Black Wood Minimalist Console | DESIGN PROJECT SURPLUS

Decorating and styling a console table can be a great way to infuse personality and style into your home. Here are some tips for styling a console table:

1. Start with a focal point: Choose a large decorative item, such as a piece of artwork or lamp, to serve as the focal point of your display.
2. Use symmetry: Create balance and order using symmetry in your console table display. Play around with heights with different lamps, prints and other decorative items keeping the horizon of your display even. However for console tables under 1m in width consider an asymmetrical approach and go for a diagonal display with a tall lamp down to a low trinket dish 
3. Layer objects: Incorporate smaller items in front of focal points or lamps to create depth. This could be candles, books and other decorative items. Try not to overcrowd the surface and limit your display to 2-3 small accessories, a lamp and a print.

Remember that styling a console table is a personal and creative process, so have fun experimenting with different combinations of objects until you find a display you love. For more information and inspiration check out our Console Styling Blog.

Mirrors are great for hanging over a console table because they will reflect light and make your space feel a lot bigger. Adding a mirror to your console table will brighten and open up the space a lot more especially if it’s being placed in narrower spaces. A mirror should be at most the width of the table, as a mirror bigger than the width of a console table can create an unbalanced look and overwhelm the space. 

Another thing to consider is that the shape of the mirror could impact the look of the console table. For a more rectangular console table, you may want to pair it with a rounder mirror to soften the look of your display. Whereas for a more curved console table, you may want to add a soft rounded mirror to match the curved top to create a delicate display. You could also take the mantle mirror approach and choose a large mirror with a flat base to rest atop the console table, in this case keep styling to a minimum and let the mirror take centre stage!

Don't forget it's all in the details! The type of metal frame around the mirror should be considered when choosing a mirror for a console table. You should coordinate the metal frame of the mirror to match the metal of the console table (if there is any). Black is so versatile and can complement any other colour whereas it's generally not recommended to mix gold and silver together as they may clash with one another. 

If you need help deciding which mirror goes with your console table, don't hesitate to email us at hello@orianab.com, and we will be happy to help.

Smaller homeware decorative pieces are a great way to add depth to the console table display. Depending on the style and decor of your space, smaller homeware pieces are a great way to spice up your display and add your own unique twist. Adding a vintage vase onto a modern console table is a great way to mix modern and vintage styles to create depth to your display.

For a rustic console table style, adding some faux pampas or flowers is a great way to add some texture to your space. Small homeware items like trinket boxes are lovely when you want to add some character to your display whilst adding some storage for your smaller items like jewellery or coins. As a rule of thumb stick to 2-3 accessories to dress a console table and at least one of these should be non-ornamental e.g. a plant, candle or book. Explore our Homewares Collection for ornaments that would be perfect for styling a console table.

When it comes to selecting lamps for a console or hallway table, there are a few factors to consider, such as the style of the table, size of the table top and the overall aesthetic of the space. Here are some considerations to follow:

1. Scale and proportion: The lamp should be in proportion to the size of the table. It goes without saying that a large table will require larger lamps, while a small table will look better with smaller lamps but what does that look like in practicality? You want your lamp to be in proportion with the width of your console table more so than the height so look for lamps that are about half the width of the table in height. For example, if your console table is around 80 cm, you won’t want your lamp to exceed the height of 40-45 cm as that will overwhelm your display. If you want to add two lamps, then your console table will need to be a minimum of 1.2 meters to accommodate them both and be no taller than 60cm each. When in doubt, stick with a single lamp and dress your table asymmetricaly. This could be done by adding a smaller vase on the other side of the console table with the lamp. 
2. Style: The lamp style should complement the console table's style and the space's overall decor. This could mean pairing like for like styles or doing something daring like mixing styles. For example, if you want to spice up your modern display, think of adding a colourful, textured or patterned lamp to contrast with the modern feel of your space. Or if you want to pair similar styles try to draw on aspects of the console table rather than a straight match. The lamp style could be matched with the metal legs to create a more cohesive display in this case. 
3. Height: The lamp should be tall enough to provide adequate lighting but not so tall that it overwhelms the space. If your console table is in a room with seating then this is simple to figure out! Generally, the bottom of the lampshade should be at eye level when seated. This could be checked by measuring your seating height and where your eye level is from the floor, this will give an indicator of what kind of height of lamp you would want for your table. For example, if your seat height in the space is 45cm then the base of the lampshade will be approximately 1.2m from the floor.
4. Shade: The most important thing when considering a lampshade for a console table is the diameter/width of the shade compared to the depth of the table. The base of the lamp should sit squarely in the centre of the depth and the shade should be up to 5 cm from the wall so for a 30cm surface depth look for a shade about 25cm in diameter. The overall height of the lamp should be roughly half the width of the console table so take that into consideration when looking at shade heights. Another consideration is whether or not to go for an open or closed top, where the console table and lamp is placed will determine this. Open top shades work great in corners of rooms as it will provide a huge amount of light to brighten up your space whereas closed top shade will be less bright but perfect for creating ambience as it does not offer much practical lighting (perfect for ready areas in those dark cosy winters!) 

Overall, choosing a lamp for a console table requires careful consideration of the style, size and proportion of the lamp as well as its shade and height to ensure it enhances the overall aesthetic of the space. Explore our selection of table lamps for placement on console tables. If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to email us at hello@orianab.com and we will be happy to help!