Need your opinion on a couple of end tables? Which do you like better? Or, do you even like them at all?

First.
Definitely.

But… to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of either but the first is most acceptable to me.

@asmonet Thanks!

I know, I’m having a hard time finding something that I like that under $350.

Lemme check on my noodles and I will return with some of my favorite end tables.

:)

Yes. Definitely the first.

I like the first one, but maybe something similar with mouldings or something would be nice. It’s too simple, y’know what I mean?

@Mtl_zack I know exactly what you mean.

Both of them are just kinda meh..

There was a cute one from Urban Outfitters that I was planning on getting, but, they discontinued it a week ago. It had more of a retro feel that went well with my decor. Bummer.

Is this for a night table or more of a living room end table?

Living room end table.

I like this one or this one for a sort of 60s furniture vibe. Honestly, the end table I’ve been drooling over is this one but it’s not so much an end table as a trunk with a flat top. :P

The first one that you posted is exactly like the one that I had picked out from Urban Outfitters. It was called the “Modern Danish End Table”. Thanks, Dude!

The trunk is cute, too!

No problem, glad I helped. :)

Have you tried the goodwill or craigslist? Often you can find some really cool vintage tables at affordable prices.

Also, if you like Danish or Midcentury modern, check out CB2. They’ve got some great, inexpensive stuff that mixes well with the Danish look.

The first one, mainly because you can put more stuff in and on it and aesthetically it could blend with other styles of pieces easier than the second choice.

We need context, my friend.
What does the rest of your place look like?

I’m guessing this is for the living room?
For starters, what does your sofa look like?

If you’re not in the mood to be sharing pictures,
perhaps describe what kind of style you’re into?

My quick response, not even having skimmed all these replies, is that, if you are willing to pay hundreds of dollars, why not go with something more likely to keep its value over time?

These will not as they are knock-offs and not outstanding at that, either.

In that price range, there are several timeless values available out there.

I would start with looking at Design Within Reach.

Other than that, aesthetically, no, I don’t like these pieces. That is personal of course but I have looked at a lot of pieces over the last few decades. I can describe some of the reasons why I have that reaction. First, I don’t care for pieces that have been colored. By colored, I mean stained. Adolf Loos contended that ornamentation = style = obsolete in a shorter period of time. I consider the disguising of the natural grains of wood as this type of ornamentation. Secondly, my feeling is that the shapes, the forms aren’t very innovative and are, in fact, caught in a very 90s aesthetic. They look derived of interesting designs but are not executed as such.

Utilitarian wise, I would not be able to vouch for these w/o seeing them in person but they do look sort of cheap, like factory knock-offs, in which case, I tend to be very suspicious when it comes to quality of construction.

There is a lot to be said for seeing pieces in person and seeing a lot of them. Without the intent of the pieces, I can’t say much more. If you are just buying these for your apartment and you like them and are ok with the price and they suit your needs, get them. Or, take your time. Consider making an investment in something lasting, particularly in this economy.

I like the first. The second just seems like it’s trying too hard to be cool LOL. I can’t see it looking good with most styles or furniture but we don’t know what else you have so who knows…
@figbash I love CB2! They had a green striped high back loveseat maybe two years ago I wanted so bad.

I forgot to mention- try furnituregeek.com

I wouldn’t put either one of those in my house. The first one looks like Art Deco from the 1930’s and the other looks like the Jetsons cartoon.

I would go for something much more like this

I like the second one but my living room is modern, and has a few interesting unusual pieces. I have bamboo floors, fire and ice fire place, low sleek black leather sofas, and bright primary colors in the art and lighting. It really depends on the theme you’re going with.
The first one is more traditional and would go in a lot more applications.

@asmonet That trunk is fantastic! I wish I had the money for it/wasn’t moving to another country in the next year.

This video gives you a pretty good idea of what I have thus far.

I just found this at Design Within Reach. Je t’aime!

I think the last one, based on your video.

@jmah Glad to hear you are excited about something you found. Got to have that gut feeling about stuff you are going be living with…

@bonus A friend of mine in N. Jersey told me about a DWR outlet there. I’m going to give them a call tomorrow and see if they have that table in and see if they would ship it to me. My friend got a patio set from there and she got it for half the price.

That is brillia, a great score: IKEA prices but higher quality.. Check it for “jiggle” factor, if possible. I have a cubitec set (or 2) of plastic bookcases I ordered sight unseen from DWR. They were flimsier than I had hoped for which was disappointing. But they do look sweet.

Supposed to say brilliant