Cool Stuff: West Elm Bridge Tables

I'm kind of over West Elm -- all that wenge-colored wood, all those boxy upholstered pieces, the whole "modern/rustic/ethnic" thing ... But there are occasional exceptions to my growing apathy about the store's trademark look.

Like these Bridge Side ($179) and Coffee ($299) tables, especially together. I really like the contrast of smooth white lacquer with a silkscreened jacaranda-leaf motif and the earthy, striated sungkai wood. Yes, please.

Cool Stuff: Orla Kiely for Heals

London-based design darling Orla Kiely's brand-new furniture pieces for UK home furnishings chain Heal's have been making their way around the blogosphere over the last few days. And for good reason -- Kiely's femmed-up, midcentury-inspired chairs, tables, and sideboards are seriously cute.

Unfortunately, with the current exchange rate they're also seriously out of reach. The Cupboard at top, for instance is 1,395 pounds (or about $2,474), while the Dining Chair and Occasional Table above are 250 and 495 pounds ($443 and $878).

But I was clicking around on the Heal's site admiring them, anyway, when I saw that Kiely has also designed some great bedding, bath linens, and office storage items for the British retailer. And those wares, at least, are actually reasonably affordable:

Flower Blossom Print Bedding, 28 to 85 pounds ($50 to $151)

Large Storage Box, 40 pounds ($71)

Multi Stem Embroidered Towels, 6 to 26 pounds ($11 to $46)

Scribble Stem Print Bedding, 24 to 85 pounds ($43 to $151)

Sadly, Heal's won't ship outside of the UK. But maybe you have an extra-nice British friend who could post a packet off to you or smuggle over a bit of Orla goodness on his or her next visit? (Jo-Anne, David, and Amanda: Yes, I'm talking to you.)

Check out the entire Orla Kiely collection for Heal's right here.

Design Dilemma: A Round Coffee Table with Storage?

More Ways to Waste Time reader Kara writes, "I have high hopes for a multipurpose coffee table to replace the one I have now, but have thus far failed in my mission to find a piece that fits all my criteria:

1) Round in shape
2) Modern in style
3) Lifted off the floor somewhat so my rug isn't completely hidden underneath
4) Firm enough for a tray with drinks and food, but soft enough to kick up my feet
5) Storage for blankets and remotes

Any perfect pieces come to mind?"

Kara, that is a really hard list! I spent some time searching, and came up with a few options that meet most of these criteria, but couldn't find one that met all of them.

Here are some modern (or at least contemporary) round coffee tables that won't totally obscure your rug and that offer storage:

Imfors Coffee Table, $129; Strind Coffee Table, $139; Stockholm Coffee Table, $179, all from IKEA

Danish Modern Round Table, "Buy It Now" for $140 on eBay

Genoa Coffee Table and Concord Coffee Table, both $170 from Target

Panier Tables, $314 each at HiveModern

Tonic Coffee Table and Ginger Coffee Table, both $399, and Prairie Coffee Table, $299 from EQ3

Metropolitan Coffee Table, $349 from Pottery Barn

Sax Coffee Table, $1,295 from the Conran Shop

Rosewood Coffee Table, $2,800 from StellarUnion (My favorite, hands down. But that price? Ouch.)

If you're reasonably handy, you could make a padded top for one of these to provide softness for kicking up your feet. It wouldn't be too hard: Just jigsaw a circle the same size as the table top from a piece of plywood, cut a piece of foam to match, wrap batting and fabric around the wood and foam, staple-gun them down, and attach the whole thing to the top of the table with strong Velcro strips.

Or you could get a large round ottoman to use in place of a coffee table, and store your blankets and remotes in a side table with drawers or in an attractive basket next to the couch.

I really like this Giant Moroccan Pouf, $1,250 from Tazi Designs, for instance. (Though it isn't raised off the floor like you want.)

Of course, the perfect solution would be a large round ottoman on legs, and that has a lift-off top revealing hidden storage. Unfortunately, I can't find anything matching that description that isn't super-traditional.

Readers, any ideas for Kara? If so, please post a comment and share them!

eBay Find of the Day: Vintage Wheat Sheaf Table

Simple but sculptural, this vintage travertine-topped table would strike a sophisticated note in just about any room. The walnut-toned, wheat sheaf-style table was made in Italy and possibly designed by the legendary Edward Wormley.

At 20 inches tall and 26 inches in diameter, it can be put to use as a coffee table, a nightstand, or an occasional table. This smart little table would compliment a variety of decorating styles, too, from midcentury to Hollywood Regency to eclectic modern.

Current bid: $100. (Hurry -- the auction ends Monday evening, July 7.)

Retail Therapy: Jason Lees Design

Talk about finding treasures where you least expect them ... The Jason Lees Design showroom is tucked into a small storefront in Oakland's sleepy little Glenview District, which isn't exactly known as a hopping retail or design center. (Totally random fact: Both Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood grew up there.)

But that suits Lees just fine, since his customers tend to seek him out rather than simply happening upon his gorgeous furnishings.

The self-taught furniture designer creates wood pieces that combine a midcentury modern aesthetic and a Zen sensibility with playful bursts of color, and that somehow manage to be both sleek and warm. "I love modern design, but I didn't want my furniture to be cold," the British-born, California-bred Lees explains. Behind him is the BASIS American walnut and red lacquer media cabinet, $3,050.

His designs have won accolades from such prestigious publications as Metropolitan Home, The World of Interiors, and Better Homes and Gardens, and Lees counts luxury hotels and major universities -- as well as the requisite architects and interior designers -- among his clients. Not bad for a guy who's only had his shingle out for four years. (Prior to venturing out on his own, Lees worked for a large interior design firm.)

Lees' handcrafted furniture collection is, as you might expect, an investment: Prices start at about $1,110 and go up to nearly $5,000. To be honest, I can't afford any of this stuff -- and I suspect that many of you can't, either. But each exquisitely made piece is worthy of saving up for and hanging onto for a good long time.

A look at some of the furniture on display in Lees' showroom:

In the foreground is the TERRACE coffee table, $2,765, crafted from wenge, painted wood, and glass; against the wall is the PLANE media cabinet in walnut, $3,995.

A round WALLSCAPE display unit, $4,950, in walnut and white lacquer. The shelves are topped with tiny models of Lees' designs.

The rift-sawn white oak and Richlite SPAN desk, $3,640, is Lees' newest product. In addition to Richlite, made from compressed paper, the furniture maker has also begun to incorporate other sustainable materials, such as certified organic domestic bamboo, into his work.

Another new design is the BACKDROP wall-mounted media console, $3,740, constructed from lacquered oak with walnut pulls.

The zebrawood OUTLINE writing desk, $3,910, and the minuscule model that Lees built first.

Custom teak and lacquer display bookshelves. Lees can craft semi- or totally custom pieces to your specifications, which generally adds about 20 percent to the final price.

NETWORK 2x2 display cubes in walnut and lacquer, $3,060.

The RECESS coffee table in teak, $2,190, is one of Lees' most popular pieces.

Lees' versatile walnut WHOLESOME design, $2,170, can be used as either a coffee table or a bench.

Left: Custom bamboo table. Right: LATITUDE zebrawood occasional table, $2,125.

On its own, a single EASE unit in walnut, $1,125, is a chic low table. Stack two or more, and it becomes a bookshelf. Clever and functional!

The Jason Lees Design showroom is located at 1577 East 38th Street in Oakland. Hours are Monday through Saturday by appointment. Click here to see more of Lees' work.

eBay Find of the Day: Slatted Walnut Bench

This Yugoslavian-made vintage slatted bench may not have the provenance of George Nelson's midcentury classic, but it still has miles of style. Crafted from solid walnut, it measures an impressive five feet long.

Pile it with art books and use it as a coffee table for everyday, and clear it off to provide extra seating when you're hosting guests for a meal or a party.

Current bid: $10

Cool Stuff: Street Sign Tables

A simple and clever idea to steal: The UK's Cockney Design has created a line of tables from repurposed, circa-1960s and -'70s London street signs. The tables sell for 159 pounds sterling, or about $318.

I think it'd be relatively easy to do something similar on your own. Those legs, for instance, look suspiciously like IKEA's steel Vika Fintorp table legs ($7.50 to $10 each) to me.

You could buy a set of those -- in either the shorter coffee table height or the longer dining/console/work table height -- and then hunt for a cool vintage street or business sign at your local salvage yard. Spray-paint the legs to match your sign and have a welding shop fuse it all together, and you'll own a functional and totally unique conversation piece.

(Via Retro to Go.)

Bonus eBay Find of the Day: Jens Risom Walnut Coffee Table

And here's a little extra Friday eBay action on which to test out the sniping service of your choice:

Check out this simple but refined red walnut and white laminate midcentury coffee table, made by one of the masters of Danish modernism, Jens Risom.

The table is in excellent condition and still bears the original Risom label -- so there will be no nagging questions about its true provenance. (For a sense of how much similarly minty Risom designs normally go for, just take a gander over on 1stdibs.)

Current bid: $76. (Hurry -- the auction ends Sunday night.)

Shameless Plug: My "Coffee Table Tips" Piece on HGTV

How long has that group of tired tchotchkes been gathering dust on your coffee table, so familiar to you that you barely even notice them anymore? Or maybe your table has the opposite problem: Used as a repository for nothing more than the TV listings, the remote control, and the odd coaster or two, it’s not exactly adding to the aesthetic appeal of the room.

Time to try something new and put your coffee table to work showcasing treasures that will surprise and delight you and your visitors every time you see them.

Not sure where to start? Click here to read my HGTV article and to get expert tips on "tablescaping."

Cool Stuff: New at IKEA

IKEA just rolled out a bunch of fun new items. (I have to admit, though, that I'm a bit frustrated the great new chairs featured on the IKEA UK site that I blogged about awhile back aren't among them -- especially the Egg-like Karlstad Chair.)

Some highlights:

Kulla Lamp, $49

Textur Lamp, $30

Gyllen Wall Lamps, $30 each

Superfin Vases, $2.49 each

Havtorn Vases, $13 each

Lerberg Shelf, $15

Muddus Table, $50

Linnarp Bookcase, $349

Karlstad Chaise, $399


Karlstad Chair, $349 (note that the US version shown here looks absolutely nothing like the UK Karlstad Chair I covet)

Yet another Karlstad Chair, $279

Lillberg Chair, $159 (the Lillberg isn't new, of course, but the black frame and graphic cushion covers are)

Kramfors Loveseat, $699

Jamsunda Sideboard, $479

You can find these and dozens of other brand-new IKEA offerings here.