I'm not sure why we held out for so long, but I am happy to report that we finally bought a table for our little cottage! About a month ago, I headed to Boston to pick it up from IKEA, and then I spent an hour the following afternoon assembling it. We chose the Norden gateleg table for its compact size, ability to expand to fit six people comfortably, and its storage capacity—the thing has six drawers!

I didn't realize what an impact a small, simple table would make, but it's absolutely massive. Now, I can't imagine what we ever did without one! Honestly, it has changed this little one-room structure into a home.

The table has increased our quality of life by leaps and bounds. Even something so seemingly insignificant as the ability to set out a candle, and a little tray for our salt, pepper, and toothpicks feels huge. Even better is that Tyler and I can now work on collaborative projects together! We can sit down and eat real meals together like adults! We can write letters! We can have friends over for tea, supper, or to play board games!

Who knew a table could be so important?