Occasional furniture buyingguide

The right occasional furniturecan make or break a room’s design. Like a great pair of shoes that completes an outfit, finding just theright combination of style and function is a challenge.  Occasional furniture is not optionalfurniture; occasional furniture is an important functional component of a roomthat should be chosen with care and consideration of many different factors.

Text Box: Occasional furniture refers to smaller furniture items, such as end tables, cocktail tables, curios and accent furniture. OCCASIONAL FURNITURE SHOPPING CHECKLIST Room Dimensions ___ Feet ___ Inches by ___ Feet ___ Inches Anchor Piece Dimensions o Sofa __________________ o Loveseat_______________ o Chair __________________ o Other __________________ Room Activities □ Entertaining □ Watching TV □ Play □ Reclining □ Reading □ Eating □ Laptop □ Showplace Scale

Scale is always important whenselecting furniture.  Not onlyshould you measure the room before you start looking for occasional furniture,but you should note the dimensions of the primary furnishings in the room.  (Use our online roomplanner to get an idea of the scale of the room and the pieces in itbefore you set out.)  Here are acouple rules of thumb to consider when selecting occasional furniture:

Construction

The standards of constructionapply to the selection of occasional furniture as well.  These include dovetail joints, cornerblocks,levelers, dust panels, backpanels, and sturdy drawer glides. (Please see our Wood furniture buying guideand our Dining room furniture buying guidefor more buying ideas.)

Planning Yourr

Think of how you use the roombefore you go shopping.  You willnot find a single piece of furniture that solves every problem on your list;however, if you inventory your greatest needs, you should be able to make yourroom more functional and livable.  Don’tforget to take along a copy of your floor plan when you go shopping.

Entertaining – Do you occasionally need extra seating?  You might look for a multifunctionottoman that can be used as; a cocktail table when a tray is place on top,extra seating for party guests or a traditional ottoman to put your feet up onwhile relaxing.  Another option isa cocktail table that comes with ottomans that tuck underneath it or nest whenthey are not needed.

Watching TV – If you watch TV in the room there are somemiscellaneous items that doubtlessly accompany it:  DVDs or videos, remotes, video games and TV guides.  You might want to look for occasionalpieces with drawers or cabinets to stow away these viewing accouterments tokeep your room from looking cluttered.

Child’s Play – Do your kids play in the room?  You may want to consider occasionalfurniture that incorporates storage for the quick cleanup of toys and games.  If your children are very small, you maywant to avoid tables with sharp corners that could injure a learning-to-walktoddler.

Reclining – Reclining or motion furniture often puts restrictionsand requirements on your occasional furniture.  Cocktail tables on casters are a great solution for changingthe distance between the sofa and table as the foot rest is extended orretracted.

Reading – For those who like to curl up with a good book, good lightingis essential.  When shopping for anend table to sit beside a reading chair, keep in mind that the lower edge ofthe lampshade sitting on the table should not be higher than the eye level of aperson sitting in the chair.  Youwant the light cast onto the page, not into the eye of the reader.

Eating – For many people the living room serves as an occasional diningroom.  Your choice of occasionalfurniture can minimize the inevitable spills.  Some cocktail tables are designed with tops that can beadjusted to dining table level, making it easier to eat.  Nesting tables are a great option for anextra place to put your plate.  Somemanufacturers make end tables that double as storage for tray tables.

Working on Your Laptop – With the growth of wireless computernetworks, now any room in the home can serve as the home office.  Some manufacturers accommodate themigration of the laptop into the living room with occasional furniture builtfor office functions.  Adjustableheight cocktail tables take the laptop off your lap to make typing moreefficient.  End tables can doubleas easily-accessed printer storage.

Showplace – Collectibles are a great way to add characterto a room.  Many collectibles areinvestments worthy of protection. A curio cabinet can highlight your treasures and protect them at thesame time.  Most modern curios havemirrored backs, glass shelves and interior lights to show off thecontents.  Look for a curio that iseasy to get into with easy access to the light switch.  The size of the curio should fit thescale of the room as well as the breadth of your collection.  Consider setting all of the collectionout on a table and inspecting them before you go shopping to get a sense of howmuch space you will need.  Don’tfeel obliged to stuff everything into one cabinet; consider rotating yourcollection, highlighting a few pieces at time.  After all, that’s what most major museums do!