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Read the Furniture Village occasional tables buying guide for help choosing side tables, coffee tables and more.
They may be referred to as ‘occasional’ but these small tables are far from it. They’re beautiful, functional and essential in the home. From coffee tables to side tables and everything in between, read on for our guide to finding the perfect occasional tables for your living room, hallway, dining room or bedroom.
An occasional table is one that’s reasonably small in size and is versatile. This means that, like all occasional furniture, it can be moved and can be used in different rooms, sometimes with different functions.
For example, a console table can be useful in your hallway, living room, dining room, bedroom or home office. It can be a surface for displaying treasured possessions, a useful serving area, a desk or even a dressing table.
The key to choosing all occasional furniture is to make sure your key furniture is in place first and then see what space is available, thinking about what you need day-to-day. Do you find piles of magazines and cups appearing next to your corner sofa? A neatly sized side table might be a good idea. Or do you need a handy surface, but want to make the most of your floor space? An occasional table with storage could be just what you need.
There are 5 well known types of occasional table.
In the living room, coffee tables are often the focal point of the room. If you opt for a coffee table, make sure it does not overwhelm the space. For a smaller living room look for a compact coffee table, or a space-enhancing glass coffee table.
If you love magazines and books, as well as a bookshelf you might want to choose a coffee table with storage, such as inbuilt shelves or drawers.
For a unified look, coordinate your coffee table with other living room furniture such as display cabinets, on trend open shelves or TV units.
Lamp tables are smaller, multi-purpose tables, convenient next to sofas, armchairs and beds. In fact they can sit anywhere you need to rest a book or a cup of coffee, where a table lamp is needed (the clue’s in the name), or where you want to display ornaments, finishing touches or photos.
If your hall is on the smaller side, instead of a sideboard you could consider a lamp table as a place to display real or artificial plants or flowers – always a welcoming touch.
In the living room, console tables can be used to display photographs and store useful bits and pieces. The console table is also a favourite for the hallway. Slim, waist-height and space-saving, most also have drawers for keys, pens and pencils and some have a lower shelf too. If you want both a desk and a dressing table in your bedroom and space is tight, a multifunctional console table can be both.
TOP TIP: Place a mirror behind a console table to make your hall feel wider and double the impact of any light source.
If you have an accent armchair in your living room – or even in your hallway or bedroom – you might want a convenient side table nearby for your cup of coffee. The beauty of side tables is that they can be moved to where they’re most convenient – within the living room and even from room to room.
Many people are now choosing small side tables to serve as bedside tables, because they look incredibly stylish and they don’t overwhelm the space – small, round occasional tables look particularly effective. Many have small drawers, perfect for these bits and pieces.
TOP TIP: Too short on space for a side table? A small folding occasional table can be stored away and brought out when needed.
For a while nests of tables were regarded as old fashioned, but now they’re back in style, and they come in all sorts of designs and materials. Scatter them about when they are needed to create extra surfaces for drinks and nibbles. Then, when your guests have gone home, you can tuck them away until you need them next.
Occasional tables are available in a wide choice of styles, so you can add a modern touch or a splash of vintage chic. Here are 4 of our favourites.
The beauty of wood is that it’s hardwearing, and every piece of furniture is unique, with different characteristics in colour, grain and durability – a traditional oak occasional table or oak coffee table to complement other oak furniture is a classic choice.
Look out for:
One of our favourite traditional brands is Old Charm – beautifully crafted furniture in solid wood with ornate detailing and a timeless beauty that never goes out of style.
Marble topped tables with glinting metallic legs, sleek side tables with gleaming wood veneers, high gloss pedestal coffee tables… our luxury occasional tables come in a wide choice of finishes and are a stunning combination of innovative design and fine craftsmanship.
A fabulous combination of metal and wood, industrial occasional tables are perfect for the contemporary home. Add a splash of urban style to your home with a cool coffee table or edgy side table.
One of our favourite industrial brands is Dutch furniture company Habufa who make exciting contemporary industrial style furniture with very little waste.
This very recognisable design style of the 1950s and 1960s is just as popular today thanks to its clean lines, simple yet sophisticated shapes, and focus on the natural beauty of wood.
One of our favourite mid-century brands is British furniture makers Ercol – their Originals range is mid-century design at its finest and their contemporary collections continue the elegant, finely crafted tradition.
Before you look at occasional tables, make sure you measure up – it’s important to choose a table that fits in, size-wise, with your room and your existing furniture. A tall occasional table could be perfect for that nook in the living room, while an occasional table with storage would suit a hallway.
A coffee table that’s too large for your living room means bruised knees and awkward shuffling to get to the sofa. And an oversized console table will overcrowd a hall. Measure up carefully and, if you need to, make a paper floor plan to see what fits. Something smaller will serve the same purpose and make the room appear larger.
Shape is as important as size when it comes to occasional tables. A square coffee table can work surprisingly well in a smaller living room, for example, between two sofas placed at right angles. Round occasional tables are very in vogue, think chic marble-topped side tables with metal legs. And Ercol’s signature pebble shaped nest of tables from their Originals range never loses its appeal.
Read the latest storage furniture trends and design tips on The Home of Inspiration, our very own online design hub.
Choosing the right centrepiece for your living room is harder than it seems – from glass coffee tables that are utterly sleek in every way, to their heavy-set wooden counterparts.
READ MORE
Would you love to have a coffee table, but space is limited? No problem! There are plenty of stylish, space-enhancing designs you can choose from. Read on for some clever, cool and compact coffee table ideas.
Here are 5 top tips for making the most of this elegant, space-saving occasional table.
Q. Is it too much to have a coffee table, console table and nest of tables in one room?
A. No, if your living room is large enough you can have all three. If you choose them from the same range the coordinated look can look very pleasing.
Q. My modern living room is far too small for a coffee table, what can I use?
A. It’s perfectly acceptable to use one, or two small side tables or lamp tables in place of a coffee table. These compact occasional tables can be placed to the side of your sofas or chairs, using wasted space, and if you choose ones with drawers and lower shelves you can gain some useful storage too. Another option for a very small living room is sofas or chairs with cup holders built in, and folding tables. Tray tables are very popular, and can be folded away easily when not in use.
Q. I have young children, what sort of occasional table is best?
A. The edge or corner of a table can be at eye-level for a toddler. For safety, choose a wooden occasional table with rounded rather than sharp corners. Or, if you already have a table with sharp corners, you can buy foam corner protectors which you can use until your children are a little older.
Q. My décor is modern but I’ve found this beautiful vintage side table. Will it look out of place?
A. It’s very in style to mix old and new, so if you love that vintage side table, treat yourself!
Q. I want to buy a nest of tables, but I’m worried they’ll look dated.
A. Our contemporary nests of tables are a world away from the old-fashioned styles you might remember from your grandmother’s house. From mirrored glass to marble and chrome and black metal and wood there are so many fresh new looks to choose from, all of them far from dated.
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