The centre of attraction

Centre tables have long been integral to home décor, creating a huge impact on the outlook transcending the entire room in which they are placed. Their significance goes beyond just acting as showpieces in our homes, what with our tendency to utilise them to place a variety of things, therefore adding to their functionality factor.

While you can always get your carpenter to manufacture centre tables according to catalogue designs or personal vision, there are a number of stores in the city, the magnitude of whose collection will leave you spoilt for choice.

Otobi, Partex, and Hatil are crowd favourites as they offer centre tables catering to all budget categories. You could also check out the slew of furniture stores at Panthapath opposite of Bashundhara City for reasonable options.

To induce an aura of classic European look and feel into your interiors, check out the luxury home collection of Casa Deco for their mirrored centre tables replete with sparkling golden edges. Satori and Legacy Furniture offer centre tables which are particularly crafted to lend an opulent appeal to the interior settings of your living/drawing rooms.

While some prefer centre tables be adorned with only a vase of flowers, others keep a large dish/ bowl in the middle with a small stack of coffee table books by the side. Embellishing them with different types of knickknacks and souvenirs can also appear great, if done tastefully.

While you can coordinate the colour of your centre table with that of the surrounding upholstery, those in mahogany wood finishing are timeless classics which can effortlessly complement furniture in practically any colour scheme.

Shape, size, construction -- most importantly of the surface -- and aesthetic appeal are some factors one should evaluate while deciding on a centre table.

While wood is a ubiquitous choice of constructing element for centre tables, materials such as acrylic, marble, Lucite, tempered glass and metal offer an array of options as well. Break away from the monotony of oval and rectangular shaped tables by opting for those in edgy geometric surfaces which could range from resembling a glass pyramid to football themed structures.

Centre tables must be placed at such a length from the other pieces of furniture with the preferred gap being 18 inches so as to facilitate ease of movement throughout the in-between space.

Glass table tops generate the illusion of increased depth; hence they are suitable for those looking for ways to create an enhanced sense of capacity within limited space.

If your interior décor philosophies border on quirky and/or innovative ideas, watch out for Ottoman styled centre tables which are in vogue in the West due to their multi-purpose nature; that is while you can use them to keep things, they also act as comfy foot rests owing to their leather surfacing.

The type of centre table you obtain can be specialised to meet the needs of the functions that are likely to be served by them. For instance, tables with a rough surface are convenient for serving food and drinks as they prevent spilling. The utilitarian in you could contemplate on a table attached with multiple decks or storage drawers to stow away your titbits.

Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed/Nazneen Haque Mimi