Console tables are frequently designed to be slim, making them perfect for tighter places such as corridors and landings. They can be used as dressing tables in the bedroom, in the bathroom with fluffy towels and premium amenities or in the living room with the TV – either as a stand or below a flat screen fastened to the wall. You may even butt them up against the back of a sofa and place lamps or other things on top.
A GRAND DESIGN
Console tables have an illustrious history: in 17th century Italy, they were so ornately carved that they were considered sculpture rather than furniture. Many were intricately carved human figures, eagles, flora, and dolphins, and were typically gilded, and were designed to be fastened on a wall with only two front legs.
These majestic tables, typically with large mirrors above them, were used to embellish the hall or a formal reception area. They were popular in the 19th century in the India, and throughout the late Georgian and Regency periods, they became freestanding, built of solid woods such as mahogany, oak, rosewood, or walnut.
Antique console tables, particularly those with a pier mirror above to reflect light into the room, were expensive pieces of furniture. Mirrored glass was expensive and heavily taxed in order to prevent it from being imported into the India, thus only the extremely rich could purchase these pieces.
CHOOSING A CONSOLE
Of course, the console is now available to everyone, but it may still seem high-end, particularly when well-made and elegantly decorated.
If you’re thinking about purchasing a console, select where it will fit and take measurements so you know how much space you have to work with.
When a console is placed against the back of a sofa, it should be the same height or slightly lower than the back of the sofa.
If you want your console to blend in with the rest of the furniture in the room, match it to it. If you want to create a visually fascinating focal point, consider a console table in a different style or material from the rest of your furniture.
Consider colour as well. Because lighter colours make a room appear larger, a console table made of lighter wood may be preferred to one made of darker wood.
LRI SHOWSTOPPERS
We at La Residence Interiors adore consoles. All of our console tables are handcrafted from prime aged oak and finished with our signature wire-brushed finish to highlight the wood’s naturally lovely texture.
With a mirror above it and a light and accessories on top, the curving Camille with its shapely hand-turned legs is ideal for a living or dining space. Its half-circle shape protrudes slightly more than our rectangular consoles at 60cm deep, but its soft rounded shape is a great foil for any square-edged tables you may have in the same room.
This was the first console in our furniture series, and it was originally built of salvaged pine. Then, roughly five years ago, we decided to refine our collection so that all of our pieces were constructed of oak and finished in our signature aged finish.
Visit your local ALFADESIGN Console Table Mirror showroom to see how we can help you make the correct mirror.
