You can make the entrance to the room exquisite with just one detail. Consoles create a special atmosphere in the hallway, and their functions are of great benefit.
History of origin
The console appeared in France. Initially, this was the name of an architectural element supporting a balcony or cornice. During the time of Louis XIV, the console became a piece of furniture. Small tables with exquisite patterns, carvings and gilding decorated the halls of secular people.
Subsequently, the fashion for an unusual item spread to other countries.
The console is still popular today. It has slightly changed and has ceased to be a sign of luxury, but has not lost its former charm. Compact side tables are made of various materials, and the flight of design imagination gives rise to models that can fit into any interior. The console not only decorates the room, it is extremely functional. The table is used as a convenient stand for various little things and decor items.
Benefits
Compactness. Many residential apartments cannot boast of spacious hallways, and sometimes you really want to give a small corridor at least a little grace. Consoles don't need a lot of free space. You can attach a narrow table to the wall or place a corner option at the door, while you will not lose a single precious meter, adding aesthetics to the hallway
- Functionality. A small table at the front door will allow you to always have keys or gloves on hand. After returning home from the store, you can place a bag or bag on the console, freeing your hands and allowing yourself to safely remove your outerwear. Such an original piece of furniture can easily replace a bulky chest of drawers, because the console is often equipped with drawers or shelves, which increases its functionality.
- Miniature table size will allow you to make the most efficient use of the hallway area. Above it, you can place a mirror, a shelf for a comb or hats, a housekeeper or something else. You can put a small pouf under the table. If the size of the hallway allows, you can use the console as a stand for magazines or beautiful decor items. You should not arrange on the table only a storage for all kinds of extraneous things. To emphasize the elegance of the decor and not to clutter up the hallway, leave it half empty.
- Style. The console is able to transform the interior, give it lightness and expressiveness. It can become a detail that harmoniously complements the integrity of the environment or become a real highlight of the room. It is important that the style of the table matches the overall concept of the hallway. To enhance the effect of sophistication, you can complement the console table with a mirror in a frame of the same design, a picture or a pair of lamps. Table clocks, potted flowers, framed photos of family members and similar little things can also be used as a complementary decor.
- Mobility. If the console doesn't need to be fixed to the wall, you can easily move it to any other location. For example, with this table you can organize a romantic candlelit evening in the living room or use it for other purposes anywhere in the house.
Views
There are several typical types of console tables.
- Attached. Such models resemble a table sawn in half. They have only one or two legs. This is not enough for the absolute stability of the object, therefore the attachments are attached to the wall.
- Suspended. This type of console is more like a regular hinged shelf, the only difference is in the decorative leg, which often does not reach the floor and gives the structure the appearance of a table "hovering" in the air. Such models are also mounted on the wall. They are often complemented with mirrors.
- Freestanding. This type of console table is absolutely mobile. It can have three or four legs and does not need to be wall-mounted. Compact rectangular, semicircular or triangular models are also supposed to be located against the wall, but they can also stand in the corner and in another part of the hallway.
If necessary, you can carry the item anywhere in the apartment and use it both as a bedside table and as a stand for flowers or other things.
Materials (edit)
Console tables are made from different materials. Elite classic options are made of solid wood, while expensive breeds are often used. More budget models can be made of chipboard or MDF. Various processing options are permissible here - imitation of wood texture, matte and glossy surfaces of all kinds of colors. For some products, forged metal is used (usually Provence and retro options). Modern models are often made of durable plastic, glass, natural or artificial stone.
All kinds of combinations of materials are often found, for example, a glass tabletop with chrome-plated metal legs or a wooden table on an openwork forged stand. Carving, silk-screen printing, mosaics, gold plating and so on can be used as decor.
Manufacturers often offer whole sets, consisting of a console and a mirror in a frame, made in the same style.
Colors
The shade of the console should blend in harmoniously with the interior. Designers recommend choosing light shades of furniture for small corridors: they visually expand the space, make the room brighter. This also applies to the console table. The color white is universal. Such an object is able to revive a dark environment, give it a sense of lightness. With a bright design of the hallway, such a console will balance the riot of colors, bring harmony to the color scheme; if the corridor is furnished with pastel colors, a snow-white table will also be an ideal complement. The white console fits perfectly into any style - classic, vintage, provence, modern trends.
No less spectacular and another contrasting option - a black console. Such models look especially luxurious in gloss, but it is worth remembering that the color of the walls in this case should be quite light, otherwise the table will simply be lost against the background of the general interior. Usually, black consoles are purchased for high-tech, minimalism, art deco hallways.
Natural woody tones are ideal for those looking for a neutral, elegant setting. Usually these are noble classic products, models in eco- and ethnic style, modern. In this case, it is better to choose a color scheme based on the tones of other furniture, details of the walls and floors. Of the light colors, the most popular shade is "bleached oak", of the dark ones, the most effective is "wenge", among the tones of the middle range, buyers especially like "walnut".
Console tables in bright colors are not very popular. This interior design option is suitable only for dynamic, creative people. A red or blue table will make the corridor brighter and more shocking, but it is still better to combine such items with neutral shades to avoid excessive variegation.
Forms
Traditionally, the console has a semicircular shape. This is the look of the famous architectural element that gave rise to a new trend in interior design. However, modern tables can have other designs. Models with a narrow rectangular tabletop look no less elegant, while its edges can be sharp, rounded or even wavy.
There are round, oval, trapezoidal consoles. Interesting models with a triangular table top, which are installed in a free corner for rational use of space at the junction of the walls. The number of legs of a console table can vary from one to four, depending on its mobility or the need for fixing to the wall.
Dimensions (edit)
There is no standard console size. Different manufacturers offer options with different dimensions. The height of console tables ranges from 70 to 120 cm. The width of small corner models can be 40-60 cm. As for elongated tables (rectangular, oval, semicircular and the like), the depth of the narrowest product can be 35 cm, and the most massive - 50 cm. The length of such tables varies from 60 to 80 cm.
Various styles
Thanks to modern designers, the assortment of console tables is so diverse that you can easily choose an option for any interior.
Classic models are made mainly of wood. Since the classics include many directions, the appearance of products can be different: both strict laconic options, and luxurious consoles in the "palace" style. The only common features are the elegance and sophisticated, expensive look of the tables. Usually these are models made of wood or its imitation. The range of colors includes natural shades of beige and brown, sometimes white and black are used.
Carving, gilding, patina can be used as decoration. Quite often the tables are supplied with drawers with curly handles and have a mirror in the set. Also in this style, it is appropriate to supplement the console with a picture on the wall, decorate the tabletop with vases, lamps and other decorative elements.
Art deco style suggests luxury and originality: wooden models, metal, iridescent glossy. The range of colors includes black, white, brown, sometimes red, purple, blue and gold shades. Execution variations are limited only by the imagination of designers. Laconicism and shocking, combinations of contrasting colors and various materials, sophistication and bizarre shapes - everything is here.
Shabby chic and provence evoke thoughts of a romantic French countryside. Natural materials, light colors, sophistication combined with home comfort - these are the characteristics of furniture in this style. These console tables are made of wood or materials that imitate it and are painted in light shades. More often it is white, sometimes beige, light gray, light blue, pistachio tones are used. Often, furniture is artificially given the effect of aging. The decor here is figured carving, sometimes discreet patterns are made on the surfaces.
Modern modern style based on originality, however, unlike art deco, there is no excessive pomp here, the design of the models is more restrained and laconic. Curved lines and flowing shapes are used along with clear geometry. Wood of dark shades predominates, sometimes metal decorations are used. You can also find models in bright colors.
Consoles hi-tech have a futuristic focus. It uses glass, chrome-plated metal, plastic, often combined with each other. As for the colors, white, black, gray, brown are chosen. Minimalism and hi-tech have much in common, the only difference is that the main concept of minimalism is maximum brevity and the absence of unnecessary details. Restrained shades, simple geometric shapes - these are the distinctive features of tables in this style.
Fusion - an unusual direction in design, characterized by variegated colors and expressive expression. Such consoles can have an absolutely unpredictable shape and amaze with their brightness.
How to choose?
Style and color
When choosing a console in the hallway, it is important to take into account the style in which the room is decorated so that this element does not stand out from the general situation. To choose the right color, you need to focus on the shade of the walls and other furniture. Remember that dark tones look better on a light background, and vice versa.
Size and shape (purpose)
Decide what you need a console for. If you want to use it as a dressing table to tidy up before leaving the house, choose an elongated model with a mirror. If the table will be used as a bedside table for important little things, pay attention to options with built-in drawers and shelves.
Both its size and shape depend on the purpose of the console.
Think about what items you will put on the table. It should be large enough so that things can sit on the worktop without the risk of falling out of a narrow space. Maybe it will be a home phone stand or a beautiful vase, or maybe you are planning to put a bag on the console table. In the second case, it should be near the front door. Depending on the layout, you can choose a corner or linear version, but in any case, it should be wide enough and roomy.
How to do it yourself
If you wish, you can make the original console yourself. To do this, you only need an ordinary small table. Just cut the product lengthwise into two parts, then give it the desired color and texture. It all depends on your imagination: you can paint the product, varnish, cover with a patina, decorate with stickers.
A stable position against the wall is given with the help of fixing corners or a pair of bars bolted to the wall.
Interior options
The charm of the shabby chic style is emphasized by a narrow wooden table with curly legs. Refined lamps and a carved mirror complete the composition harmoniously.
Another interior in white tones, but in a modern style. The lightweight console on metal curved legs matches perfectly with a mirror in a beautiful chrome-plated metal frame. The decor in the form of a lamp and framed photos add a touch of individuality to the minimalistic environment. The black tiled floor creates a striking contrast, following the latest trends in the design world.
An exquisite hallway in beige tones looks luxurious, but at the same time very cozy. Mirrored walls visually expand the space, turning the corridor into a spacious hall. The white sofa brings a sense of freshness to the interior. The elegant wenge-colored console is in harmony with the dark chandelier frame and decorative wall decoration.
Another variation of the beige Art Nouveau hallway. There is also a console in a noble dark brown color, but its shape is particularly original. A painting in a dark frame and lamps with crystal beads make the console table not just a piece of furniture, but a special area full of aesthetics and sheer style.
You will learn more about how to choose a hallway console in the following video.