Odd Furniture: Beyond the Coffee Table and Bookcase

By J. A. Young

Quite often, it is the odd piece of furniture—the mismatched or the one-of-a-kind that give a room its true character. It may be a vintage curiosity like a vintage inlaid metal chest in the Oriental style or it may be something simply eccentric these days like a Victorian tilt tea table. It may be something contemporary that simply stands out against your other décor, and yet somehow enhances the room. The following text discusses various pieces and types of furniture that may give any room of the house a signature style.

Unusual may be a better way to describe the following furniture items. Today’s homes may not require the traditional function of a piece, but many such items can be adapted for other uses. For example, the colonial pie safe was traditional a pie receptacle. However, pies may not be baked daily in most households potentially making the pie safe a thing of the past. However, this lovely piece of furniture can easily hold china or other kitchen items. Several have glass panel doors making for a small curio cabinet for decorative household items.

While the coffee table is certainly an essential piece for most living rooms, it needn’t be a typical table. A vintage trunk with a flat top may also serve as a coffee table. You may also consider a tabletop made of something less usual than glass or wood such as granite or marble. A plain table may be enhanced by a decorative paint effect or by adding decoupage images to it. You may even find that a top can be more effectively displayed by an unusual pedestal.

Side and end tables can also be quite unusual. A statuary elephant sporting a glass table top makes an unusual statement. Consider other unique pieces to serve as this side function such as: a mahogany three-tiered dumb waiter, a regency cellarette, a George III-style knife box, quartetto tables, rosewood card table, a gilt consul. Such pieces may be actual antiques or lovely replicas. Even a stone or marble bench can be an interesting piece of furniture for the interior of the house.

Consider incorporating odd wood framed chairs into a room. Styles with harp backs or ornately carved legs can be effectively blended together by simply reupholstering the chair covers in similar or the same fabric. Even a single such chair perched beside a fire place or next to the room’s entrance can achieve a handsome effect that is beyond the couch, loveseat, and recliner combination.

A vintage armoire can also make a more interesting television stand than many contemporary entertainment centers. Simply cut out the back or a section of the back and add your television. When the television is not in use, the doors can be closed to demonstrate nothing more than a lovely piece of furniture for a TV room or bedroom. Any electronic item could be concealed in this piece making for a more charming décor style.

Large pieces of furniture can produce very dramatic effects. Consider an Oriental black lacquer and painted secretary. An antique library card catalog (for the home office or employed to hold kitchen spices), a turn-of-the-century buffet, a church pew, a fiddleback bureau cabinet, a floral marquetry tall case clock, an Art Nouveau bronze d’ore chandelier, a fainting couch, a Baroque refectory table in the Flemish style, or a Florentine credenza. There is, of course, a wide variety of furniture, but by choosing some seldom seen, you have an unusual piece to accent your room.

If you prefer a more contemporary type of style, consider a table painted with a checkerboard that you may outline with a carved or glass chess set. Even an instrument like a piano or harp may compliment a formal room with classic style. While eccentric and odd can be captivating, it’s also wise to choose items that are truly useful. The Louis XIV plate rack may not be necessary when your plates resemble early American tin.

Many of the listed items may be discovered online at auctions or antique galleries. Also look at local antique shops and flea markets to find unusual pieces of furniture. Another excellent place to find unusual items is through stores that contain globally-inspired inventory. An item reflective of another culture may subtly enhance your décor to give it that unique look you are after.

© Doityourself.com 2006