A geometric shape with eight equal sides, very often used in patchwork designs and elsewhere in furniture and furnishings as a more formal alternative to the circle. It can feature in any centrepiece, as a table to comfortably seat 8 or as an alternative to the usually round display table–for instance, in a large, open hallway. In Holland and Northern Europe especially, in old countryside homes, it’s not unusual to find octagonal windows in an attic room, where the light comes in from the gable end.