The ABCs of Accent Furniture

Anchor furnishings, such as a large living room sofa or a dining room table, set the tone for a specific room. Accent furnishings are the pieces that coordinate, compliment or contrast with the anchors to help you express what’s in your heart. Arm chairs, benches, tables, organizing and storage chests plus drawer chests from our most popular suppliers such as Butler Specialty and Currey and Company all fill the bill.

Even if your home just needs a reboot, accent furniture is like a breath of fresh air that blasts away last season’s cobwebs. The trend these days is conversation groupings rather than a sofa and chair against each wall, so work from the middle of the room out. A seating group can incorporate a number of the following pieces:

• Anchor furniture, such as a sofa
• Chair and/or armchair
• End table
• Accent table
• Floor lamp
• Table lamp
• Ottoman

Depending upon the size of your living area, you may have room for more than one seating ensemble. How you intend to use each grouping, whether for socializing, reading, TV watching or listening to music, should suggest the types of accent furnishings that would enhance that particular area. For example, in a video gaming area, you would need some sofa chairs, a chest for the equipment and some tables.

Pieces That Personalize and Revitalize

When you assemble a decorating scheme that clicks, you transform your family’s surroundings from an inanimate backdrop to an interactive environment. For example, every stool at your breakfast bar is always filled when your kids and their friends are around, snacking and chatting. Choose the type of stool that compliments your kitchen, from elegant to farmhouse styles from trusted makers like Varaluz and Sterling Industries. Add a row of Craftmade mini pendant lights directly above to make it a natural space for homework too.

Use accent pieces in the master bedroom to mark it as your personal haven of relaxation. Your bedstead would naturally be the anchor element while such essential accents as a lamp table on each side of the bed, drawer chests for personal items, a storage chest and task lighting all coordinate to create a perfectly balanced vibe.

If you have ample space, a small seating ensemble with a plush arm chair or love seat, an accent table and its own lighting – perhaps even a mini chandelier – add a sense of intimacy to your private space. Place a padded bench from Uttermost or a drawer chest from Chelsea House at the foot of your bed for a practical touch that puts a dash of panache in your bedroom décor.

Mix and Match for an Organic Interior

If you are like most homeowners, you may not know where to start when putting together an overall organic look for your living space. You may already have such large pieces as a dining set or a sofa that you want to keep, and you can refresh them with distinctive accents. Perhaps a striking Quoizel lamp or a Chelsea House coffee table has caught your eye. Perfect. Simply build outward from there.

To keep it compatible, select accent pieces with shared aspects, either their stylistic features, their materials – glass, antiqued wood, or wrought iron, for example — or their colors groups. Once your accent pieces are in place, view the effect with an objective eye, and if you see any glaring misfits, you may need to rethink or repurpose that particular accent.