Australian Home BeautifulConsole tables, hall tables, sofa tables....whatever you happen to call them, I think these long narrow tables are a brilliant piece of furniture to add to your home.
Interiors (now gone to magazine heaven)
Mode (also gone to that big publisher in the sky)
I'm not too keen on the antlers, but love everything else about this picture, including the smudged photograph of an open book, the candlesticks, the antique books and the dear little lamps.
Australian Home Beautiful
Love the drama and the height from the primitive shield and the massive, modern flower arrangements.
I think this table below adds so much interst to the room, when teamed with the height of the branches and the striking modern artwork.
Jonny Valiant
Ok, I'm cheating here, this is really an adorable antique ironing board, but the concept is the same - it's still an opportunity to unleash your creativity by putting a series of objects together, although here the owner (or stylist) has shown restraint.
More baskets tucked underneath...there's definitely a consistency to what catches my eye!
Alexia Biggs
This one has the whole box and dice - a drawer, a basket AND a suitcase underneath and a footstool.
Country Home
They can be practical: a place to dump your keys in as you walk in the door, a room divider, a place to hold a lamp, a spot to tuck away footstools when not in use. And if they have drawers (which many of them do) then they're even more practical. I've got dvds, playing cards and takeaway menus tucked in my console's drawers.
Equally important, they can add beauty to your home: console tables offer endless opportunities to create little vignettes of your favourite bits and bobs. Terri at Windlost did a wonderful, thoughtful post on the art of arranging objects on a table, termed 'tablescapes'.
Console tables also are useful to fill an empty corner in your home. They look sensational with a mirror propped up against them, or an artwork above - so in that sense they work like a mantlepiece, which not everyone is lucky enough to have in their homes these days (including me!).
So here are some of my favourite console tables.
The one in the picture above is a particular favourite, because it is made of a beautiful wood with a wonderful patina, and it has trestle legs. I love the way this table has been accessorised with the most beautiful pieces. I'm sure each one tells a story about the owner. I'm loving the cane baskets tucked underneath for storage. And I'm a sucker for a gorgeous mirror, propped up casually.
Texture abounds in the baskets both above and below this next console, while the framed antique poster is great - I love typography! I also have a thing for pedestal bowls, and black and white, so this picture is just about near perfect for me!
Interiors (now gone to magazine heaven)This console isn't old enough or battered for me, but I love the way it has been accessorised with the books, the jugs, the lanterns.
This was the first console table I fell in love with. I ripped this out of a magazine and kept it on my fridge for ages while I searched for one of my own, which I eventually found!
Mode (also gone to that big publisher in the sky)I'm not too keen on the antlers, but love everything else about this picture, including the smudged photograph of an open book, the candlesticks, the antique books and the dear little lamps.
Australian Home BeautifulLove the drama and the height from the primitive shield and the massive, modern flower arrangements.
I think this table below adds so much interst to the room, when teamed with the height of the branches and the striking modern artwork.
Jonny ValiantOk, I'm cheating here, this is really an adorable antique ironing board, but the concept is the same - it's still an opportunity to unleash your creativity by putting a series of objects together, although here the owner (or stylist) has shown restraint.
Any console with sticks in a vase seems to catch my eye. I totally love the colour of the wood in this picture below, and its timeworn patina.
John Paul Urizar
I adore old suitcases! And they look great tucked under a console table, as in the picture below. I need to hunt for some battered old suitcases of my own! Speaking of old suitcases, have you seen the one featured on Absolutely Beautiful Things, which has been lined with the most exquisite fabric? Go have a look.
Australian Home Beautiful
John Paul UrizarI adore old suitcases! And they look great tucked under a console table, as in the picture below. I need to hunt for some battered old suitcases of my own! Speaking of old suitcases, have you seen the one featured on Absolutely Beautiful Things, which has been lined with the most exquisite fabric? Go have a look.
Australian Home BeautifulYou can see a trend pattern emerging in the pictures I chosen...most add height with a propped up mirror or a significantly sized artwork, as seen below.
More baskets tucked underneath...there's definitely a consistency to what catches my eye!
Alexia BiggsThis one has the whole box and dice - a drawer, a basket AND a suitcase underneath and a footstool.
Country HomeI've got two console tables in my home - one in my hallway and one in my living room, and I've posted pictures of them before. I'm not happy with the colour of the one in the living room, so when I get some spare time I'm going to take up my lovely blog friend Ness' suggestion and wax it with black wax.
Have a wonderful weekend. Best wishes,
