Coffee tables... a window to the soul?

Coffee tables intrigue me. 

Maybe it's because I grew up in a house without one. Maybe it's because they can either be the most lovely piece of furniture or the most hideous. Maybe it's because you can learn a lot about a person from their coffee table.

Think about it. Coffee tables show a lot about someone's personality and their approach to homekeeping. If it's a mess, the rest of the house probably is, too. If it's full of things that seem unique or different, you're probably getting a little snapshot into that person's soul. If the table is bare, it's likely that they either a) have small kids or cats, b) aren't sure what to put out there for display, or c) just really like clear surfaces - all three of which tell you something about the person.

My coffee tables always seem to have that sort of lived-in look - you'll never find a bare coffee table in my house. In fact, my favorite coffee table (shown in the first few photos) always tended to overflow with books, flowers, dishes - all carefully arranged to look not carefully arranged, of course. :) A friend told me once they always loved checking out what was on my coffee table when they came to visit, as it was always changing. Over time, I also discovered my coffee table was a pretty good barometer of my stress level - the more cluttered my brain, the more cluttered my table seemed to get.

Because that round coffee table is on the large side, it doesn't fit in my current living room. I decided to replace it with an old chest I found in a junk store for next to nothing - yes, that was a very good day. :) Because the chest is so much smaller, as you can see below, it makes me keep my coffee table display very simple - usually just books and magazines and flowers. Oddly enough, it also seems to suit my state of mind lately - a desire to pare down.

So, now you've seen my coffee tables. What does yours say about you?