Stance in Focus

In the healthcare furniture industry, product categories like seating, overbed tables, and casegoods get a lot of attention, and for good reasons. But because we’re always considering the big picture here at Stance, we’re shining a spotlight today on an often-unsung hero in today’s healthcare spaces: the occasional table.

This is a category we’ve proudly developed over nearly a decade, especially in the last five years. Why be intentional about occasional tables for healthcare?

For one, these products often receive significant wear-and-tear, whether from supporting objects, or encountering foot traffic. Durability is key to maintaining these products’ longevity, and that was the impetus behind our 2017 development of Stance’s award-winning Resilia drum table. Designer, Suzanne Fawley collaborated with our team to experiment with a flooring material, Marmoleum, to create a table surface that stood the test of time. It worked, and today, it’s helped make drum tables our best-selling category. Soon after the launch of Resilia, we followed up with our Bali, Bora, Capri, and Pavilion drum table collections, all of which are engineered with premium materials like solid surface tops and plinth bases for maximum longevity. Our Flo occasional table, part of the award-winning series built for intensive Behavioral Health spaces, also shines as Stance table built to perform anywhere.

Occasional tables are quiet MVPs in making healthcare spaces flexible. Adding a table creates opportunity for collaboration where there may have previously just been perimeter seating, and a more individualistic, traditional waiting-area experience. On the other hand, tables can also be instrumental in creating more personal space or private areas when privacy is needed for various end-users in a shared space. Our versatile and sleek Iris, and modern Gem, offered in multiple sizes, are two of several Stance tables that create space while functionally supporting individual user needs.

Occasional tables are also a “final touch” to complete a room. Without them, healthcare environments like lounge areas feel less inviting, and more like a triage or short-term type of experience. Adding a table, like our Zurich coffee and end tables, invites end-users to enjoy the room for any given time by adding the ability to rest beverages, reading materials, or phones on the surface.

Safety is paramount in any healthcare room, and occasional tables go far to support the safety of end-users in subtle yet impactful ways. For one, tables force a pause in the flow of traffic. Rooms experiencing high volumes of patients, or a lot of activity (like busy children!) benefit from thoughtful placement of occasional tables to create a controlled flow of traffic and awareness of others. Stance’s tables are designed with safety in mind through details like tapered bases and laminate finishes, as seen on our popular Capri collection, as well as upholstered options like our Bora drum tables.

We also know infection control is always top of mind for patients and care providers alike. Rather than using the floor or seats for personal items, easy-clean occasional tables provide a more sanitary option for storage and use. Our Spry, Huxley, Quantum, and Jensen collections are a few examples of Stance tables that wipe clean in a flash, thanks to cleanable surface materials like laminate, solid surface, thermofoil, and steel.

Our commitment to making a better occasional table for healthcare continues in 2026, with our newest collection: Villa. Learn more about Villa and our broad selection of a dozen occasional tables, part of Stance’s industry-leading portfolio of healthcare furniture, today.