Ottomans and occasional tables offer seating and storage in living room

Comfortable seating may be the most important element within a living room or family room, but having the right tables and other surfaces play an important role in the function of any gathering place.

Family members need places to set down refreshments, store items, rest a book they'll return to in a reading corner and display personal treasures. Whether it's called a coffee or occasional table, setting a small table in front of a couch or between seating in a living room is both decorative and practical.

InteriorDesignIdeas.com recommends using multi-purpose ottomans to solve the surface dilemma. Serving as extra seating or a place to set a tray for snacks, they can be fabric-covered or have a harder surface to coordinate with wood furniture.

"There is yet another secret an ottoman holds…and that is the storage space," the website states. "Here you have an inbuilt storage space that could hold, cushions, pillows, a place where you can easily dump magazines or games."

Occasional tables and ottomans can be attractively placed next to a window decorated in a treatment that coordinates with them. Wooden blinds or woven woods shades are good choices to offset these pieces and can be used with both modern and traditional furniture.