Sofa + Console Tables

Console tables are versatile pieces unrivaled at drawing attention to artwork and creating stunning accent walls. They leave guests breathless in entryways and make a signature statement about your design style in the living room, dining room or bedroom. A clever way to use console tables is to elevate your living room’s seating arrangements. In this case, people refer to them as sofa console tables, or simply sofa tables. How do they work?

There are two main ways to use sofa console tables. Of course, at west elm, we’re all for innovation and experimentation; so if you figure out a more interesting way to use your sofa table, go for it! Console tables look gorgeous nudged up against the back of a sofa or sectional. You can also place one in between your sofa and the wall, creating a kind of extended shelf or ledge. Here’s why those two uses are so awesome.

For one thing, it gives you even more tools for playing around with color in your living room. Neutral spaces are bright, positive and relaxing, so it’s no surprise that many people opt for a white or light color palette when designing living room decor. A pristine linen sofa provides a brilliant canvas just waiting for extra artistic details. Want to add some excitement? That’s where a sofa table comes in. Placing a pair of vibrant vases or a bouquet of lilies in the background brings things to life without overpowering the rest of the decor.

Creating luxurious vignettes that show from in front and behind your sofa is really easy. They’re basically groupings of items that tell a story. Candles of different sizes and tones, photographs, sculptures, bowls, vases and other artisan pieces fit together seamlessly, offering interesting layers for guests to decipher. These groupings can reflect your artistic side, or reveal the things that are close to your heart instead. It’s totally fitting to place a small rug — solid rugs are easy to incorporate — underneath a sofa table to draw attention to it, unless your living room rug extends well beyond the sofa or sectional anyway.

Sofa tables also make the room feel complete. Sectional sofas look beautiful in the center of the living room, serving as a kind of gathering spot for friends and loved ones. However, not everyone likes to show off the back of their sofa. A sofa table creates an attractive surface instead. In fact, many console tables even have extra storage space or can double as an informal breakfast nook.

Don’t feel obligated to match your sofa console table surface with other living room furniture – though you can if you want an especially harmonious layout. Contrasting a glass coffee table with a rustic dark-wood sofa table adds visual interest and a touch of extra warmth. Pairing different materials together is exciting and gives you more control over what shades of dark and light you want to display, and where.