My Best Life

It’s not real.

I really do appreciate the art of coffee table styling. Seeing artistically placed items such as beautiful books and candles arranged in such an appealing way that one can only be mesmerised.

I tried styling our coffee table once.

Ours is a fairly large circular piece of wood that moves around the living room depending upon who is sitting where and who needs to use it as a foot rest.

On one particular day I gave the table a clean and dust. I gathered some carefully chosen, colour matched books and stacked them artfully but not perfectly straight at the centre of the table. I found a candle stick made of ebony and placed that to the left of the books and I added a tall elegant candle to the candle stick. I placed one of my much loved spider plants in a green pot and popped that in front and slightly to the right of the books, leaving space for 2 pale wooden coasters. 

I sat back and admired my creation and I have to admit, it looked amazing and I really should have taken a photo.

After a few hours of still admiring my handiwork, my beloved came downstairs to join me and the dogs who were curled up on the sofa next to me.  My beloved lovingly made us both a brew and we settled in to watch a film.

Before I could ask his opinion on my arting skills, a cup of hot tea was balanced on top of the beautifully styled books, the candle had fallen off the table and the tv remote and a pair of socks were dropped onto the space available.

After pausing, taking a deep breath and quietly cursing to the air around me, I admitted defeat. I slid the table towards me and propped my feet against it.

I’m all for having a beautifully styled table but in the real world, one needs to be practical and understand the purpose of a coffee table, which is to cover it in cups and random bits such as discarded envelopes and junk mail and even the odd half eaten dog chew.