Here’s a New Angle on Designing a Room

It’s time to remember those polygons. Furniture and lighting are taking on multifaceted design, so refresh your knowledge of hexagons, pentagons, octagons and other angled shapes with these current looks.

By: Lori Johnston and Marena Galluccio
Related To:
Furniture Lighting Contemporary Rustic Design Styles Traditional Transitional Style

Photo By: House of Nomad

Photo By: Edward Andrews Homes

Photo By: J. Kesler Photographer

Photo By: Christopher Oquendo

Photo By: Hickory Chair

Photo By: Nathan Anthony

Photo By: Hickory Chair

Photo By: Christopher Oquendo

Photo By: Tom Dixon

Photo By: Jonathan Adler

Gem of a Solution

Polygonal pieces help break up the typical rectangles and squares found in most rooms, says interior designer Kelley Lentini of House of Nomad, a Charlotte, N.C.-based firm. Lentini says they're seeing more coffee tables, side tables and even lighting with edgy polygonal shapes. In this living room, a geometric brass and glass coffee table from Four Hands creates multidimensional interest.

Modular Playspace

A trio of hexagon-shaped coffee tables creates even more space for games when combined in a rustic modern media room. The tables can then be pulled apart for individual needs.

Kiddie Chic

All done in modern white, this mix of shapes — polygon, starburst and straight-line bookshelves — creates a sophisticated, yet fun space. Design by Julie Holloway Studio in Atlanta.

Shapely Lighting

A polygonal pendant brings a modern element to this farmhouse-style interior in an Atlanta home built by Smith & Kennedy.

Stars Align

Modular ottomans in a pentagon shape by Hickory Chair bring the celestial geometric patterns of the galaxy down to Earth. The design was inspired by the clusters that comprise star constellations.

Pinwheel Pouf

This pouf immediately brings a playful, polygonal detail into a living room, playroom, bedroom or other space, thanks to its compact shape. The Origami pouf by Nathan Anthony, a California contemporary furniture company, is pictured in Ultrasuede pink.

Octagon Option

An octagonal side table caught the eye of designers Tami Ramsay and Krista Nye Nicholas of Cloth & Kind. In a report on the High Point, N.C., design market, they say that pieces with angles offer a different perspective on traditional furniture forms. The Shangri-La Table by Hickory Chair has eight sides, a wooden top and a mix of a wood and parchment for the body.

Sculpted Statement

The upstairs sitting room in a modern eclectic home features a coffee table designed by sculptor Isamu Noguchi for Herman Miller. The glass Noguchi table is an example of an "amorphic polygonal" trend in residential and commercial, where the corners of the polygons are rounded, says Atlanta homeowner Laura Boone, co-owner of Turnerboone commercial interiors. She worked with designer Elle Cantrell of Elle Du Monde.

Angular Brilliance

Many angles make for interesting, faceted lighting, especially in a group of chrome pendants. The Cut series by Tom Dixon is described as an "exercise in optics."

Follow the Arrows

A brass design on a modern daybed by Jonathan Adler forms a series of triangles, which is the simplest of the polygons.

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