Whilst pondering decor issues, I came up with the following thought:
“Decide what is more important: the item you want to put into a given space or the space itself.”
Okay, so it is not that profound, but it came up during a discussion over coffee tables, which I am against. I think they are just crap collectors and if I want to have a place to put my feet I can use a cube storage ottoman, with the added bonus of putting blankets or something inside it. Unless you have a huge living room, a coffee table eats up a valuable space and ends up covered with magazines and garbage anyway. Just say no to coffee tables!
Wayne's Whirled 
Ok, ok, next time I’ll clean off the coffee table! Just give me a little notice!
yes, I completely agree. I actually made a coffee table for myself, then a couple of months later moved into a 450sf apartment and decided it could be taken apart and reused as something entirely different.
Now I live in a bigger apartment, but my coffee table is now also my dining table and occasional worksurface for my laptop. And it looks good with my other furniture.
I agree if you live in a tight space but my coffee table was the starting point for my entire decorating style! Without that I don’t know what I would have done. I do try to keep it clean with one book and one orchid. Everything in moderation. 🙂