Ready for some inspiring console table decor ideas? I share my ten favorite ideas for adding style to any console table, sideboard, or buffet!
One of the many house projects that I’m juggling right now is decorating our dining room. I finally ordered some dining room side chairs that arrive this week (fingers crossed that they’re winners) and then went to work on what to put on the walls and the top of our sideboard. The only thing that I have there so far is {this blue gourd lamp} that I ordered on sale a few weeks back (and love!). I’ve also ordered a large canvas art print that should be here soon – this is the paper template that I taped up to make sure the size I was looking at would work:
Sources: Sideboard | Blue gourd lamp | Rug
Now I’ve moved on to finding a few more decorative pieces to add to the top of our sideboard. I’ve had several requests for a console table decorating post in the past so thought that while I have a bunch of ideas fresh in my head, I’d share my favorite sideboard and console table decor ideas with you! They’re all ideas that should work for you whether you’re decorating a console table, buffet, sideboard, entryway table, or any other similar piece.
Before we jump in, as an FYI the best images I could find to give you a visual of several of my console table decor ideas come from higher end retailers (who have great stylists!) so the consoles themselves and the decor on them is often pricey. But know as you read this post that you don’t need to spend a ton of money to have a beautifully decorated console table – some of my favorite decor pieces have come from HomeGoods and Amazon. Every one of these ideas that I share can be done beautifully while sticking to a budget! And with that, let’s get to it… (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})
1. Give Greenery a Spot to Shine
I love the look of large scale greenery on one side of a console table or sideboard. It adds a punch of color and the organic shape of greenery is a nice contrast to the straight lined silhouette of most consoles. A few examples include these leafy branches in a flare neck glass vase that make a statement on this rattan console:
Sources: Console – no longer available | Rattan side chair
and these more wispy branches in a footed glass vase on this pretty linen console table:
Sources: Wallpaper | Linen console | Rattan stools | Bamboo mirror
It’s definitely a win when you have trees or bushes in your yard to clip fresh greenery from but faux branches can work well too. For example, {these faux greenery branches} that I have in a low vase on our kitchen island have that same billowy, organic feel:
Sources: Round woven tray | White ceramic vase (similar) | Faux greenery branches | Marble wine cooler | Glass oil bottle | Tall pepper mill | Short pepper mill (filled with sea salt)
Find more of what I think are the best artificial flowers & branches {here} where I share the ones that I have and love.
2. Slide Seating Underneath
For open console tables, I love the look of a pair of stools or ottomans tucked underneath and it can be a really practical solution too! In our previous home, I would pull out one of {these cube ottomans} from under our console to take my shoes on or off before heading out the door:
Sources: Wallpaper | Linen console (also see {this similar console}) | White table lamp | 30″ x 40″ Framed art print | Decorative snail | Wave coral – HomeGoods | Shallow wood bowl | Glass beads | Cube ottomans
Similarly, a pair of {these rattan stools} is tucked under a console that does double duty as a bedroom nightstand:
Sources: Indigo console table | Rattan stools | Braided rug
and these cute skirted stools were used in the same way too:
Sources: Bed | Palm wallpaper | Console table | Rattan mirror | Table lamp
I also love the look of a pair of X-base stools tucked under a console table.
3. Reflect Light With a Large Mirror
Large mirrors can make a room feel bigger and brighter by reflecting sunlight into the room and are a great choice for hanging above a console. Both rectangular mirrors like {this bone inlay mirror}:
Sources: Console table | Bone inlay mirror
and circular mirrors like this large woven mirror can work:
Sources: Patterned grasscloth wallpaper | Console table | Woven armchair
But I personally prefer choosing a mirror in a shape that contrasts that of the console: a round mirror above a rectangular console or a rectangular mirror above a curved edge console.
4. Layer in Light
Using lighting on or above a console or sideboard is a great way to layer light in a room. While I have a single lamp on my console and sideboard, a pair of lamps is also a beautiful look (especially if you’re a lover of symmetry)! For example, {this pair of white temple jar lamps} is stunning on top of this high-end raffia console table with a grid of four framed art prints and a few accessories:
And have you ever thought of layering in light with wall sconces above a console? A pair of sconces such as {these brass wall sconces} is perfect for framing a piece of art or a mirror over a console:
Sources: Console | Wall sconces | Mirror | Rug
5. Stack Up Some Books
You might have noticed in several of the images I’ve already shown that stacked books are commonly used for console table decor. Consoles are a great place to display special books you might have about your favorite interests, vacation destinations, or family photo books. And they can also serve a purpose of raising up decorative pieces resting on top of them to a height that’s more pleasing to the eye, as was done with the candle holders elevated by two books on this beautiful console:
Sources: Blue lamps | Mini vases | Watercolor bowl | Gold mirror
You can also use books to add more color or pattern to a console table by adding a simple fabric book cover to them such as these that I used on the entryway chest in our previous home one spring:
It’s really simple to do (no sewing required) – you can find the step by step of how to make fabric book covers {here}.
6. Let Art Take Center Stage
Do you have one or more art pieces that you’d like to display in your home? Let art take center stage over your console! You can use a single large statement-making art piece such as {this moody cloud art} that’s hung over a white oak sideboard:
Tip! When hanging a single piece of art over a console table or sideboard, art that’s between ⅔ and ¾ the width of the furniture piece below it is a good size to shoot for.
Another option (especially when you have a long console) is to layer several pieces of art over one another. I absolutely love how Studio McGee hung a large piece of art on the wall and then layered small and medium art pieces over it:
Sources: Oak sideboard | Fluted marble bowl | Channel ottoman
If you like a more coastal vibe, matted prints in {these layered chunky oak frames} might be more up your alley. Again, the large print is mounted to the wall and smaller print is layered over it:
Sources: Black console table | Oak frames | Frosted glass vases
Other options are to hang several identically sized framed prints in a grid or create an eclectic gallery wall. My favorite online shops for reasonably priced art prints are Minted, Artfully Walls, Etsy, and Juniper Print Shop which is a new favorite. I just ordered {this Montauk canvas print} from their shop to go over the long sideboard in our family room:
7. Add Storage With Baskets
Want hidden storage for shoes by your front door or for stashing reusable bags that you can grab as you head to the grocery store? Adding decorative baskets such as {this pair of woven baskets} to open consoles can give you exactly that:
Sources: Black console table | Console baskets
If the baskets look familiar, it’s because they’re the same ones that I’ve used for storage at the base of this shallow closet:
Another beautiful example of decorating with baskets is the trio of round woven baskets on the bottom shelf of this gorgeous console:
Sources: Oak console table | Arched mirror | Round table lamp | Grid patterned box
8. Decorate With Bowls & Boxes
Two of the console table decor pieces that I use time and time again are decorative bowls & boxes. For example I used {this shallow wood bowl} filled with a strand of glass beads similar to {these} on the shelf of our entryway console:
And during the holidays, I’ve added a large decorative wood bowl filled with ornaments & jingle bells to the top of my console:
Decorative boxes on a console table can be both pretty and practical – you can use them to stash anything with style including extra keys, stamps, coasters, etc. They’re also useful for elevating the height of other decor pieces to create a more aesthetically pleasing design:
Sources: Horseshoe console table | Decorative box
These are a few decorative bowls & boxes I rounded up that would work beautifully as console table decor:
Sources: 1. Scalloped white bowl | 2. Wood planter/bowl | 3. Charcoal bowl | 4. White footed bowl | 5. Whitewashed wood bowl | 6. Ceramic wave bowl | 7. Washed cream colored bowl | 8. Sculpted marble box | 9. Black cane box | 10. Black & white striped bone boxes | 11. Burlwood box
9. Add A Bit of Quirk
As with every space you decorate, it’s fun to add a piece with a bit of quirk that reflects your unique interests or personality. I’ve long had a love for small brass animals so it’s no surprise that I think {this brass snail} is the cutest thing ever – he still makes me smile when I walk by him hanging out on my console:
10. Doll It Up When You Entertain
One of the things I love most about console table and sideboards is that they are super functional pieces for entertaining. You can use them like a bar cart to hold and serve drinks or, if you have a long console, you can set up a gorgeous buffet. The way they set up this champagne and dessert station is stunning:
Sources: Marble top console table | Antiqued glass mirror | Seagrass baskets
I hope these console table decor ideas sparked an idea of how you could decorate your own console or sideboard! What if you’re starting from scratch and first need to find a console table you love? If one of the consoles in this post doesn’t do the trick, check out my post on behind-the-couch tables for my other favorite consoles.
XO,
