Like many of us, until recently, I’ve always thought that ‘occasional furniture’ was just a label applied to those bits of furniture which were used for special occasions. I was wrong—well, half wrong.
SO WHAT IS OCCASIONAL FURNITURE?
It turns out ‘occasional furniture’ simply refers those bits of furniture which are adaptable to different occasions, be they special or utterly ordinary. There are more examples of occasional furniture than you can waive a plank of reclaimed timber at, but two of our favourites include the console table (AKA the hall or sofa table) and nests of tables.
At the less-adaptable-but-still-occasional end you’ll find things like lamp tables, bedsides, coffee tables, dressers and even chairs.
Your statement fabric chair probably wouldn’t fit in that category, though…
WHY SHOULD I BOTHER WITH OCCASIONAL FURNITURE?
Well, you probably already do bother with it—without even realising! Unless you stand while you dine, your home would be furnished with at least a couple of dining chairs you could adapt for other occasions. Moreover, you would almost certainly have at least one bedside table which, with a little creativity, could be put to a wide variety of uses.
But whether you’re renting your first apartment or you’re living resplendently a country manor house, pretty much everyone could do with more occasional furniture. Bought individually or as sets, occasional furniture can provide excellent storage solutions for your family and guests, as well as add a touch of personality to whatever room you’re furnishing.
Finally, don’t forget to be creative. Some pieces can be put to very unusual uses and still work incredibly well!