Console tables often appear in foyer spaces or at least SOMEWHERE near the entranceway to your home, so styling them will set the tone for the whole house.

My own console table is sort of in between the entry (which is too crowded for any real furniture) and the living room, and it serves as more or less the introduction to our house. It has been naked since we put away the manger scene mid January. Well, maybe not entirely naked as it has served as a drop zone for all manner of unattractive necessities from masks to mail.

In any case it has been silently mocking me for the last three weeks.

I finally got it together this week, inspired by my friend Deborah Main AKA The Pillow Goddess who posted about her entry table last week! You can see that HERE

I had requirements, as you can see above. I wanted to keep the carved gold and black mirror which I have had for years and still adore.

And the plates had to stay, which I also adore. I am a self confessed dish-a-holic and these could not be more up my alley…I am a complete sap for any dishware with pierced or scalloped edges and/or gilding.

And these vintage Italo Casini beauties were gifted to me by one of my best friends who always laughs that I stick plates on the wall - “why would you want to lick the walls?” she says LOL. I love how they frame the mirror and add a splash of color. PS I do NOT lick the walls!

And the stuff on the lower shelf needed to stay because I have musicians in the house who need these books near the piano and this is the only shelf available in range! I DID clean it up and neaten it a tiny bit.

The other item staying is the pair of buffet lamps. I don’t love the finish on them, but they’ll do for now and I DO love the scale of them and the black shades which are lined with gold and cast a beautiful golden glow on everything.

I streamlined the cord situation and obscured the outlet with a vase of faux greenery. Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, but the bottom of this table is at eye level as you come up the stairs from the entry, so it is very visible!

There are an infinite number of possibilities for things to use to style a console table, but I find these to be my go-to items:

• lamps

• flowers, plants, or something nature inspired

• candles

• coffee table books

• photos (though I try to limit this to 3 or less for any surface or it starts to look more like a shrine!)

• sometimes a cloche, decorative plate, tray, or box makes it into the mix

Of course on the wall above a console table, especially in an entry, a mirror is the most practical item to hang (just not this one with mirror acne!). It allows a last minute check on the way in or out the door AND it bounces around the light nicely. Here are some other ideas of what to hang on the wall and how high is too high when it comes to hanging things above furniture pieces.

Here are 5 options I tried for styling the tabletop of our console table with things I had around the house.

1.) The simplest option is just a planter with a sprawling arrangement. The white oval ceramic planter contrasts nicely with the more rustic finish on the black table. The arrangement was a leftover from the dining room table over the holidays and contains berries, ivy and a few roses.

That is Sven, the Swedish Ivy that you can see lurking in the mirror. He’s a lush, always wanting a drink, but he’s still alive and relatively healthy which is saying something - I’m generally not gifted in the ‘keeping plants alive’ department.

Alas, I wish I had a pair of chairs to flank this table. It would be especially nice with such a symmetrical arrangement. #goals

2.) Next I tried a stack of books topped with a shallow bowl of white hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are one of the best faux flowers and the white ones are so versatile (these have probably been to a dozen staging projects!)

These are balanced with some mercury glass candle holders one of which is shaped like a bird, a decorative plate on a stand, also a bird…I’m sensing a theme here, and a small clock which would be far more useful if I actually put a battery in it?!

As you might have surmised, in addition to my dishware and obsession, I gravitate toward all things bird-related as well. The bird plate was a recent Christmas gift.

3.) Next I added some height to the stack of books and centered them. I swapped the plate for a cloche filled with acorn ornaments, and balanced the other side with more mercury glass candle holders.

4.) I also tried just the cloche and plate with the stack of books and hydrangeas. I really like this option - simple but effective!

5.) And finally, I tried a tray with a bouquet of the hydrangeas, a candlestick, and a nest with two cast metal love birds. This is paired with a framed silhouette picture and the clock on one side and a vintage little box with drawers on the other side.

I’ve always really liked these little birds, but I’m just noticing from certain angles they look a little peeved!

So this is where it stands for now, but I’ll undoubtedly change it whenever the mood strikes or I acquire some fresh flowers - whichever comes first. I have a vintage ironstone pitcher that makes a terrific vase and often finds its way to this table!

Here are my takeaway tips for table styling

• Books, flowers, and candles are never wrong

• Vary the heights of your tabletop items for a pleasing “skyline”

• Repeat elements like shapes, colors and finishes to create a rhythm

• Arrange items for visual balance - i.e. one bulky item on one side, might be balanced by 2 less bulky items on the other side

What are your favorite console table styling items?

Console table styling is very similar to mantel styling - you can read ideas about how to style a mantel here.

Happy Styling!