Console Tables

What Even Is a Console Table and Why Is It Sick for Your Hallway?

So a console table is like this really narrow table that’s made specially for squeezing into tight spaces where you cant fit normal furniture. There basically designed to go against walls and not stick out loads. The good thing about them is they dont take up bare space but still look proper fancy.

Our hallway is well skinny (I says it’s like a “corridor not a hallway” lol) but we still managed to fit this lush console table in it. They’re usually about the same height as the back of your sofa, so they look right with your other furniture and that. The best bit is they make your boring hallway look like you actually put effort in instead of just having empty walls!

How Do You Pick the Right Size Console Table for Your Hallway?

Getting the size right is well important or it’ll look stupid. You need one thats narrow enough so you can still get past it without squishing yourself against the wall! Most of them are like 30 to 50cm deep, but if your halls proper narrow you want them skinny ones (like 30cm).

The height should be about 75-85cm usually. My other half is obsessed with measuring everything and she made sure our one was the right height to match the other furniture.

For the width, measure your wall and make sure theres still at least 90cm to walk through. Our one is about 100cm wide which is perfect for our small hallway. I reckons if the table’s too big it makes everything look cramped, but if its too small it looks abit pathetic against a big wall. You gotta get the balance right innit!

Can a Console Table with Storage Sort Out Your Hallway Mess?

OMG yes! The ones with storage are the absolute best! Our house was always a tip with everyone dumping there stuff in the hallway until my other half got a console table with 2 drawers. Now all the random junk has somewhere to go instead of being all over the floor!

Them tables with shelves underneath are mint too cos you can put them fancy baskets on them for all your hats and scarves and stuff. Some of the posh ones even have places to charge your phone or little hidey-holes for your keys so you dont lose them every five minutes (which I always do lol).

If your hallway’s always a mess like ours was, a console table with storage will sort it right out. My other half says it’s “revolutionised our organisation” which is a bit dramatic but it has made things tidier tbh!

What Materials Last Longest for Console Tables?

If you want your console table to last ages and not fall apart like them cheap ones from the catalogue, you need to think about what its made of. Solid wood ones, especially oak, are proper sturdy and look well posh. My other half wanted an oak one but I said they were too expensive so we got pine instead which is still good but cheaper.

For a more modern look, you can get them with metal frames and wood or glass tops. They look well cool and industrial but my other half was worried about me breaking the glass (as if I would!). The black metal ones with wood tops are really popular now – my mate’s got one and it looks sick.

When your checking out different tables, look at how well there made too – not just what they look like. I always checks if the drawers slide nice and if the joints are proper solid. You don’t want it wobbling all over when you put stuff on it!

How Can You Use a Console Table in Your Living Room Too?

Console tables aren’t just for hallways – you can put them behind your sofa too! My other half seen this in a magazine and now she wants to get another one for behind our couch. It looks well smart and gives you somewhere to put lamps and stuff without taking up loads of floor space.

There really good for them open-plan homes too cos they kind of split up different areas without blocking everything off. My cousin’s got one between her dining area and lounge and it works well for putting drinks on when shes got mates round.

The skinny shape means they dont get in the way but still give you somewhere useful to put things. You can even use them for displaying your fancy stuff like photos and ornaments that your not supposed to touch (but everyone does anyway lol).

Why Skinny Console Tables Are Dead Good for Small Houses

If you live in a tiny house or flat like my mate does, them slim console tables are literally a lifesaver! Some are only like 30cm deep but still give you somewhere to put your stuff. My mate’s hallway is literally the width of a door but she still squeezed in this dead narrow table that looks well nice.

The best thing about skinny tables is they don’t make everything feel cramped. You can still walk past them easy but they give you somewhere to put your phone while your taking your shoes off or whatever. Some of them even fold up if you need more space!

I says it’s all about “maximum function in minimum space” which sounds like something off them property shows but he’s right for once. If you havent got much room, a slim console table is the way to go innit!

What Style Console Tables Go With Different Houses?

There’s loads of different styles so you can deffo find one to match your house. If your house is all old fashioned and fancy, get one of them posh wooden ones with carvings and that. Our house is more modern so we got one with clean lines and not much fussy detail.

For them industrial style places, the metal and wood ones look well sick. My mate lives in this converted warehouse flat and she’s got this rusty-looking metal one that’s proper cool. If you like everything white and minimal, you can get white console tables that look dead simple and clean.

My other half is obsessed with this wood that looks all weathered and old even tho it’s new – “distressed” she calls it. We’ve got a console table in this style and it goes well with our cottage-y look. Whatever your house looks like, theres deffo a console table to match it!

What Practical Features Should You Look For in a Hallway Console Table?

If your gonna buy a console table, make sure it’s actually useful and not just for looking pretty! Storage is the most important thing – get one with drawers or shelves so you can actually put stuff in it. Our one has a drawer for all them random bits like pens and keys and stuff, and a shelf underneath for shoes.

Make sure its sturdy too cos hallways get loads of people going through them all the time. I says to check if it’s got them adjustable feet things cos our floors aren’t exactly level (the whole house is on a slope lol).

Getting one thats easy to clean is important too cos hallway furniture gets proper mucky, especially when it rains and everyone comes in with wet umbrellas and muddy boots. Our one has got this special finish that you can just wipe down which is well handy.

Some of the fancy ones have built-in key hooks or places to put your mail which is actually dead useful. Oh and if you’ve got little kids running about, get one with rounded corners so they dont crack there heads open if they run into it!

How to Make Your Console Table Look Well Instagram-Worthy

Once you’ve got your console table, you need to make it look proper nice so everyone’s impressed when they come round! First thing you need is something to go above it – usually a mirror so you can check yourself before you leave the house. My other half put this massive round mirror above ours and it looks well fancy.

For on top of the table, you need something tall like a lamp or a big vase, then something medium sized like some photos in frames, and something small like a little box for your keys or some nice smelly candles. My other half is always arranging and rearranging ours to look “just so” (drives me mad!).

Don’t just cram loads of random stuff on it tho or it’ll look like a jumble sale! My other half says less is more but I reckon you need some personal touches like holiday souvenirs or family photos to make it feel like your house not a show home.

If you’ve got a shelf underneath, put some nice baskets on it to hide all your junk. We’ve got these rope ones that look dead posh but are actually full of hats and gloves and all sorts!

Are Console Tables with Drawers Better for Families?

If you’ve got kids or live with loads of people, then YES get one with drawers! Our house is chaos in the mornings with everyone running round looking for stuff, but having them drawers in the console table has made it loads better.

The 2 drawer ones are perfect cos you can sort your stuff – we use one drawer for keys, phone chargers and that, and the other one for letters and school stuff. It means we always know where everything is (well, most of the time anyway!).

Having drawers teaches everyone to put stuff back where it belongs too. My little brother used to dump his school letters all over the place but now my other half makes him put them straight in the drawer so they dont get lost. It’s proper helped with the morning rush when everyone’s trying to find there stuff!

The top of the table is good for dropping your bags and that when you come in, and then you can sort through them and put important stuff in the drawers. It’s well more organised than just dumping everything on the floor like we used to!

Why Should You Spend Decent Money on a Console Table?

I know it’s tempting to just get the cheapest one, but its actually worth spending a bit more to get a good quality one. My other half wanted to get this dead cheap one from the catalogue but I convinced her to spend a bit more on a solid wood one, and it was deffo worth it!

The good ones will last for years and years and wont go all wobbly or scratched like the cheap ones do. The drawers on good ones open and close proper smooth instead of getting stuck all the time.

A nice console table makes your whole house look better too – it’s like the first thing people see when they come in so it sets the tone for the rest of your place. My mate’s mum came round and the first thing she said was how nice our hallway looked just cos of the new table!

If you think about how much use it gets every single day, it’s worth getting a good one that won’t fall apart. Plus you can take it with you if you move house so it’s not like your wasting money. I says it’s an “investment piece” which is just a fancy way of saying it’s expensive but worth it lol!

Main Things to Remember When Getting a Console Table:

• Get a skinny one if your hallway’s narrow so you dont bang into it
• Make sure to measure properly before you buy one!!
• Think about if you need storage and get one with drawers or shelves
• Get one made of decent stuff like solid wood or sturdy metal
• Make sure it matches your house style or it’ll look well random
• Leave plenty of space to walk past it (at least 90cm)
• Don’t cover it in too much junk or it defeats the point
• You can use them in other rooms too not just hallways
• The good quality ones are worth spending more on
• Style it nice with a mirror above and some cool stuff on top

Honestly console tables are such a game changer! Our hallway went from boring to proper stylish just by adding one piece of furniture. My other half says it’s the best thing we’ve bought for the house (apart from the massive TV I insisted on getting lol). Even if your house is tiny, you can deffo fit one in and it’ll make everything look so much better!