How to Choose a Console Table for Your Hallway (and the Lamp to Go With It)

A console table is usually the first thing anyone sees when they walk through your front door, so it is worth getting it right. The good news is that choosing one is mostly a matter of measuring three things – the wall, the depth you can spare and the height of what sits on top – and then picking a lamp and mirror that suit it.

1. Measure the depth first

Depth matters more than length in a hallway. You need to be able to walk past the table comfortably, open the front door fully and get a pushchair or a muddy dog by without catching a corner. As a guide, try to leave at least 90cm of clear walkway in front of the table.

• Narrow hallways: look for a depth of 35–40cm. The Gracie slim console is just 35cm deep, and the reclaimed elm two shelf console is 37cm.
• Wider halls and landings: 40–47cm gives you more room for a lamp, a bowl for keys and a stack of books. The Charlecote breakfront console is 47cm deep in the middle and 40cm at the sides, which makes it feel lighter than its size suggests.

2. Then the length

A console usually looks best when it takes up around two-thirds to three-quarters of the wall it sits against, leaving some breathing space either side. On a 2m wall, that means a table of roughly 130–150cm. Too short and it looks lost; too long and the hall feels crowded.

• Small walls and cottage halls (up to 120cm): the reclaimed elm two door console is 80cm wide with a cupboard for shoes and dog leads, and the Castell limewash console is 110cm.
• Medium walls (120–160cm): the 130cm reclaimed elm console or the two drawer reclaimed elm console at 120cm.
• Long walls, landings and large halls (160cm+): the 180cm reclaimed elm console with lower shelf, the nine drawer solid elm console in Driftstone at 190cm, or the Charlecote at 180cm.

3. Drawers, shelf or both?

Think about what the table actually has to do. If it is the place where keys, post, dog leads and sunglasses end up, drawers will keep it calm. A lower shelf is perfect for a pair of baskets for shoes or hats, a log basket in winter, or a stack of books. Our baskets are sized with this in mind.

4. Choosing a lamp for a console

Most consoles are 75–90cm tall, so a lamp of around 65–80cm overall usually sits in proportion and brings the light up to a useful height. A pair of matching lamps at either end looks wonderful on a long table; on a shorter one, a single lamp to one side with a mirror or picture offset is often more relaxed.

The one thing people often miss is the shade width. A shade wider than the table is deep will hit the wall, and the lamp ends up pushed forward or the shade sits crooked. On a 40cm-deep console, a shade of 35–40cm is usually the safe choice.

• The Marmott balustrade lamp is 60.5cm to the bulb holder. With a 35cm tapered shade or 38cm wicker shade it suits a slim hall console beautifully; save the 51cm coolie for a deeper table or sideboard.
• The tall tea caddy rattan lamp stands 77cm with a 40cm cylinder shade – a good height for a console of around 45cm deep.
• For a console behind a sofa, where there is no wall to worry about, the large chocolate glaze lamp with a 50cm shade gives a generous, warm pool of light. The curved Welford demi-lune console works particularly well in that spot.

For more on matching shades to bases, see our guide to choosing the right lampshade size.

5. Mirror or picture above

As a rule of thumb, choose a mirror or picture that is around two-thirds to three-quarters the width of the table, and hang it so the bottom edge sits 15–25cm above the tabletop. That keeps the two reading as one arrangement rather than two separate things on the wall. A large mirror in a dark hallway also bounces light back from the lamp and the front door. Browse our mirrors.

6. Finish and wood

Hallways take knocks, wet coats and muddy boots, so a forgiving finish is a real advantage. Reclaimed elm and oak hide marks well and only look better with age. Whitewashed and limewashed finishes lift a darker hall and sit happily with stone floors and pale walls. If your hall has warm, dark floorboards, a lighter table gives contrast; with pale flagstones, a darker elm grounds the space.

A quick checklist

• Clear walkway of at least 90cm in front of the table
• Table length around two-thirds to three-quarters of the wall
• Lamp around 65–80cm overall, with a shade no wider than the table is deep
• Mirror around two-thirds to three-quarters of the table width, 15–25cm above the top
• Drawers for clutter, a shelf for baskets

Come and see them in person

Consoles are one of those pieces that are much easier to choose when you can see the wood and the proportions for yourself. We have a wide selection on display at our Warwickshire showroom – please get in touch to arrange a visit, or send us your measurements and a photo of your hall and we'll happily suggest a table and lamp that fit.

Explore all our console tables and hallway furniture.