Considered console tables: beautiful designs for every space

Blurring the lines between furniture and sculpture, the 'Scarp' console table is part of Ralph Pucci’s 'Primal Mysteries' collection, launched at Design Miami 2024 – the gallery's first standalone collection in over ten years. Its raw design is handcrafted by Pucci's in-house team of artisans from plasterglass, channeling the influence of sculptors like Alberto Giacometti and Constantin Brâncuși. At 72 inches wide, it’s a substantial yet refined statement piece, combining artistry and craftsmanship in Pucci’s signature style.

With the ‘Light Tension’ console – debuted by Movimento Gallery at PAD London 2024 – Florentine firm Tipstudio challenges material conventions – reversing the roles of travertine and wood. Travertine, typically rigid and austere, is used to form a soft curve, while wood – organic and flexible – forms the firm base of the piece. The travertine tabletop, composed of two parallel semi-cylinders, creates a gentle curve that subtly moves away from the wall, while the two wood veneer legs – finished in a high gloss lacquer – evoke the stability of foundations, emphasising the unexpected interaction between the materials.

Italian brand Mattiazzi is renowned for its technical precision, and OTO exemplifies this through its distinctive rounded joint detail. Achieved with a custom-made milling tool, the generous inner-edge curves are subtly inscribed into the beams, a signature of Mattiazzi’s expert woodworking. Designed by Berlin-based Studio Œ, the medium console table balances architectural strength with an inviting softness, crafted from sustainably grown African okoumé wood – lightweight yet durable, often used in instrument and boat making.

Inspired by the art of kimono-making, the ‘Origata’ console by Nao Tamura for Porro is crafted from 6mm-thick aluminium sheet, cut and assembled in straight lines to minimise waste. This technique, mirroring the precision and respect for materials found in traditional kimono construction, defines the collection’s minimalist yet refined geometry. The console, available in a 142cm width, can be customised in a range of glossy Porro colours, including the new Arancio Siena. The piece’s understated form makes it ideal for spaces such as entryways or bedrooms, creating dedicated areas for work, meditation, or writing.

The ‘Source’ console table by New York studio A Space (recipients of a Wallpaper* Design Award in 2020) is hand-carved from a solid block of black tuff, a volcanic rock native to Armenia. Inspired by the region’s antiquity, craftsmanship, and architecture, this piece is part of a limited edition of just ten. The stone’s natural gradations – from black to reddish-brown – along with its porous texture, reveal subtle imperfections and variations, giving each piece a unique character. At 140cm wide, the console commands a bold architectural presence.

The intriguing bold blue surface of this unusual console invites closer inspection. Crafted from 3D-printed quartz sand using a binder jetting process, it blends organic form with modern manufacturing. Designed by Johan Wilén and unveiled during Milan Design Week 2024 at Alcova, its wood-grain texture and partially hollow structure reduce material use while creating a sculptural statement – where technology and craftsmanship meet with poetic precision.

Part of interior designer Tatjana von Stein's dance-inspired debut furniture collection, ‘Mise En Scène’ (launched in 2024), this poised console draws on the movement of a dancer, balancing softness with strength. Its paneled, angular legs evoke the poised stance of a ballerina, while the sycamore wood’s organic grain lends a sense of fluidity, and the bronze trims bring a grounding solidity.

Inspired by the grandeur of Greco-Roman archways, the 'Loggia' console by Italian brand Portego is crafted from terrazzo – in this case a composite of marble chips and resin binder, a modern evolution of the material that has graced Renaissance palaces for centuries. Designed by Matteo Leorato and brought to life by skilled Italian artisans, we appreciate the way this piece pays tribute to Italy’s art history, merging past and present through clean, architectural lines.

A study in lightness, the 'Blink' console table by Toronto- and New York-based firm Yabu Pushelberg for Shanghai brand Stellar Works is playful and sculptural, with a compact scale. Its refined steel frame supports a simple elliptical top, available in a choice of seven wood veneers.

Roberto Lazzeroni, who coined the term 'sentimental design' in the 1980s, has always embraced the idea that design should engage the senses and evoke feelings of familiarity. In line with his philosophy, the 'Fidelio' console table, debuted by Poltrona Frau in 2019, reflects this balance between the past and the present. Through its rich materiality and considered craftsmanship, the console offers a quiet nod to the past, while its precise lines ground it firmly in the present.