Sure, it might seem like a small change, but sometimes adjusting how a side table functions can make a big difference in how a room works. Our home is lived-in, not a showroom: pillows and accessories get swapped regularly, and nothing is too precious to be moved or edited when we need it to be. As our life evolves—most notably with a baby girl added to the mix and John now working from home—we try to make sure our rooms evolve with us. That meant it was time to rethink how we used the side table in the den. This is what it looked like when we first introduced it to the room:
Back then, the table served a few clear purposes:
- A place for a notebook— I like to jot down ideas in the evenings while we relax on the sofa.
- Room for a drink.
- Space to display decorative items and a stack of “keeper” magazines.
- A plant for its air-purifying benefit.
Over the past year and a half those needs shifted. As a result, the once tidy table started collecting things and ended up cluttered and less functional. That old setup simply wasn’t meeting our new needs, so we asked ourselves what we really wanted from the table now:
- A container to hide miscellaneous small items and keep the surface tidy.
- Fewer decorative objects to free space for baby toys and random items that get dropped there.
- A spot for a snack—quick, easy access while we’re on the sofa.
- A designated coaster so sweaty glasses don’t leave rings and we don’t have to constantly wipe the surface.
- A modest stack of reference magazines.
- A plant for its air-purifying qualities.
Here’s the table now, with those priorities in mind. We pared down the magazines, removed several decorative pieces, and moved the notebook to the nearby desk now that my computer is in the new home office. Then we added a clutter-hiding box and a coaster. That simple swap for concealed storage made the table feel calm and intentional again.
Adding a decorative capiz box isn’t complicated, but sometimes a small, thoughtful change is all it takes to make a surface look tidy without constant effort. Fitting everything that needed to go into the box took a little creativity, but the result is both practical and neat. The box itself is an old Target find.
First, I sorted through the clutter and kept only what we use regularly. Items that don’t need to be in the den—like a bulb syringe—were relocated to the bathroom. We kept a spare thermometer in the den because I check Clara’s temperature occasionally and prefer having a backup close by. After removing truly unnecessary items, we focused on consolidating what stayed.
For example, I’m taking several postnatal vitamins and the only way I remember them is at night, after Clara’s in bed. Keeping three different containers on the table didn’t make sense, so I reused an old prescription bottle and combined the vitamins into one convenient container. That freed up room in the box and makes it easy to take my supplements without dedicating half the side table to plastic bottles. A nail file (Clara has surprisingly sharp nails), a small pack of tissues, and a few other useful things fit in the box too. Yes, I floss on the sofa every night—right after taking my vitamins.
The new arrangement meets our odd, specific needs without costing anything or requiring a long rework. It took about half an hour to decide what functions we wanted the table to serve and to reorganize it accordingly. You’ll also notice the pistachios in two nested ceramic bowls—one for the shells and one for the nuts. It’s an easy trick when you want to bring both bowls to the sofa for snacking and keep the shells contained.
Safety is important: if you have little ones who are more mobile than Clara, keep vitamins, nail clippers, and other potentially dangerous items out of reach. As a lighthearted aside, a photo outtake from this shoot shows John ducking into a shot with Clara and then running away—parenting glamour, right?
Clara seems to approve of the new setup. Have you consolidated pills into one bottle to save counter space? Do you floss on the sofa too? What items are must-haves on your side table—lip balm is mine, non-negotiable. Share what’s essential for you and how you keep your living spaces both practical and pleasant.