Accent Tables: Urban renewal

Lori Lester -- Home Accents Today, 6/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

With all age groups, from young professionals to retirees, returning to city centers in droves, the obsession with all things urban is starting to show up in accent pieces. Unrefined materials like iron and stainless steel are gaining ground on polished woods, as open frameworks with exposed screws mimic the industrial look popular in downtown lofts.

Constructed from square stainless steel tubes and dark, java-hued wood, Tag's Addison console keeps things clean and simple ($740 to $1,170).

A sheet of aged copper stretches across a cylindrical base formed from ribbons of wrought iron in an industrial drum-like accent table from Global Views ($300).

Nickel and vintage brass hammered finishes add polish to the metal framework and exposed screw construction of Arteriors' Costello Stools ($360).

The upscale industrial Charlotte table from Bradley Hughes highlights a base of hand-forged iron spokes in a platinum finish, topped with clear glass ($3,300).

Displaying the same functional, straightforward design of folding card tables, these models with limed wood tops from Design Workshop promise to be a permanent fixture (end table, $225; coffee table, $375).

Rows of polished nickel disks support a rectangular sheet of glass in a refreshingly uncomplicated accent table from Willow Green ($320).