welcomefurniture
3 min readApr 14, 2016

Accent Furniture or Occasional Furniture — The gap

What is the difference between accent furniture and occasional furniture? Everybody is unsure of this, but should it really matter as well as what makes an item ‘occasional’ or ‘accent?’ the terms aren’t truly definable, but can be explained by giving examples or by describing the part of each — so both ways are used here to be able to understand the relative terms once you hear them used.

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Accent or Occasional Furniture — Does It Matter?

Does terminology really matter? Generally no, nonetheless it can do if people utilize term to you in conversation or even when you are looking for new furniture for your household. However, in general terms regardless of at all whether your table is identified as an accent table or an occasional table.

In some instances occasional and accent furniture could possibly be the same — but to say that, the definition of these terms must first be agreed. The word ‘accent’ should be easy to understand — much like an accent in language, furniture of this type should emphasize a particular style, such as a statue from the jackal-headed god Anubis in an Egyptian-themed room — a property accent need not be furniture!

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Instances of Occasional Furniture

A coffee table and end tables are examples of occasional furniture. You will find alternative definitions with this type of furniture, the two most common being furniture which is used ‘on an occasion,’ and furniture which is used only ‘occasionally.’

Each of these definitions is so broad, which they could practically be said to be fundamentally the same. The first kind definition would include a coffee table, used on the occasion of drinking coffee — or other beverage or drink. It would also include all furniture employed in a lounge used only once visitors arrive, or even in a spare guest room. Definitions are a poor way to describe furniture.

The next definition used ‘occasionally’ would refer to exactly the same furniture, but additionally include rockers, specially the old-style hickory rockers that you might use occasionally a lot more the mood. You might occasionally make use of an ottoman to sit on if all the family arrived to visit. Quite frankly, definitions are needless when individuals know what occasional furniture is.

It is not a sofa or armchair, and isn’t a dining table or even a bed. Fundamentally, occasional furniture comprises the minor pieces that support the principal items of furniture in a room. The tables mentioned above are two examples, much like other functional pieces like the lift chair which is used only when an elderly relative visits or chest, nightstands and ottomans which might be occasionally in use.

Samples of Accent Furniture

Sometimes called ‘accent pieces,’ accent furnishings are used to add character with a room or to emphasize a theme — such as the Anubis statue mentioned earlier. A chess table useful for decoration is accent furniture, as they are a decorative small round table holding a vase of flowers or even a reed diffuser. An accent piece is generally smaller in size than the main furniture inside a room, and often has little practical use besides a decorative one.

A small table in an entrance hall is accent furniture, along with a chest in a hallway plus a large free standing globe in the home office. It sets a topic or a mood, emphasizes a trend or perhaps complements the purpose of a place such as an ornate oriental footstool inside a living room.

These are definitions of accent furniture and occasional furniture from the eyes of many people, however if you simply asked any individual for his or her own definition they will either be unable to answer or is likely to offer a different one.

You need to use accent furniture to enhance the decorative style of an area, and this type of furnishings is most commonly present in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and hallways. It really is rare in a kitchen, as most kitchen furniture is functional, as well as rarer in bathrooms although large bathrooms could be enhanced by accent furniture as free standing toiletry racks or carousels for lotions and decoratively colored bath salts.

Much occasional furnishings are completely functional and used regularly, for example ottomans used with recliners and low tables that are in daily use. The terms are given, not to define the pieces, but to determine a compartment that separates such smaller items from the larger forms of furniture typical to specific types of room such as the jewelry cabinet through the dresser and the end table from the sofa.