What is a Console Table? Guide on How to Use Them in Your Home

Often, it’s the little details that make a house a home. Console tables may go under the radar, but they can make all the difference when it comes to adding depth, interest and functionality to your interiors.

Thanks to their slim dimensions and storage capabilities, console tables are one of the most versatile pieces of furniture in the home and are great for bringing life to underused spaces. Here, we’ll guide you through how to pick the perfect console table and how to style it for any interior design.

What is a Console Table?

A console table is a long, narrow table that is usually placed against a flat surface like a wall.

Traditionally, console tables were designed to be attached to the wall and were more like supported shelves. Nowadays, console tables are usually designed with four legs but are still placed against a solid surface.

Console tables are different from side and coffee tables, which tend not to be placed against walls and are more typically used for holding things like drinks or books. Console tables tend to be taller than side tables and are used for more ornamental purposes, such as hosting accessories like photos or decorative art.

Depending on their style, console tables may or may not contain additional storage. If placed against a sofa, they are sometimes called sofa tables.

Why Console Tables are Great for Interiors

Due to their narrow dimensions, console tables are a fantastic way to bring style to an understated part of your interior. They can comfortably fit into areas without taking up room and, depending on their style, can allow for a whole host of design ideas to bring energy to your space.

Beyond their style possibilities, console tables also make great storage solutions. A console table can provide another elevated surface, perfect for storing everyday items like keys that can be grabbed with ease.

Our Favourite Console Table Styles

Console tables come in all shapes and sizes, perfect for any space. Here are some of our favourite styles to spark your inspiration.

Wood Console Tables

Wooden console tables are a versatile favourite, adding warm natural tones to your interior. Whether a traditional style or something more modern, the subtle precision of a wooden console table is a wonderful way to add depth without overpowering whatever interior style you’re trying to create.

A great example is the Nordal Moss Black Mango Wood Console Table. A wonderful blend of traditional and contemporary styles, this console table stands out with its striking black frame and metal handle highlights. It also offers plenty of storage with drawers and a lower shelf, making it stylish and functional for both traditional and contemporary interiors.

Metal Console Tables

Metal console tables are a great choice if you want to add a more defined edge to your style. Particularly well suited to modern, minimalist interiors, a metal console table will add sleek, eye-catching lines that can bring your space to a new level.

One of our favourite designs is the Nakuru Brass and Glass Console Table. The combination of bright brass and subtle glass creates incredibly striking lines that catch people’s attention without dominating the space, allowing your accessories to flourish. As with many great console tables, it also offers plenty of storage space.

Rattan & Cane Console Tables

If you want to add more depth to your interior but don’t want the sharpness of a metal console table, consider materials like cane or rattan. Rattan console tables offer a fantastic way of adding texture to your design while keeping that soft homeliness that helps make a space feel cosy and welcoming.

Take the Nordal Natural Rattan & Teak Wood Console, a magnificent design featuring wood, rattan and glass marrying minimalist and bohemian styles. This is a beautifully eye-catching piece that adds new dimensions to any space, pairing wonderfully with both traditional and contemporary interiors.

Where to Place a Console Table?

With many different sizes and heights available, console tables can be used to bring a new look to pretty much any space in the home. 

Hallways & Landings

Perhaps the best place for a console table is the hallway. If you have a narrow space, a slim console table against one wall can be a godsend, giving you a functional space to leave things like keys.

Similarly, landings can be a difficult place to style because of their narrow nature. A console table allows you to add visual interest without taking up precious space.

Living Room

Console tables can be a great way to accentuate a feature wall in a living room, providing a space for more eye-catching accessories. Pair your console table with some family photos and a beautiful lamp and you can quickly create a new focal point for your favourite space.

Console tables are also regularly placed behind sofas, allowing for convenient storage of magazines and books without cluttering smaller coffee tables.

Dining Room

If you have a large dining room, a console table can be used to bring eyes towards underused spaces. Working surfaces are usually less of a necessity in the dining room, so you can be more decorative when styling a console table in this space.

Bedroom

A larger console table can double as a bedroom vanity or a makeshift work desk, so people tend to look for larger console tables when styling a bedroom. As with other spaces, bedroom console tables are also great places to show off your favourite photos and trinkets collected over the years.

Of course, with console tables being incredibly versatile, the styling options are almost endless. We stock a wide collection of console tables, from big statement pieces to smaller, subtle items, perfect for any space. Browse our collection today.