The sofas may be plush and the drapes sheer and lovely. But there's nothing like an appropriate centre table to do wonders for your living room. And we are not talking about the regulars here, but breathtaking models that maybe minimalist or grand, and will make you sit back and enjoy their cleverness or craftsmanship.

There are many kinds you can choose from, depending on the décor. A traditional Colonial setup can sport some exquisite carved wooden or metal ones, a modern chic living room can use the play of glass and wood and slick designs team well with contemporary décor.

Wonderful wildlife

Cabriole tables, which feature the hind legs of an animal as the legs of the furniture, is perhaps the simplest way to incorporate your favourite animal in your centre table. The effect can be dramatic depending on the details of the ‘leg' and the intricacy of the carving. Some common ones include the traditional ‘ball and claw' symbol at the end of the foot; tiger, lion, elephant legs, bird claws and slithering snakes too.

If you are willing to experiment further, you can opt for tables that carve out the whole body of the animal, usually in caricature form. It can either be played up on the legs or at the centre stand that further extends into the four legs. But bringing realism into your living room are life-sized sculptures in wood, metal or glass, paired usually with a glass top so that all of the legs are visible. Turtles, ducks, swans are popular options and take room décor to a whole new level. While cabriole legs can be found in most furniture stores, it's best to look at exclusive brands and sculptors for other styles.

Baroque and all things grand

Introduced in the reign of King Louis XIV in France, Baroque décor is ostentatious and has found appeal in Indian homes too. If you have a grandeur setting, then it's even more important to have a centre table that befits the rest of the furniture, or perhaps, outdo them all. Expressing drama and exuberance, a Baroque centre table is eye catching in its exquisite carving and craftsmanship, but seldom over the top. It is usually in brass or giltwood (wood that has gold paint or gold leaf on it through a process called gilding), carved extensively and paired with a rich marble top.

Antique stores and auction houses are treasure troves for such styles.

Though jewelled centre tables are not Baroque, they glam up the living room just the same. Those with mother-of-pearl inlay work, ones embellished with precious stones and crystals in modern styles or Indian traditional designs have plenty of takers.

Minimalism

If subtlety is your middle name, then your attempts at sleek and classic décor can be enhanced by a centre table that blends in, yet stands out. Differently shaped glass tops with abstract wooden or aluminium/steel legs, all-glass ones with simple motifs, all these styles exude effortlessness to the décor.

Out-of-the-box

Whacky styles, kitschy tables and mind-boggling creative ones are strictly for living spaces that can carry one off. In such cases, the rest of the furniture should be kept simple to let the centre table do its whacky bit. Interesting ones that caught our eye were glass tables with pipe wrenches as legs, aquariums that double up as the coffee table and those using glass or plastic to mould it into something outstanding.

And once you own a beauty to team with your décor, the pile of newspaper pile will just vanish!

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