5 fab side tables

Gentle Readers, I am alive. When your parents inquire after your health because, well, “it’s been quite a while since you’ve posted,” you know you’ve pushed the boundaries of politeness. I apologize.

The good news is that bossy color has been absolutely swamped.

The better news is that we now have two lovely helpers keeping the ship afloat.

The bad news is that, well, the date of my last post should indicate what the bad news is. I’m sorry to have neglected you. I will try to do better.

One of the things that’s been keeping me so busy has been side tables, of all things.

You know how when you learn a new vocabulary word, you think you hear it everywhere? Turns out the same is true of side tables. EVERYONE seems to be looking for the perfect side table these days. (Well, at least three of my clients. That’s everyone to me.) So my eyes are magnetically drawn to interesting ones…

In my sourcing adventures, I’ve found several side tables that I thought were irresistible. I thought you might like to know about them.

1. Bungalow 5′s Brigitte

This comes in black, white, or Robin’s Egg Blue…The black makes it look more graphic, which is perfect for the black, gray, and red room in which it will reside.

I think this table is too small for a lamp – although Elaine Griffin plays with lamp/table scale beautifully in the picture above. We’ll use it for drinks, and it will nestle snugly between two contemporary upholstered chairs. They’re discontinuing this, so Google it fast if you like it!

2. Horchow’s Orbit

Surprisingly versatile. My client and I ordered them for a bedroom, but when they arrived, we loved them so much we’re now redesigning the living room around them. With a 20″ diameter, they’re bigger than they look. In a good way.

3. Roche Bobois’ Eugenie

Lest you fear I’ve gone all girly in my tastes (not that there’s anything wrong with that), I’m very impressed with Roche Bobois’ Eugenie side table. It’s at the other end of the $ spectrum from Bungalow 5, to be sure, but this is a different animal. And it’s quite large, with a 37.4″ diameter. I love how strong and masculine it is, and it alludes to bungalow/craftsman architecture without being all “Mission.” I appreciate that.

4. Hickory White’s Transitions Round Lamp Table

Well I guess that answers that: it claims it’s big enough for a lamp. Again, I like the masculinity of this piece as well as the bronze finish. Great if you’re feeling as though your room is getting too, I dunno, wood-filled.

5. Mitchell Gold’s Logan

Well, look at that. Turns out most of my favorite side tables right now are round. Huh! I wasn’t trying to discriminate against squares and rectangles; this is just what our needs have been of late.

If you ARE looking for that perfect, timeless, rectangular side table, consider Mitchell Gold’s Logan. You can make it more solid by stacking books and objects on the shelves…it’s especially good if you’re unsure of your style, because it’s kind of traditional, kind of modern. It’s “transitional,” as much as I dislike that term. But it doesn’t have the mid-century modern vibe that some Mitchell Gold pieces do, which makes it pretty darn versatile.

Go forth and furnish, Gentle Readers! May your lamps and drinks always have a place to land.

Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to Real Simple and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.