The Ottoman Project

We recently acquired new couches (for FREE!!!!!!! To be pictured later in this post...) and, in the process of redecorating our living room,  decided that our three long years without a coffee table must come to an end. Unfortunately, I cannot think the words "coffee table" without visualizing my child's temple split open.

Hmmm. A dilemma.

My amazing husband is the one who conjured our wonderful solution: ottomans!!! The search began. Our requirements:

Must provide storage

Must double as a coffee table

Must be easily tucked away when needed

Must provide foot-restige

Must be light beige in color

Must be inexpensive

All of these requirements were met for $20 a piece at Target. Oh, how I love that store! Here is the winning candidate:

Laaaaaaaaa!!!! Even now, I can sense your awestruck wonder! :)

Anyhoo, this darling dear met all our requirements, but outsmarted us on one point- you get what you pay for. The bottom was nothing but cloth covered cardboard. Envision, if you will-

The two year old enters the room, assesses his surroundings, and discovers a new piece of furniture. It's small. It's light-weight and easily maneuvered with a little burly toddler true-grit. It would look magnificent upside-down, and crowned with a small human being....

Umm, yes. It was only a matter of time before our darling dears were in the dumpster. So we got our do-it-yourself on and for and extra $20, made these pieces that will last us a good, long while. Even if they are regularly crowned with little people. 

First, Paul skill-sawed us some studier bases, I painted them black, and we added higher quality sliders to  ensure our beige carpet did not also turn black. I think they look so much nicer!

Next, we went to work on the lids. We wanted them be able to flip and serve as a coffee table of sorts. They almost worked as was (covered in cloth), but I happen to be notorious for tipping over any container of liquid that could possibly touch our carpet. A trait it seems I have passed to both our children. We wanted something more stable.

Originally, I thought we would have to add an additional wood square, like we did underneath. Lucky for me, my husband is brilliant. He (very gently) pointed out that all we had to do was remove the cloth. 

So we removed. 

And we painted. 

And we had our lovely mini-coffee table! No melon-splitting here! Booyah!!!

AND (da da da dum!) our new couches with the finished product!!! 

All our pillows were used with our old couches, but I love them much more with the new. And please note the soft, cozy throw (which I am currently wrapped in)-- scored at Target for $4.99!!!

I'm tempted to share the of the rest of the room, as we moved everything around to compliment our newest additions. But, alas, I'm not finished with them, so you will have to wait ;)

I AM planning a memory wall over the couches, though, inspired by this Pottery Barn link.

Would the bottom display not be divine?

And Mal- totally did not mean to rip off your ottoman post! I had this one in the making as I read yours, and had to giggle that we were riding the same blogging brainwave :)