The console is the narrowest piece of furniture that still changes a room. Seldens has 30 from Hooker Furniture, Stickley, Mercana, Lexington and Tommy Bahama Home, in wood, metal, glass and stone, including the arched Bela, the Melange Vienna, the Cascade and the Laurel Canyon Griffith Park.

Behind the Sofa or Against the Wall

Two jobs, two sets of rules. Behind a sofa, a console should sit an inch or two below the top of the sofa back and run a little shorter than the sofa itself, with a few inches of air between the two so a lamp cord has somewhere to go. Against an entry wall, depth is the number that matters: anything much over fifteen inches starts to crowd a hallway, and an arched or open base keeps the floor visible so the space still reads wide.

What Lives Underneath and What Goes on Top

The space under a console is storage most people waste. Baskets, a pair of stools, or a low bench that slides fully under keeps a hallway clear and gives you seating when you need it. On top, work in threes: a lamp from our lighting collection, something tall like a vase, and something low. Hang a mirror above an entry console to push light back into the room and catch yourself on the way out.

Shop Console Tables in Tacoma, Bellevue and Olympia

Consoles are bought by measurement and lived with by proportion, and the two do not always agree. Standing next to one tells you whether the base is too heavy for the wall or the top too deep for the hall. Visit Tacoma, Bellevue or Olympia, or look at Stickley consoles and sideboards for the solid wood versions.