How To Decorate A Console Table Behind A Sofa

A console table behind the sofa might seem hard to picture at first. The space behind the sofa is something few of us consider. However, once you’ve added a console table to your home, you’ll immediately discover the benefits.

How To Decorate A Console Table Behind A Sofa

At first, the benefits of a sofa table seem purely practical. It’s extra storage, an easy place to rest drinks, and an opportunity to bring more lighting into a room. When it comes to decorating, the possibilities for the sofa table seem endless - and confusing.

A console table behind the sofa is a versatile area, and it can be decorated in numerous interesting ways. If you’re struggling to decide what to do, we’ve put together a list of the best decorating choices you can make.

Lamps

One of the first things to add to your console table is some light. A lamp can illuminate the sofa, adding soft mood lighting, or increasing visibility when you want to read.

Choose small lamps to avoid overwhelming the space, and to give a concentrated glow. For long sofas, place a lamp at either end of the table.

Books And Magazines

The coffee table book is a classic, but it can get in the way when you’re trying to put a mug down. Instead, use the console table to display your favorite illustrated tomes.

This is also the perfect place to stack your regular reading materials. They look good, and they’re in reach when you want an evening curled up with a good book.

Trays And Baskets

When you’re relaxing at the end of a long day, the last thing anyone wants to do is get up to find storage for an everyday item.

Because of this, the console table can quickly become a mess. Trays and baskets offer attractive storage solutions, and they can be easily removed when it’s time to clean up.

Flowers And Plants

Every living room needs a touch of nature. Flowers and living things are shown to be calming, and they can also improve air quality. The sofa table is a wonderful place to add something flowering.

It’s within the eye line, but removed from the activity of the room. Look for displays that won’t overhang the table too much. Thin vases, flowering succulents, or even single blooms can all look lovely.

Use Symmetry

A careful arrangement of matching objects can help frame the room. Use the sofa table to create a balance, and to bring the eye to a larger focal point.

If you want to avoid anything too matching, concentrate on repeating shape and size. The symmetrical arrangement remains, but it takes on a more casual attitude.

Or Try Asymmetry

In some spaces, overly matching objects and neat symmetry will seem overdone. Instead, choose one large decoration, and then play around with levels. If you’re going for asymmetry, then you can really bring attention to a single decoration.

Play with textures as well. Geometric chromes against natural materials are fun and playful, and with the right balance they create a harmony.

Add Stools For A Bar

If your console table is slightly higher than the sofa, use it to add a makeshift bar to the room. Stools provide extra seating, and the right ones can slip under the table to avoid taking up space. 

Use Contrasting Colors

The sofa table has a fantastic backdrop provided by the back of the sofa itself. Use colors that contrast the material to really draw the eye to the display. If the sofa table is against the wall, decorating in a contrasting shade helps the design stand out, and adds some levels to the room. 

Keep It Simple

The console table behind the sofa doesn’t need masses of decorations to look good. Keep everything streamlined with clean shapes and a reduced color palette.

This is best if you want to keep the room open, or to direct the eye elsewhere. If your console table has a habit of gaining clutter, simple decoration stops it from becoming too messy.

Or Try Something Bold

The console table is often floating behind the sofa, so it has fewer decorating elements to compete with. Because of this, you can really choose to do something bold.

Bring out the vases and ornaments you could never find the right place for, and let them shine. When you sit on the sofa, the display is out of sight, so it won’t distract from the rest of the decor.

Play With Proportions

This looks particularly good if your sofa is in the middle of the room. When decorating a room, it’s important to create levels. That means there’s something of visual interest to draw the eye to different areas.

Without levels, even the nicest decorations look bland. Mixing up the proportions for the table behind the sofa adds these levels immediately into the eye line.

Add Drawers

All sorts of tables work behind a sofa, but those with drawers add subtle storage. Even simple drawers provide an extra space to keep those everyday items that create clutter.

If your table doesn’t have attached drawers, try stacking storage boxes on top of the console. They not only have a function, but they also give new height.

Use It To Create Zones

In an open-plan room, it can be difficult to fill the space effectively. Instead, it becomes a mixture of furniture with no clear flow. A console table behind the sofa is a fantastic way to create partitions, and distinguish zones.

Decorate boldly to show a clear line which separates a seating area. Otherwise, keep things simple to allow the space to flow naturally.

Don’t Forget The Space Underneath

Whether it’s an extra shelf or just an open space, what’s below the top of the console needs some love as well. Avoid anything too bold, as it disrupts the balance of the room.

That said, you don’t have to play it boring. Another idea is to add storage boxes, or to tuck some stools underneath for extra seating.