture I ever purchased for myself during graduate school was a Serena and Lily rattan drum table, 8 years later it’s still a favorite. I know it will be no different with this one!
Before & After
BEFORE 
AFTER
Thank you to Serena and Lily for gifting us this coffee table and partnering on this post!
All opinions are that of my own.
The coffee table really does transform the space! I’ve had my eye on this forever but still haven’t made the plunge… this is convincing me to bookmark for the next ale!
(Side note: I love that you have a William Morris book! I try to live by his maxim, “have nothing in your house you don’t know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”)
Wow! The South Seas Coffee Table is at once its’ own statement piece while also being a grounding and “tying – together” piece in your living room space. The “before” and “after” photos say it all – this is a great coffee table that would work well with many varied decor styles.
Your room is a delight!
Thank you so much! We love this coffee table.
I love this. I also live in NJ and always lean towards more coastal design – – except, I am a neighboring town of Philadelphia so, I don’t live on the coast. In your design opinion, what is just the *right* amount of coastal if you’re not actually down the shore?
So we don’t live on the coast either! We live in Morristown, central NJ about an hour and a half away from the shore. I think there’s a difference between themed nautical/beach decor like anchors etc, and then coastal inspired living. I think anything coastal inspired can be lived anywhere, no matter your location! It’s all about creating the home you love, and coastal inspired can fit in just about anywhere with the right touches!