Beyond the animated qualities of its body, a turned piece's twisted legs or posts invite you to touch them. And the style has other design advantages as well. Even at its most traditional, turned furniture -- with its sculpted, circular patterns -- fulfills a modern aesthetic.

These curvy beauties also play fantastically with light. Unlike the flat, light-absorbing planes of most other furniture, the multiple stops and starts of turned pieces fill a room with shadows that create extra dimensions.

Shown here: "Lombardo" chair in white linen, $4,200; Ebanista (ebanista.com), trade.