Ok, here it goes... HUMANS: Male and female in our forties and thirties. BABIES: Two girls, 3 years and 20 months old. None of the fur kind. JOB TYPE: Hubby is a business consultant in a private firm, I am a music librarian at the state university in Athens. WHERE LOCATED: A few kilometers from the city center (walking distance, maybe less than an hour) in Athens, Greece. DWELLING TYPE: 2 bedroom 2nd floor apartment (750-800 sq ft). OTHER INFO THAT MAY TELL A STORY OF WHY: DH and I work about the same hours. When we are both home it is very difficult to get anything done as our 2 toddlers are always underfoot and DH may want me to talk or just listen to him (I love him dearly, but he is the kind of person who is always bugged by something. Also there are all those instances that he says something that makes me feel heavy and drained of energy...) I am much more productive when at home alone with the kids. Our relatively small space makes it necessary to keep on top of decluttering, and not having lots to spend makes it easier to not bring uneeded things in the house in the first place. I am a long time member here although I mostly lurk. Maria

When I refreshed my living room I purchased a lift top table because DH sits on the sofa. When he wanted to play games on the computer he would sit on the floor and use the sofa as a back rest. I saw a Paula Dean table at a local furniture store that wasn't bad looking (it actually looked quite nice in the store). I bought it and DH was thrilled. It brings the table top right up to his height. I have two major issues with it. First, it looked fine in the store but at home it looks like a big, dark, decorative cube sitting in the middle of my room. It weights the room down. The second issue is we have a two cushion sofa and DH refuses to sit directly on one of the cushions and move his laptop over. He now sits right on the division between the two cushions which is causing a down trodden look to a three year old sofa. I would rate the table as a ten functionally but a one aesthetically. If you can find one that isn't enclosed it will look so much better but you will lose the storage function.

You have options! Short answer is nothing has to match but it all needs to coordinate in some way. With that in mind, it can be more efficient to buy everything together but it's not your only option. Purchasing separates gives you a lot more room to personalize your space and buy pieces outside of a particular collection or even a particular store. If it is possible, bring samples of your upholstery fabric from your chairs and sofa or bring photos of your resources along with photos of your space and all other pieces in your family room when you go out shopping. Don't forget about photos (or samples when applicable) of any window treatments, ceiling fixtures, and hardware in the room. Look for ways to tie in all current and prospective finishes,colors, and textures. Often times, a knit throw blanket or woven rug can be your best opportunity to tie your full palette together. With your accent table selection, look for pieces of a similar style and/or similar finishes so you can ensure some cohesiveness with your new additions. When you get those pieces into your space then consider accessories and think about where you might need to bring your full furniture palette together, again, in color or finish combinations. Happy shopping!

groveraxle, Thanks for the photoshops. That actually has me back to considering the light grey concrete one the most as it seems to match the overall asthetic better than others I am considering. May not be as thin as what I would prefer but the singlular central base feels like a good compromise.