Ottoman Fabric

I have never owned a coffee table.  Ever.

Isn't that weird?

Any coffee table that I've ever lived with has been someone else's property, and since the boyfriend and I have lived together, we haven't had one.  I used to think it was because we had a small living room and saved the space for impromptu wrestling matches (with our son - heads out of the gutter, please).  Now I realize it is because I hate about 99.9% of coffee tables.

In theory, I love coffee tables.  But I have a hard time finding one that 1.) I like, 2.) will fit the space well, and 3.) I can afford. 

Some that I love:


Via Apartment Therapy (retails $500+)



Pottery Barn Rhys Table - Also $500+ (and too heavy-looking for my space)



Another industrial-style, from Knight Moves


I've been feeling the love for a big square coffee table in our new place.  Only, it needs some curves to combat the retro mid-century couch.  I found a great Asian-inspired table, like the one below, at an office discount store a couple of weeks ago.


From Caitlin Creer Interiors

Only problem was they wanted close to $300 for it (used!) - not happening.  But ever since, that table has been haunting me.  I was convinced - I will find a table like that in my budget and that will be the end of my coffee table dreaming.

Of course, whenever I make that kind of statement to myself, I almost instantly find something else and completely change directions.  Some people may say that I'm fickle - I'd like to believe that I am open-minded.

This weekend, Hancock Fabrics had a huge sale.  I wasn't planning on stopping there until I saw the red "Blowout Sale" banner from the highway.  I decided to stop, since I'm still on the hunt for the perfect fabric for my dining room chairs.

Lots of cute stuff, but nothing was knocking my socks off until I spotted this fabric on the remnant table, buried under piles of duck-themed and neon pink plaid fabrics.

As if love at first sight wasn't enough - I swear that this song was playing on the store's speaker system.



Talk about signs, right?  I wasn't waiting around for lightning to strike, so I grabbed the 2 1/2 yard remnant like a was rescuing a baby from a burning building.

Now, what did I need this for?

The colors are perfect for the living room.  It's heavy duty upholstery fabric - but there wasn't enough to do much with.  The options I quickly came up with were a skirted table or an ottoman.

It was only $4/yard - which I know is a good deal (not sure if that is what Hancock's remnants always go for - that's what they all were priced at this weekend).  However, I have no idea the maker or name of the fabric - so if you do know, please leave a comment and clue me in.

By the time I made it home, I had pretty much decided to nix the coffee table idea and make an ottoman out of this material instead.  A gorgeous, huge ottoman with lots of tufting and preferably turned legs with casters.

I laid the fabric out on the floor to make sure it would work...



Ottoman will be slightly smaller - and blue couch
will be reupholstered a different color.

I think it looks crazy good.  I'm really excited about the project.  It won't be finished any time soon, of course.  I'm going to keep on looking for an inexpensive coffee table I can convert to an ottoman, because so far the legs I'm finding online aren't super cheap.  However, I believe my $10-worth of fabric is going to make a huge statement.