Good Questions: Ideas for Making Settee Fit?

Chandra is looking for some ideas:Help! We have this great mahogany wood table with long pedestal legs that we recently bought a wingback settee for. The problem is that the pedestal legs of the table line directly up with the sette, leaving too much room between the sette and the table.

(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
sf(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)

So we've trying shifting the settee to fit underneath the table and it causes the settee to be off-centered, which is bugging the heck out of me.

I've pondered with idea of shaving some of the wood off pedestal legs to fit the settee underneath the table -- but I have no idea who would be able to do this and I am not sold on the idea that this is the best idea. I would really love to keep both pieces - so any suggestions?

Any ideas for Chandra? Please let her know in the comments...thanks!

Comments (7)

I don't really know what to do but I would definitely NOT shave the wood down on the pedestal! If you are going to alter the table that much then remove the table top and put a bigger top on... that way you can at least put the old table top back, and you wouldn't regret anything

There's no making it work - either use the settee in another room and get a longer banquette or chairs, or get another table altogether .

I'd orient the settee so it faces a short end of the table if that doesn't look too off balance.

I would not shave any of the legs either; that sounds too damaging!

Off topic, can I ask where you got your dining seat cushions? They look really nice!

There is no ideal solution that I can think of, but you might try adding a larger glass top over the existing table top. You could camoflauge the glass that goes beyond the edge of the table any number of ways. A few ideas: underpaint or etch that section of glass, apply chrome edging, etc.
good luck!

I'm guessing the concern is that your guests will be seated too far from the table itself, yes?

If that's the case, three suggestions:

Low Tech—Cushions. Big, fluffy cushions would have your guest sit closer to the table and not so far back.

Med Tech—Replace the table top all together with one that is larger and would accommodate the settee.

High Tech—Find a carpenter who could attach a fold-down "leaf" to the length of the table so that when guests are seated, the leaf is propped up and the table is at a more comfortable distance.

Or, you could use the settee elsewhere and find another seating option.

That's my $2!

bepfs is right, but if you can stand balanced asymmetry...

Bump the settee over to the side. Get a tall stool. Put a third, matching wicker vase on the stool. Call it Art (short for Arthur :-)

Use the stool to seat kids when they visit.