A hallway console table is a piece of furniture that should be located at the point where a homes moves from a public area to a private area. The hallway console table can be the place where an individual places their keys, the place where an individual places their mail, and the first place where a guest see when they enter the homes doorway. If the individual choose the correct decor items for that console table, the narrow hallway will be transformed into a place that guests will associate with the individual and their personality.
However, should the individual choose the incorrect decor for that hallway console table, the area may become either too cluttered or too empty to be visually appealing to the individual’s guest. The secret to creating an appealing console table that complement the narrow hallway is to treat the table as an art piece rather than a place to display items that may not otherwise have a designated home elsewhere in the home. Elements like height, texture, the use of negative space within the display, and one small element of surprise is more important than the use of matching items arranged in sets along the console table.
Once an individual understands the basic decorating rules for a console table, the hallway will allow the console table to stand in its narrowness rather than work against it. These decorating ideas will allow an individual to feel confidently in the arrangement of their hallway console table such that it is never transformed into a showroom of their homes goods and items. An individual should start the console table with one single item that represent the arrangement of items that will be placed on the console table.
Effective Ways To Decorate Your Console Table
1. Tall Ceramic Lamps
For instance, one can purchase a tall ceramic lamp with a pale linen shade. The height of the ceramic lamp should be approximately two thirds of the height of the mirror that is hung above the hallway console table. If the ceramic lamp is shorter than two thirds of the height of the art piece that is displayed above the console table, the ceramic lamp will appear small in the hallway relative to the other items in that area.
Moreover, the item should be placed off of the center of the console table such that there is “breathing room” for another item on one side of the ceramic lamp. The placement of the item off of center can help to avoid a stiff looking arrangement of items on the console table, and the light from the ceramic lamp will help to define the items placed on the hallway console table by softening the shadows within the hallway. Another item that may be added to the hallway console table is a rectangular tray.
2. Rectangular Trays
Such a tray can help to define the boundary of items on the table, catch the key that are placed upon it, and provide a place for the individual’s eye to rest upon the items placed on the table. The tray can be made of brass, leather, or lacquered wood. Within the tray, an individual can add another item, such as a small dish for the individual’s coins, a tiny potted succulent, or a bundle of matches.
The rectangular tray will add an element of order within the hallways console table even in the face of the chaos of an individual’s life, but without the tray, the items placed upon the console table may appear as visual noise.
3. Mirrors
Mirrors are an essential item that should be hung above the hallway console table; the mirror will reflect the light that enter the hallway, and will make the narrow hallway appear twice as wide as it naturally is. The mirror can have an organic shape, antique foxed glass, or an arched frame that correlate to the architecture of the home.
The individual should hang the mirror such that the bottom of the mirror is eight to ten inches from the tallest item displayed on the hallway console table. If the mirror is hung too low to the console table, the reflection of the items on the console table may end up missing the lamp that hangs from the hallway’s ceiling, and the space may appear crowded within the narrow hallway. Moreover, the individual will notice there reflection within the mirror as they reach for their keys.
4. Living Greenery
Another item that can be added to the hallway console table is an item that is alive. Even if the individual does not have the time to care for a plant that is placed on the console table, an individual may purchase and display a dried branch of eucalyptus within a vase. The dried eucalyptus will release its characteristic scent into the hallway each time an individual pass by it.
Alternatively, an individual can place a dish of moss or a trailing pothos plant on the console table. The organic shape of the living plant will help to even out the architecture of the hallway that is otherwise made up of mostly rectangular shapes. The plant should be kept beneath eye level such that it does not interfere with the individual’s view of themselves in the mirror.
5. Hardcover Books
Books can be added to the console table to add a sense of personality to the hallway. An individual can purchase three hardcover books and turn their spines outward. The books can be of any subject matter, but they can be rotated seasonally.
6. Decorative Objects and Taper Candles
An individual can place an object of value, such as brass candlesticks or a ceramic soup bowl, upon the books to add another layer of personality to the hallway console table. Another light source that can be used within the hallway console table is a pair of taper candles. These candles can be placed in holders on the opposite side of the hallway console table from the main lamp.
The candles will provide an alternative source of light to the overhead lights of the home when the individual arrives home during the late hours of the night. Unscented candles should be used such that their scent does not compete with the scents of the remainder of the home. These candles will change the mood of the hallway during the winter evenings when contrasted with the mirror.
7. Textured Elements
Texture is important within the hallway console table display. Elements of texture within the home that can be added to the console table may include a rough woven basket and throws that are placed within it, items of leather, items of brass, items of lacquered wood, and items of ceramic. The individual may even choose to add a small framed picture to the table.
The eye of the individual will naturaly seek out visual interest such as texture to rest upon rather than the main features of the hallway. A hallway console table that is lacking texture may appear flat. Matching sets of items are best avoided when purchasing items for a hallway console table.
8. Personal Objects
Items that may appear to be a matching set for the hallway may include a set of decorative boxes, a set of matching books, and a set of decorative lamps. Such items may appear soulless within the hallway. Instead, the individual can choose a single object of personal value that has a special meaning or place within the individual’s life.
The choice of such an object will help to dictate the purchase of other items for the hallway console table, and the object will become the central focus of the items that are displayed on that console table. Items may be replaced during the various seasons of the year. During the spring, for instance, the items that may be replaced include the wool items that may typically be within a basket of throw blankets, which may be replaced by linen throw blankets, and the dried eucalyptus that may be within a vase that hangs from the console table, which may be replaced by fresh cherry blossoms that are added to that vase.
9. Seasonal Accents
During the fall, items that may be replaced include small gourds that can be placed upon the books that are arranged upon the console table, and a knitted scarf that can be placed upon the console table such that it hangs over the edge of the console table.
10. Under Table Storage
Below the hallway console table, if the hallway console table has legs, an individual can place a low basket of vintage suitcases beneath the table. This will allow an individual to utilize the vertical space of the hallway that is otherwise wasted in many homes, and will provide a location for items such as shoes, umbrellas, or even the leash of an owned dog.
The individual should organize the items placed beneath the hallway console table such that it is not a location for the accumulation of “junk” within the hallway. Instead, it should have order to the items such that they are not hidden beneath the console table. Employing one or more of the ideas described in this article will allow an individual to edit the items that are placed upon the hallway console table every few weeks.
Hallways are the last place that an individual visits prior to leaving the home. An individual should stand at the front entrance of their home, look at the hallway console table as if they are an outsider and a stranger to those items, and remove any items from the hallway console table that dont naturally belong to the home. Items that remain upon the console table will have more impact upon the individual’s passing guests.
An individual’s hallway console table will thus transform from a hallway into a gracious gesture that their home makes for their guests. Such a single hallway console table will have an impact upon the remainder of the homes décor. When an individual understands how to properly decorate a hallway console table, the hallway will cease to be just a hallway, and will instead become the beginning of a story within the home.
