The Dining Table/Library Table & Gift Guide - Gorgeous Coffee Table Books

Mark D. Sikes

 

I personally do not want to give up a formal dining area. I love having it for dinner parties and holidays. However, I don't use it all the time because here in South Florida, we love to eat al fresco out in the lanai. I also have a breakfast bar, kitchen island, and breakfast room all with seating for more casual meals.

CCC

Casa Chinoiserie Chic

I had fun yesterday starting to tweak styling the Mercer table. First, I adore the table. It is elegant and classic and just perfect for here. The glass does not block the gorgeous view. It will seat 8 for dinner parties. Do you remember the term "dinner party" that was previously in our vocabularies? It is an archaic pre Covid expression. And I adore the white wicker S chairs.

Here is the view of the great room as you walk in. I love it. Obviously, it needs art, but that is up next after the wallpapering this coming week. Harper is exhausted and headed to the study to watch some TV.

I am really enjoying the process of creating this home. After all, it is about the journey, not just the destination. Next is adding orchids and palm fronds to the Mercer table and playing around more with it, perhaps today. Unfortunately, I have a lot of Sandbagger insanity to deal with today. I will fill in the details tomorrow finally. Thanks for your patience and support.

The Library Dining Table

Bunny Williams

Yesterday I planned a lovely day with delivery of my new dining table and styling it. Unfortunately, my day began at 8 am with a series of phone calls from the police, and after the table arrived around noon, I needed to get out and decompress. I will provide more details when I can but there is an ongoing issue. So table styling got "tabled" until today. The table size and style are perfect for the space and I will take photos today.

Here are more great examples of library/dining tables with Chinoiserie to inspire me and perhaps you as well.

McCann Design Group

William McClure

Lance Jackson and David Ecton - Traditional Home

Miles Redd - House Beautiful

What styling elements to do you like? The lamps with the hidden cords are too weird and aren't practical with a glass table anyway so I'll pass on that. I have plenty of light and don't need to go the battery lamp route. I love lots of coffee table books. An orchid is a must. Blue and white Chinese porcelain of course. And the palm fronds are so dramatic. We'll see what progress I make today hopefully.

Styling My Mercer Table

Schumacher Bukhara Ikat Ginger Jar

My delivery woes continue. With the exception of Amazon, everything I order seems to have delivery problems and interminable delays. But perhaps the strangest has been Williams Sonoma Home losing a 240 pound glass top to my Mercer Table. Now I am still waiting for the replacement. If you recall, I am using it like a library table with inspiration from the Bunny Williams table in these photos. I decided to start planning my styling of it and hope that the table arrives soon. But to be honest with you, the house looks wonderful and I have accomplished tons, and I am not going to sweat getting the rest of it done. It will happen when it happens.

Williams Sonoma Home Mercer Table

I love how Bunny Williams plays around with what is on the table. Note how the books, ginger jar, accessories, and foliage change. I do the same thing in my home. I am always moving things around. I just ordered this ginger jar above from Williams Sonoma Home. I think it will work great on the table. I like how she has elevated the ginger jar with fronds on a rattan stand too. I will definitely be using lots of interior design and gardening coffee table books and potted orchids as well. And it is wonderful having a garden filled with tropical plants. I have not bought cut flowers once with all these fronds for the taking.

Please Help Me Choose

Bunny Williams

 I had an epiphany in the middle of the night regarding my new home. What to do with the dining room has been driving me nuts. Let me explain - there are four eating areas.

I am going to use my Platner table and Chinese Chippendale chairs in the breakfast room. There is also a breakfast bar for my stools and the lanai will host my Smith and Hawken dining set, and then there is the dining room.

I need a new dining table (the one here we found at auction technically belongs to Golf Guy) and my dilemma is that the dining area at the new house is 1. Not as large as I want, 2. Has a massive mirror that I don't want blocked with furniture, and 3. I rarely use a formal dining room, especially here in Florida.

So I have decided to get a massive rectangular dining table for the great room (not the dining room) and style it like Bunny Williams with coffee table books, orchids, blue and white Chinese porcelain, and the like. It will be a library table/dining table. It may float in the room or may be next to one of the walls; I think either will work. But I do not want a heavy brown wood piece, but rather something lighter. I have narrowed it down to my top three choices. For a rare large dinner party these below all seat 8. And they would make a killer bar setup for a cocktail party if we are ever able to have those again!

So here are my top three. All are huge and beautiful.

This first one from CB2 is four marble columns with a glass top. Very sexy.

CB2 Triple Dining Table with Rectangular Top

This next one also from CB2 is all marble. Very architectural.

CB2 Verona Marble Dining Table

The last from Williams Sonoma Home is a classic - the Mercer with a nickel base and glass top.

Mercer Rectangular Table with Nickel Base and Glass Top

O.K. my very savvy interior design afficiandoes. What do you think? As much as I love the all marble one, I hate to worry about red wine etching from dinner parties, but with occasional use, it probably would be fine. I have always wanted marble countertops, and this might solve my marble yearning. I also prefer the open bases of the other two, so as to not block the view. I am leaning towards the first one, but really really like all three.

I love this idea. I would really like your thoughts on which one. This was a great think outside the box moment for me. I have learned that if you can't find something you like, it's because you are asking the wrong questions. I was trying to find a dining table and chairs for a space that didn't work as a dining room for me, so I reimagined it all. And I have a wonderful idea on how to use the dining room that I will share down the road.