Versatile Furniture for Holiday Gatherings

As the holidays roar forth, hosts and hostesses far and wide are likely surveying their great-rooms and dens to judge whether their seating arrangements will accommodate everyone they will be entertaining during the season. We have so many excellent pieces of versatile furniture for holiday gatherings, we thought we’d share some of our best and brightest accent tables, which are so easy to move around; and benches, which take up little room for the extra seating they provide. There are a number of new introductions in the mix, including (left to right) the Coral Accent Table, the Gallo Bronze Accent Table, the Freya Accent Table, and the Serpent Accent Table shown in the image above.

Versatile Furniture for Holiday Gatherings

Also new is the Paradiso Accent Table. With a body made of steel, it has a lyrical shape inspired by the Strelitzia reginae, more commonly known as the Bird of Paradise plant. The limb that arcs up, in a contemporary silver leaf finish, holds a blossom in a contemporary gold leaf finish. The two work in concert to balance the glass top. This silver and gold occasional table is an example of how nature-inspired design elements are driving the biophilic movement.

Among our new seating options that take up less space but are still seriously comfortable is the Norene Demetria Bench, which is made of Mindi wood in a fog gray finish that matches the darker tones in the nubby upholstery fabric. It is shown above with the other pieces in the Norene family—a console table and a wing chair—against a backdrop of beautiful Thibaut wallpaper that enlivens the neutral tones from the finish and the fabrics. The raised white lines in the fabric on the bench bring a textural feel to the seat, as does the way the wood grain shows through the finish that lightens the material so beautifully. Special attributes about the design of this gray bench are the bobbin, or spool, ornamentations that are intermittently placed from the seat rail to the bottom shelf, and the added storage area this creates.

The Anisa Natural Parchment Storage Bench is one of our pieces of versatile furniture for holiday gatherings that extends its helpfulness throughout the year because it doubles as a place to stash just about anything. The artful creation has a trick up its sleeve: because the frame in natural oak is fitted with rattan cane panels, it is artfully attractive from all sides. The larger rattan sections are in a radio weave and the smaller ones in an open weave to mix it up and bring the tan storage bench a dynamic textural quality. The cohesion of the textural natural materials and the parchment-colored seat places this firmly in a natural state style story.

Serious about its ability to wow, the Micha Accent Table has lines pressed into its metal surfaces that bring it a dynamic texture and a sense of movement. Made of textured cast aluminum in an antique nickel finish, the base is handmade so the striations on the surfaces will vary slightly. The silver accent table holds the white stone top as brilliantly as it shines, the removable disc fitted with felt pads on the bottom. The way the upper and lower u-shaped negative spaces intersect introduces added character to the design.

The Coral Accent Table is an artistically rendered version of the flowing and billowing animals that make up the world’s great reefs. The fact that the nubby creation is rendered in a brute material like cast aluminum makes the gold occasional table more of a feat. As is the case with all metals that are poured into molds, the surfaces in an antique brass finish have drifts of pitting and stippling that enhances the table's patina. The floating clear glass top fits seamlessly into place and is easy to remove for cleaning.

The Gallo Bronze Accent Table is a clean and simple design with a textured surface that enhances its artful personality. The patterning reads like ripples along the entire piece except the top. The color of the nearly black occasional table is accented by the bronze finish, which highlights the character in the material with subtle hints of reddish brown. The implied discs that flow along the thin stem from the top to the base further the artisanal feel of its profile.

The tray top of the Freya Accent Table is created by an engineering feat, as the white decorative disc is cut on a CNC machine that carves out the interior and drills the holes that ornament the circumference of the top. An artisanal aspect to the design is the uniformity of the thickness of the sides and the regular spacing of the holes, both of which require refined handicraft skills. The beauty of real stone is evident here, as the subtle veining brings elegance to this white and gold occasional table.

Supporting the disc top of the Serpent Accent Table are curvy creatures that pull a balancing act as they clamp down on its thin surface. This is a whimsical aspect of this design. Made of cast aluminum in an antique brass finish, the gleaming gold occasional table will certainly be a conversation starter in any space, as it will command attention when the luminous surfaces glow when light touches them. Illustrating the artisanal aspects of cast aluminum, there are drifts of patina throughout the profile.

The Genevieve family of benches and ottomans is one of our long-time popular profiles that reflects a more formal feel. The frame of the Genevieve Shimmer Gold Bench shown above is finished in rich Grecian gold that illuminates its legs and distinctive side flourishes reminiscent of Egyptian hieroglyphic symbology. The upholstered seat is shown here in a F0175 Sequin Gold Dust fabric. We also offer this bench in muslin for those who wish to cover it in a COM.

The Visby family of benches and ottomans is versatility personified, as the seat cushions flip to become tables. The Visby Smoke Black Bench with its upholstered-side up is shown above and with its table-side up is shown below. Made of solid oak in a cerused black finish with a linear brass accent in a brushed brass finish, the bench has mid-century lines that are enhanced by the rough ceruse treatment on the wood. The seat cushion of the black bench is shown here upholstered in a F0224 Arita Smoke fabric.

We also offer the bench in a Calcutta Pepper version that ticks the box on the natural state style theme with its light pepper finish and linear brass accent in a brushed brass finish. The wood has a rough ceruse treatment on it as well, and the seat cushion is upholstered in a F0223 Calcutta Linen fabric. Each of the Visby benches and ottomans are available in muslin. The Visby Calcutta Pepper Ottoman, shown in the image below, illustrates how versatile the collection is. The neutral products featured with it against a Thibaut wallpaper coalesce to create a highly textured vignette.

Mindfully Designing

As the talented members of our design team develop products, they are always pushing into new territory in order to create pieces that not only look swell in a room but are highly functional. This commitment is illustrated in the thoughtful way the Anisa Storage Bench and the Visby benches and ottomans were designed, all created by our Director of Furniture Aimee Kurzner. We’ll keep dreaming up new ways to make your homes more comfortable and highly workable as we introduce new products year after year. Early happy holiday wishes to everyone!