In the furniture industry, a console is a small table that is usually placed against the wall.
There are many types and forms of consoles. They can be attached to the wall or rest on legs, be low or high, equipped with drawers or have a table top no wider than the palm, be an example of minimalism or amaze the imagination with skillful wood carvings. But they all have 2 main features :
- Placement: the console is almost always placed against the wall.
- Purpose: the console is a decorative table. It is installed as a decoration on its own, or serves as a stand for a lamp, vase, or figurine.
Pictured: Cattelan Italia Westin console.
White console
To give the corridor originality and attractiveness, designers use different things.
Many of the corridors, as you can see, are small, with terrible lighting, and not comfortable. The situation can be corrected if you think about the lighting and use light-colored furniture.
An important role belongs to decor and accessories. A modern console in a hallway can be made in any color, and most often a white console is chosen, because it can harmoniously complement any interior.
Manufacturing materials
Most often in the interior you can find products made from the following materials:
- Tempered glass. This model looks weightless and airy, best suited for small spaces where it is important to maintain a feeling of light and spaciousness. External fragility is deceptive - the furniture is highly durable and resistant to mechanical stress. Glass can be smooth and textured, transparent and tinted. Its huge disadvantage is the cost.
- Natural wood. This environmentally friendly material fits organically into many interior trends - not only traditional country, but also modern high-tech and minimalism. Depending on the style, the wood can be coated with transparent or matte varnish, this way you can emphasize the natural shade and texture. Toning compounds are also used. Wood is a soft material, so products made from it are often decorated with carvings and inlays. Disadvantages: high cost, requires special care.
- Chipboard. A console made of particle boards is a budget option. Its design is usually simple and laconic, so such products look best in minimalist modern interiors. The disadvantage is that the slabs are unsafe and can emit harmful substances.
- MDF. This is an alternative to wood. The design of such models is more varied than that of products made from chipboard, and the cost is lower than that of consoles made of natural solid wood. The material is durable, but does not withstand serious mechanical loads.
- Metal. Models made from this material can be found in urban styles. They look impressive and emphasize the style of the interior. A separate variety is forged consoles, painted white. Such models will be appropriate in Provence and shabby chic style interiors. The disadvantage of metal is its significant weight; you should choose free-standing consoles from it.
Features of non-standard furniture for premises for various purposes
Tempered glass
Natural wood
Chipboard MDF
Metal Forging
To further decorate console furniture, various techniques are used:
- inlaid with decorative glass and precious metals;
- a mirror is hung above the console, which sometimes comes with it;
- wooden consoles can be painted in any color;
- use veneering technique;
- perform artistic painting to give products individuality and an original appearance;
- the edge of the table top is inlaid or decorated with carved decor, and the surface itself is made of natural stone.
The nuances of placing built-in furniture in rooms for different purposes
Corner console
To make a small corridor much more attractive, it is worth decorating the corner areas with compact, and at the same time very spacious interior items. As an example, we use a corner console in the hallway - a compact-sized cabinet, original in appearance, and it is used as a stand for accessories.
The place of such a console, accordingly, is in the corner. Fastening is made to the wall. Used mainly as decoration.
There is space under the shelf, which can be with a drawer, and a press basket or umbrella stand can be placed there. A console installed near the door will become a place for storing bags, small items such as a wallet, and keys.
Varieties
There are many types of console furniture. The choice of the required model depends on its purpose, size, room configuration, location of the product, and interior style. It is also necessary to pay attention to the material used to make the furniture.
By area of application
Consoles come in two varieties - decorative and functional. The first panels decorate the interior and are compact in size. A narrow console will help fill an empty corner or niche. The design of the table can be so expressive and bright that the product will look like an independent decorative element. To highlight the console, it is good to hang a picture or mirror above it. Often, such a table is used to disguise a heating radiator. Under the furniture you can place an original pouf, a floor vase or a wicker box. Thus, a narrow table becomes an independent art object that can transform the most inconspicuous room.
Advantages of frameless furniture, step-by-step DIY production
Modern interiors are focused primarily on the functionality of furnishings. The console also plays a practical role in the interior. So, in the bedroom it can be used as a bedside table, dressing table or workplace. For comfortable use of furniture, it is necessary to select its size in accordance with its purpose. If it is assumed that the console will be used instead of a dressing table, then a spacious drawer for cosmetics can be located under the folding tabletop. In the living room it is placed against a free wall or near upholstered furniture.
Console TV stands are popular in minimalist interiors. They look less bulky, make cleaning easier and give the interior a stylish look. The width of such furniture is quite convenient for safely installing a modern model TV on it. If the TV is mounted on a bracket to the wall, then a console cabinet or shelf organically fills the free space under it.
You can add comfort to a small hallway with the help of such furniture. The table will not take up much space, but it will provide a surface for storing small items. And additional shelves will make such a piece of furniture spacious. Above the tabletop there is enough space for a mirror, a key holder or a hanger for hats. The free space below can be allocated for a pouffe on wheels or a banquette.
By device and installation location
There are different ways to position the console depending on its design:
- Freestanding furniture console table. It may have 1, 2 or 4 legs, but what distinguishes it from traditional models is its narrow tabletop. Taking into account the number of supports, it is located near the wall or anywhere in the room. Modern models may have wheels for easy movement around the room.
- Attached consoles. They have two or one support. Sometimes a rigid wall mount is used to ensure a stable position.
- Wall models. The leg performs a decorative function or is completely absent. An oval, rectangular or semicircular tabletop is rigidly fixed to the wall and complemented by a decorating element on top - a painting, a mirror, a lamp. With this type of fastening, attention is paid to the decorative appearance of the brackets.
- Corner furniture console (free-standing or wall-mounted). With its help, it is possible to rationally use a free corner. Such furnishings look especially original and expressive.
- Models with built-in cabinets under the countertop. They are equipped with beautiful fittings on the outside and allow you to store small items, writing instruments, and cosmetics.
The most convenient are consoles with a transformation function. They can be folded out into a comfortable-sized table top for a dining table or desk.
Freestanding
Pristavnaya
Wall-mounted
Corner
With drawers
Transformer
Narrow console
If the hallway is very small, then choose the narrowest possible furniture, which does not reduce the already modest space.
The narrow console in the hallway is a compact product that will complement any interior. A narrow console is a universal piece of furniture, because if installed close to a mirror, it can be used as a table for putting yourself in order.
Such consoles are decorated with ikebana and baskets for small items.
Upward movement
The opinion that the possibilities for placing shelves in the living room have been exhausted often turns out to be erroneous. Almost always, high shelves consisting of several tiers help solve the problem of storing small necessary items in the living room. The most spacious shelves will be from floor to ceiling.
Hanging console
You might think that a hanging console in a modern-style hallway is an ordinary shelf, but this is not the case, because the tabletop is completely unusual, the product looks creative, and this compact item looks expensive.
Such a shelf can be decorated with a carved leg. Despite the fact that the range of ready-made consoles on sale is impressive, you can always order a product to suit your taste.
A hanging console with a mirror in the hallway looks elegant, and at the same time the product pleases with its functionality.
On the console there is a place for decoration - lamps, vases with flowers, thereby providing both additional lighting and more subdued light in the room will bring comfort.
Standard dimensions
The size of the console furniture is chosen depending on the purpose and the available space for its installation. There are no strict standards as for kitchen furniture, and the size of the model is usually chosen by the manufacturer himself. However, there are conditional standards. So, for the smallest table, the height is 700 mm. Large countertops are located at a height of 1200 mm.
For rectangular and oval products, the length is from 500 to 800 mm and the width is 350–500 mm. For corner models, dimensions vary between 400–600 mm. The width should be chosen depending on what is going to be stored in them. Consoles with pointed and wavy edges look unusual. The best option for a hallway is a model with a triangular-shaped tabletop.
