Decorate

16 styling tips to learn from these four fabulous consoles

Create the perfect entrance to your home

When choosing furniture for and decorating interiors, one of the greatest secrets of interior designers is to set the right mood from the moment you and your guests enter your home. Creating an inviting entrance by including a perfectly styled console works to set the scene for your personal style and create a functional surface to aid organisation.

Here are four examples of how to great it right, with stylist tips to take out from each home:

1. Coastal clarity

16 styling tips to learn from these four fabulous consoles
(Credit: Brigid Arnott)

This gorgeous entrance is anchored by a dark timber console with hard-carved detailing and a generous surface for display.

Four tips to take out:

  1. Pepper with objects of the same colour – blue and white only here
  2. Stick to the theme – coastal shells, coral and nautical navy
  3. Keep it simple – don’t crowd the surface with too many objects
  4. Form follows function – a ceramic pot for keys, baskets for shoes and towels – all look beautiful and hide clutter

2. Elegant essentials

16 styling tips to learn from these four fabulous consoles
(Credit: Armelle Habib)

Sleek in form and confident in character, the refined, tapered legs of this console echo the chic lines of the statement light fitting above and seem to tiptoe atop the symmetry of the parquetry flooring.

Four tips to take out:

  1. Hero an artwork in your entrance – the bold artwork above is allow to take centre stage
  2. Less is more – objects styled on the console are minimal and low so don’t interrupt viewing of the painting
  3. Shelf secrets – add an attractive basket to a low shelf to collect bits and pieces
  4. Drawers forever – handy hidey holes

3. Reinvent your existing furniture

16 styling tips to learn from these four fabulous consoles
(Credit: Elouise Van Riet Gray)

Painted all-white, this simple vintage console disappears into the wall behind, whilst secretly working decorative double time.

Four tips to take out:

  1. Upcycle a favourite – pare back pre-loved pieces to make them work for you. Remove busy shelving or drawers to make way for display
  2. Style from the top down – fabulous flowers maketh the console. Simple, striking leaves work well here – straight from the garden and long-lasting to boot!
  3. Work in triangles – this plant and vase form the base for a triangular arrangement with the artwork at the apex. Light-coloured objects on the bottom shelf recede or pick up timber tones in the flooring
  4. Add a chair – the white timber chair is in a similar style to the console and adds to an inviting idea of relaxation

4. Art is essential

16 styling tips to learn from these four fabulous consoles
(Credit: John Downs)

Hanging an artwork above your console completes the space and adds sophistication to the arrangement of furniture beneath.

Four tips to take out:

  1. Play with colour – your entrance is a great place to make a statement with colour – whether or not you repeat it elsewhere in the home
  2. Bring nature inside – a plant is the perfect addition to a console and literally breathes life into the space
  3. Change it up – don’t settle for just one arrangement of objects – rotate your favourites with the seasons or simply whatever you’re loving in your home at the time
  4. Be bold with texture – use this space to add interest with different finishes and shapes, such as this quirky oversized rattan sphere

You might also like:

How to create a beautiful vignette

6 ways to decorate with flowers

Are you getting the most out of art in your home?

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