you choose should contrast with the item to really make it stand out. choose an accent color that is directly across from the color of your special piece on the color wheel to really make the piece stand out.
another way to accent furniture is to remove color from the space surrounding it. instead of choosing a color that will make your item stand out, accent it with a complete lack of color. a plain space will allow the attention in the room to focus on the special item you want to highlight. the eye is drawn to the item in the room that has color and pattern when the surrounding 