Mid-Century Low Dresser - $350 (San Jose, CA)

Mid Century 9 Drawer Dresser

Where To Use It:

  1. Living Room
  2. Bedroom
  3. Kitchen

Possible Style Pals:

  1.  Swedish Dreamland(minimalist natural bed, one joyously bright lacquered side table, one odd-ball shaped side table, light non-symmetrical design rug, earthy art)
  2. Bohemian Rhapsody (collection of drawings, noguchi ceiling lamp, white pottery, red poppies, sheepskin throw on a leather butterfly chair)

8 x 5 Zig-Zag Rug - $170 (Mill Valley, CA)

Blue Nate Berkus Zig Zag Rug


















Where To Use It:

  1. Living Room

  2. Bedroom
  3. Kids Room

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Traditional Tweaked (Grey velvet sofa, greek key throw pillows, salon-style painting collection, wingback chair, lucite cocktail table)
  2. Alice in Marrakesh (Bronze tray coffee table, modern leather sofa, red paisley throw pillows, Tibetan lamb poufs)

Wicker Chair and Ottoman - $200 (SF, CA)

Crate & Barrel Chair with Ottoman

Where To Use It:

  1. Sun Room 
  2. Living Room
  3. Bedroom

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Upbeat Coastal (Slip-covered sofa, turquoise gourd lamp, white lacquer coffee table, Moroccan mustard rug, driftwood mirror)
  2. Global Casual (vintage persian rug, classic leather sofa, well-loved trunk coffee table)

Brass Mid-Century Lamp - $250 (San Jose)

Mid Century Modern 5 Globe Light

Where To Use It:

  1. Living Room
  2. Dining Room
  3. Bedroom

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Pop Living (Optically intense rug, modern leather wingbacks, white minimalist coffee table)
  2. Mod Glamour (Tortoise shell side table, black velvet pillow, silk-wool silver/grey carpet)

Blue West Elm Chaise - $60 (Pacifica)

West Elm Chaise

Where To Use It:

  1. Living Room
  2. Bedroom
  3. Library
  4. Entry Way

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Modern Lounge (Sisal rug, ivory gourd lamps, 2 Bertoia diamond lounge chairs with sheepskin throws, white ceramic round coffee table without legs)
  2. Pattern Play (Black & white chevron rug, ikat gray throw pillows [Ballard Malabar Gray], rattan side chairs)

Louis XVI Table & Chairs - $249 (Vallejo, CA)

French Provincial Dining Room Table

Where To Use It:

  1. Dining Room (either make-over the chairs to look less matchy, or use different ones altogether)
  2. Office (as a very grand desk)
  3. Library (for consuming books as though they were food)
  4. Kitchen (as a breakfast table, see 2 below)

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Supper Club (extend it to the full 12 feet, and use big, dark wingbacks for EVERY chair)
  2. French Modern Famille (back one side up to a banquet, add Red Panton S chairs + a Marimekko runner, and you have an upscale but approachable kitchen table for the fashionable family)
  3. Curiously Chic (for a library table, add a stack of books for each seat, dark wood chairs with extra-padded seats, and a center tablescape of natural specimens in various bell jars)

Quatrefoil Wood Mirror - $50 (Berkeley, CA)

Z gallerie wooden wall mirror

Where To Use It:

  1. Dining Room (off-center over the sideboard in a tableau balanced with a table lamp on the other side)
  2. Living Room (as part of a salon-style art wall)
  3. Entry way (check yourself before you wreck yourself!/leave the house)

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Classic Clean (neutral wonderland of grays, light browns, and creams, punctuated by the occasional soft blue and live greenery)
  2. Mischievous Glamour (paint it gold, pair with velvet fainting chaise and leopard rug to say "I know how to walk the line, but I sometimes prefer to cross it)

Navy Blue Upholstered Bench - $125 (SF, CA)

Ballard X-Bench, Custom Upholstered

Where to Use It:

  1. Living Room (as side table with a tray on top, as foot rest, or as extra seating!)
  2. Bedroom (foot of bed as spot to toss your bag)
  3. Entry way (because it's easier to put on your shoes while seated)

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Naval Prep (Mostly white, with touches of red & blue. Nautical-themed pashmina afghan required)
  2. World Adventurer (Add to this scenario 7/13/2011)

Zebra Rug 8 x 10 - $325 (Walnut Creek, CA)

Zebra Rug Pottery Barn 8' x 10'

Where to Use It:

  1. Living Room
  2. Dining Room
  3. Library

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Rustic Transitional (Wood block side table, grey sofa)
  2. Wild Glam (settee with navy blue velvet and gold trim, brass busts, mirrors)

Crystal Acrylic Table Lamp - $100 (Pacifica, CA)

Restoration Hardware Crystal Table Lamp

Where to Use It:

  1. Bedside Table
  2. Library
  3. Living Room

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Gothic Polish (black lacquer shade, burnished horn accents, blue velvet wingback chair)
  2. Airy Natural (sisal rug, fiddle-leaf fig tree, slip-cover sofa, framed botanical prints, leather butterfly chair)

Chinese Black Lacquer Chairs - $350 (SF, CA)

Pair of Antique Emporium-Capwell Parlor Chairs

Where to Use It:

  1. Living Room
  2. Bedroom (sitting area)
  3. Office

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Shabby Chic (darker pieces to ground a light look)
  2. More Than Mid-Century (mix with low wood credenza, acrylic coffee table, funky lamps)

Red Coral Lamp & Side Table - $75 (SF, CA)

Artistic Lamp & Table

Where to Use It:

  1. Living Room
  2. Bedroom
  3. Entry

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Maximalism (Think Tony Duquette's asian-inspired follies)
  2. Edgy Beach (go Miami,w/ white cowhide, black lacquer & capiz)

Abstract Pottery Barn Rug 8 x 10 - $150 (SF, CA)

Pottery Barn Contemporary 8 X 10 Rug

Where to Use It:

  1. Entry (if you are blessed with endless space)
  2. Living Room
  3. Bedroom
  4. Office
  5. Kids Room

Possible Style Pal:

  1. Transitional (cream slipper chairs, navy blue sofa, wrought iron coffee table)
  2. World Adventurer (surveyor's lamp, potted tree, campaign desk)

Lime Lacquer Side Table - $165 (SF, CA)

Hi Gloss Green-Yellow Lacquered Table

Where to Use It:

  1. Bedroom
  2. Living Room
  3. Hallway (find a corner, BAM!)

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Traditional Twisted (MGBW Sofa, navy blue/white striped rug)
  2. Modern Bachelor (arc lamp, chesterfield, burled coffee table)
  3. Cheeky Chic (Jonathan Adler anything, light blue, burnt orange)

Mid-Century Wood Desk - $85 (SF, CA)

mid-century wood desk with matching nightstand

Where to Use It:

  1. Living Room (small stool underneath, cocktail tray on top)
  2. Bedroom (it's a desk, it's a bedside table, it's magic!)
  3. Office

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Mid-Century Classic (panton chair, op-art rug, bright lamp)
  2. Studied Collector (red chinese chair, painted white floor)
  3. French Sophisticate (white cowhide, sparkly chandelier, settee)

Williams Sonoma Wingback Queen Bed - $550 (Modesto, CA)

Queen Bed Frame and Headboard - Williams Sonoma

Where to Use It:

  1. Bedroom (very creative, I know!)

Possible Style Pals:
  1. Moroccan Boudoir (vintage maps, red suzani, sisal rug)
  2. Glamour (mirrored table, bench as footboard, silk curtains)
  3. Mod Regency (white saarinen side table, hints of chartreuse)

White Bamboo Desk - $40 (San Mateo, CA)

White Clean, Beautiful Desk with 4 Drawers

Where to Use It:

  1. Bedroom
  2. Living Room
  3. Study

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Mod Hollywood Regency (metallics, graphic pieces, off-kilter colors)
  2. Bright Boho Beachy (Malibu bright: blues, yellows, greens)
  3. World Mishmash (add brown furniture, deep reds, LOTS of books)

Houndstooth Plaid Slipper Chairs - $350 (SF, CA)

Crate & Barrel Contemporary Chairs

Where to Use Them:

  1. Living Room

  2. Library

  3. Master Bedroom (w/ room for a sitting area)

Possible Style Pals:

  1. Transitional (country club meets urban sleek) 

  2. Modern (keep the forms simple)

Bonus Suggestions: 

  1. Classic menswear pattern = grown-up bachelor pad

      A. No more shapeless recliners! 

  2. Throw a red blanket over the back for a graphic pop

Oak Dining Table & 6 Chairs - $200 (SF, CA)

Beautiful Oak Dining Table, 6 Chairs

Where To Use It:

  1. Dining Room  

  2. Library (hello reading table!)

  3. Super Fancy Breakfast Nook

Possible Style Pals: 

  1. Minimalist Loft (for a hint of old-school glamour)

  2. Modern Eclectic (among a well-edited selection of treasures)

Bonus-Suggestions:

  1. Matching chairs with the table might look a bit staid, so:

      A. Negotiate to buy just the table and add modern chairs

      B. Get the whole set and paint the chairs! 

             (I'm thinking a high-gloss black or white)

     C. Get the whole thing, then re-list just the chairs. :)

15 x 18 Brown & Beige Area Rug - $150 (Napa, CA)

Chocolate Brown Area Rug - Large

Where To Use It:

  1. Living Room  

  2. Bedroom 

  3. Den/Media Room

Possible Style Pals: 

  1. Ecclectic (imagine modern mixing with global)

  2. Shabby Chic (think a slip-covered sofa and roses)

  3. Absolutely anything (THE perfect neutral base)

Rustic-Industrial Nesting Tables - $55 (SF, CA)

Wrought Iron Nesting Tables

Where To Use It:

  1. Bedroom Nightstand
  2. Living Room Side Table
  3. Any-place Occasional Table

Possible Style Pals:

   1. Feminine and White (to bring some edge and gravity)
   2. Industrial (it would look nice and rough against slick items)
   3. Rustic (a modern twist for sure, but at home even in a cabin)