Dining furniture that comes with table and matching dining room chairs and is sold as dining room sets sometimes also have a matching buffet or china cabinet or a third piece of furniture to add to the total package. But often the buffet that goes with the set is too long or too wide to fit in a dinning room, and that is why sometimes a narrow console table is just right to be that third piece of dinning room furniture.

Half Moon Bar Table

There is another use for a tall narrow console table, especially the half moon shaped ones, and that is to replace bar tables. If you are redecorating a basement or kitchen or even a living room, and you mount a half moon or demilune console table to the wall, perhaps between two windows or along a wall that can hold a barstool or two, a bar console table will then serve as a place to set a drink or serve snacks for a cocktail party or simply when there are guests.

A round pub table may take up too much floor space, while a mounted half moon or drop leaf table may be exactly right depending on how high you mount it to the wall. If the tables you go with are not the kind that have a wall mount option but are freestanding, with at least three legs, they could also be placed as corner pub tables because often the demilune console tables will have a V-shape back and a half moon front that fit snug in such places without taking up much space. And because this style of table is open from the table top to the floor, a bar stool can easily be pushed under it and out of way until needed.

Most homes don’t have the luxury of a space for a bar table as well as other side tables and sofa tables, but by ingeniously using half moon wall mounting consoles or tall freestanding console tables you can have cocktail tables and barstools even in limited space.

Bistro Table Alternative

Similar to the bar table idea, the small console table designs will lend themselves well to doubling as a bistro table. This can be especially true in a kitchen where there is limited space and dining room tables are just too large. For example, if the kitchen has a large window, below it could be mounted a console table or a narrow glass console table could be placed so the top is at the level of the window sill.

A stool or two could then be added to create a bistro feeling, or to replace a kitchen counter stool idea. Console tables can often fit where larger bistro tables will not, in a kitchen or dinning area or even near a patio or balcony, and can be a wonderful place to sit and sip a morning coffee or read the paper. And because console tables are tall and narrow they will take up less space and fit against walls or under windows more easily. The contemporary glass console table designs that are sleek and have no drawers or shelves are especially suited to this purpose, or the half moon console table designs that will give the bistro feel although they will not be totally round, but will leave lots of leg room below for stools which is part of the enchantment of the bistro concept.

A pedestal table may appear to be small, but because they need space around all sides, they tend to use a lot of space and unless used on a patio or deck, may just not be practical. That is why the leg placement of a console table is unique and useful — often having no legs, just wall mounting brackets or two in front and a wall mount, or three strategically placed.

Sofa Tables and how to Incorporate a Console Table

Side tables and sofa table sets are designed to be low as are the traditional glass coffee tables or square coffee table styles that rest in front of a sofa and serve as accent tables that are generally unobtrusive to conversations and simply serve as a place to rest a drink, snacks or to place magazines and books that are current. Console tables cannot replace these pieces because they are normally built too high to serve as coffee table furniture or end tables, and they tend to be long and narrow or shaped as a half moon which just don’t work beside or in front of a sofa or love seat.

However there is one exception to this. Console tables can be sofa tables if the sofa is placed in the middle of the room, or used as a divider in a large open space like a loft. Then a tall narrow table that is exactly the height of the back of the sofa can be placed behind it and is in fact the ideal height to set a drink or to have magazines or books to read while sitting.

The mirrored console table designs that have tall sleek chrome legs and are rectangular in shape can be a perfect accent for a contemporary leather sofa, or if the living room sofa is mission style furniture with wooden arms and legs, a mission console table in a similar wood finish will accent the back of this sofa nicely. Other mission furniture and accent table designs that are lower can be placed at arm level along the sides or between sofa and loveseats and armchairs and the entire room is pulled together.

Mission Table Designs

Since there are companies that specialize in mission table designs and create simplistic and modern versions of the mission end table that match the consoles and sofa styles, it is possible to select all pieces in the exact same wood finish. For example a mission oak design can be carried through in the entire living space with a series of mission oak furniture made by talented Amish carpenters who specialize in the mission style.

This can be carried through to include a mission dining room table and chairs and that way the wood furniture is all the same in the open space. This may not be as much of a concern in a home where the rooms are divided by walls, but in an open layout, which is increasingly more popular it is good to consider a dinning table or dinette sets that will match the other furniture in basic style.

Mixing and Matching Furniture Styles

I am not suggesting that everything must be identical, in fact it is good to have a piece or two of furniture that is uniquely different, but keep with the theme. Don’t mix glass dining tables with oak occasional tables if they are in the same space. Try to avoid using a modern coffee table or glass tables as accents if all the rest of the area is antique or wrought iron. A single antique table or oak table in an otherwise contemporary décor will not look like a feature, it will just seem out of place. Remember that a console table is an accent and it should be one of two things: a select piece that stands out as unique and unusual or should blend perfectly with the existing style.

One Unique Console Table

When I say that a console table should stand out as unique, this will best apply to a singular piece that stands alone, like hall tables or one single marble table with a mirror above it near an entrance. An entry table can be a rich elegant piece that is one of a kind and need not be exactly the some as the rest of the furniture, but it must have some correlation to the overall theme. This is especially true if the overall home design is conservative. Mixing and matching styles is not a good idea. In retro and art deco or antique themes or ethnic styles, this rule may be bent somewhat, but not if your furnishings are classic mission style or oak or cherry wood or rustic unfinished pine. Stick to a design theme and add an accent console table that goes with the overall statement or tone.

While I was renovating my house, and while there was so much dust I could barely breathe, I rented a small apartment a few blocks away from the construction site and used it as a place to flop after a long day of helping the construction workers, and as a place to take a shower. I didn’t select it for being an apartment where I would want to live, but it was cheaper than a hotel and came furnished and that was all I cared about.

The funny thing was that the apartment was a mini marble palace replete with polished marble floors, red velvet drapes and elaborate cherry furniture… so out of character for a tiny Spanish village set into an olive grove landscape. But the funniest part of the entire apartment was an antique, gilded console table and gold framed mirror at the entrance. It was a perfect old world, half-moon, mounted console table with 2 ornately carved front legs and a marble top.

Console Table Entrance Haunting

Since I was always tired and dirty when I entered the apartment, I didn’t give much thought to the gaudy décor, and would go straight to the shower and then off to bed. But invariably I would see the console table, toss my keys and mail and miscellaneous junk on the little gilded table and ….it would wobble under the weight of keys and a few letters. And then one day it fell. I panicked and replaced it to where it belonged and checked that the marble hadn’t cracked or that the gilded paint on the carved legs hadn’t chipped.

Luckily I didn’t destroy the console table. But right until the day I happily left the luxury of that apartment, that irritating console table haunted my entrance. The idea of it was ideal – a place for keys and letters at the entrance of the house, but the actuality of it was a wobbly piece of adornment that just got in the way.

That’s another reason it took me a long time to choose the console table I eventually put in my newly renovated house. I wanted a table to use AND to look great, and not something so decorative it could only be looked at.

Practical Console Tables

It’s very common for homeowners to place a console table at the entrance, not only to make a good first house impression, but to have a place for small items that are otherwise in our hands or pockets as we enter and exit. The console table should be sturdy enough to not collapse if used to set keys or mail or a purse or wallet or even sunglasses and other small items.

It’s also not a bad idea to have a mirror above the table for a quick glance as you leave the house or even to make the entryway appear a little larger than it is and to reflect the light that may come through the door. But that very useful little piece of furniture can quickly become an annoyance if it is either wobbly or unstable, or if it is too decorative to hold small items, or if it becomes the household junk trap and is the most unsightly first impression you receive as you enter. That is why it is important to give some thought to your selection.

• Will it be used to place thing son or is it more a decorative table with a mirror to check your lipstick?
• Could it become a potential junk trap? How to avoid it becoming a clutter table?

If it’s just a table to set your lipstick on while you retouch your makeup, then almost anything you like will do (even a total glass console table), but if not, make sure the console table you choose has sturdy legs, at least in front, and if it also mounts to the wall, make sure the brackets can be mounted into whatever the wall is made of. If you think there is chance that your table will gradually become a junk collector for the entire family, then it may be wise to consider a table that has 1 or 2 drawers to hide mail and keys and other miscellaneous items.

Ideas for buffet table decorations is not about how to decorate a banquet buffet for a wedding reception but how to accent a home buffet and hutch in a dinning room, as well as how to choose different styles of furniture that will be appropriate with your theme. It’s also about ideas on how to use the buffet for formal diners, what items are appropriate for the buffet, how to make it look unique yet still functional, and how to avoid buffet clichés that will take away from the elegance or singular atmosphere you are aiming to create. We also present ideas on where to get a simple folding buffet table for outdoor garden or patio parties, how to make a buffet instead of buying one, and how to decorate outdoor tables in artistic yet practical ways.

Regal Ease versus Mere Mortal Ingenuity

If you have something like the regal antique Burrton buffet, and the dinning table and chairs and hutch to match, with gorgeous carved legs and details in mahogany or cherry, then decorating it is easy with antique plates or vases that match the luxurious setting in which undoubtedly it is set. However, if you are like most of us mere mortals who can’t afford almost $1,000 for a single piece of furniture, which is what the Burton buffet costs, then you’re probably going to have to use some ingenuity. Are you wondering how to adorn a simple dining room buffet table? What about a low side table with or without a hutch? Do you want something that works for everyday? Are you looking for inspiration on how to use a buffet or side table as an additional place to serve appetizers, pastries, cheese platters, wine, or coffee and liqueurs when having a formal dinner or celebrating a special event.

Choosing Dining Room Buffet Table Furniture

Before we can decorate, or lay out a gourmet spread with garnishes, we need to take a look at what buffet styles exists to choose from. A good place to get high-end and good quality medium priced buffet table furniture is from Modabode. Yes they have the $1,000 pieces, but they also have small black buffet table designs for as little as $170, and ultra modern designs for around $470 and antique Chinese chest-style creations with Asian colors and motifs for just over $550. Since a rich oak buffet table will require a totally different décor than a glass one, or a contemporary white design, or an Asian, colonial or rustic style buffet, here are the top 5 designs we’ve selected to feature and ideas how to turn them into stylish, elegant or funky side table serving areas.

Oriental

1. An antique Chinese buffet table does not only go with themes that are totally Asian. For example a contemporary minimalist space, even a Zen theme, may have one single piece of furniture that is red or a rich black finish piece with antique brass accents. It’s a singular focal point all its own. In fact, too much color or too many Asian or Chinese pieces of furniture or decorations may take away from the distinctive item. These pieces, which don’t have matching table or chairs, will be ideal for extra serving space during a formal dinner.

Consider this idea: Use a contrasting Chinese table runner instead of a table cloth. Use the buffet for appetizers or a cheese platter interspersed with fruit, persimmons, star fruit, a pineapple top. Use a single tall clay decanter to dispense wine and choose small round porcelain glasses instead of crystal goblets. The garnishes can be nothing more than single white or white or green orchids. Keep it very simple. Do not use floral bouquets or tall candles. Decorate the main dining table in a similar fashion, with a long runner, and matching oriental placemats, and a single orchid at the right of each place setting beside a tea light.

Another very simple way to dress up table or buffet and give it a singular oriental flair without overdoing it with Asian items, is to add nothing more than a red oriental bead bracelet (they’re really cheap to buy) that’s strung with elastic to each napkin as a holder. If you prefer to buy the beaded napkin holder already made, you can find them at an online shop called The Picket Fence. They’re more expensive when sold specifically for napkins – about $13 each, so if you want to save some money, buy the cheap beads from a Chinese dollar store and add to a plain white napkin or a soft green colored one, if you’re also going to add some green orchid accents.

Elegant Wood and Wine

2. One of the best wood buffet table designs is one that has a wine cabinet incorporated, be it a visible rack that’s open or one that’s hidden behind the doors. A buffet is most often used for pre-dinner wine and appetizers or the after dinner liquors, coffee and desserts. Therefore having the wine, brandy, cognac or other items in a cabinet near the table, will allow the hostess to serve her guests with less interruption, or to have guests feel free to serve themselves.

To make it known that the buffet serves that purpose, simply set out a tray with a variety of types of glasses that will be appropriate for the drinks available. Use crystal or glass decanters instead of bottles – it looks more elegant. Don’t over decorate a table and buffet if you want guests to feel free to serve themselves. Remember to include a pitcher of water with some lemons. Decorate with small oranges or lemons in a single tall glass jar – nothing more.

By the way, the suggested antique buffet table pictured is the Howard Miller Verona Wine Cabinet that has accessory drawers for wine openers, napkins and other items, and the cabinet itself holds 78 bottles of wine on adjustable shelves that pulls out for easy access.

The decorative accents and wine glasses as well as the decanters we recommend can be purchased easily online at The Picket Fence.

Outdoor and Portable Buffet Table Tips

3. We’re sorry to have to tell you this shocking bit of information: unless you own a 5 star hotel and can afford to add masterful ice sculptures to your outdoor buffet, and also happen to have incredible ocean views so no one will be looking at the table dressing, or unless you’re planning a low budget wedding…DO NOT USE SKIRTED TABLE DRESSINGS and most especially, DON’T RENT TABLE SKIRTS to cover ugly plastic or metal folding buffet tables. Although it’s not exactly cheap, it looks cheap.

There are many solutions to creating interesting portable buffet table arrangements. Here are some examples:

Starting with a basic folding buffet table, which you can buy at almost any online furniture shop for between $50 and $100….like the Alera Melamine Folding Banquet Table that costs just $47 at Discount office Items, we begin. The table is melamine, ugly wood veneer with metal legs, so naturally you want to hide or cover them in some way. How?

First, try to place the buffet in a shaded area, either partly under a deck or patio cover, or in a garden under a tree, but allow for movement around the entire table. Even if it’s small, it will seem larger and be more functional if it’s accessible from all sides.

If you desire a drapery effect, select gauze or natural cotton fabric to cover the table, not standard linen tablecloths or skirted attachments, but simple fluid fabric that you can drape over the table and legs and leave pooled at the corners, on the ground, over the grass or on a deck. For less formal affairs, use a soft colored fabric, always something fluid that will flow and drape well.

Stay away from common floral bouquets with roses or clustered floral arrangements that are symmetrical and…mmmm…perfect, and try to think along the lines of wild flowers with twigs or a single unusual flower instead of an actual arrangement or bunch. Consider decorating with fruit in low bowls or tall glass vases – apples, lemons, pears, oranges or even grapes. For an exotic theme, use pineapple, mangoes, kiwi…No, we’re not talking about the new Edible Arrangements that have cut fruit on sticks like flowers and can be eaten, ( which are okay for kids parties and very casual decorating), but we’re talking about very elegant crystal vases filled with uncut fruit. Don’t put them in water, and don’t add bows or ribbons. We can’t overstress – keep it simple. One color or two…clean lines, clear glass, no bows.

Don’t Buy Buffet Table “Ugly” – Create Unique

The biggest problem with the cheap buffet tables you can buy or rent for outdoor use is that they’re ugly, and you’re forced to spend a great deal of time, energy and money trying to hide, cover and/or decorate them. For less than what it costs to buy a folding table and then cover it, you can create something distinctive.

If your buffet is to be outdoors, use old wine crates, wooden boxes, old barrels, antique carts, old furniture like a very weathered table with peeled paint, even aluminum tables and a piece of glass….. take a look at what you have in the garage, in the attic, in storage or go to a yard sale or flee market and get anything that will create a base. In fact you can use two tall clay pots or an old wrought iron base or even large stones. You needn’t hide or cover these unusual bases but incorporate them into a theme. Rustic is the easiest theme, but remember that there is rustic elegant and rustic funky.

Elegant

For elegance, choose white napkins, clear decanters and soft green or taupe accents, even black candlesticks or an old tin pot. Perhaps select a copper theme, but pots, bowls vases and everything else in neutral tones. Compliment copper items with sage green accents or a dash of royal blue or lavender.

Funky

For funky, use colorful ethnic fabric, bright orange or red napkins, mismatched plates and cups, old lanterns, watering cans as vases, colored stones or even sand in jars to hold candles. Try a single piece of dinnerware or a platter that’s distinctive, perhaps pick something from The Picket Fence, like the Poppy bowls, or the Mustardseed and Moonshine platter, or even a funky pitcher like Abigail’s Gathered Garden. A single piece is enough for a table or buffet.

Wine Rack Buffet

Another idea is to use a wine rack or indoor buffet server table and bring it out onto the deck or garden and serve wine and cheese and fruit and have the bottles and glasses handy. If you don’t have something like this, you can get really cheap wine racks that are simple pine open designs with a small table tops that make an ideal buffet. If you’re wondering where you can get something like what we show in the images, try Winsome Wood, who have models for under $40, or shop for furniture at places like Amazon and even Sears.

Or….None At All…

If you just don’t have enough space to serve all your guests, and a buffet of any kind is not sufficient, then perhaps you can borrow an idea created by the ingenious hosts of the Secret Sea Cove Dinner (on the California Coast) where the best buffet and table décor was absolutely none at all – just sea and sand….white tablecloths, pine chairs, and clear goblets for wine.

A Little More….

For more information on round or glass dining table designs, more ideas on how to decorate large tables for formal diners or how to choose unique kitchen table styles, please select another related topic.

A kitchen pantry cabinet for around $100; tall corner units, natural wood or white storage cabinets with shelves and drawers; low space saver designs; open pantries; pull out styles, antique wooden creations to match your décor; sleek contemporary modular units; lazy Susan units for around $250 – where to shop and ideas on how to incorporate this furniture into your overall kitchen design – that’s what we offer this week.

It’s not an exciting piece of furniture like a decorative console table for your entryway or an elegant oak dinning table, in fact it’s a rather boring item that, if your kitchen doesn’t have enough cabinet space to store necessities like spices, salt, sugar, flower, rice, pasta or cans of soup and sauces, you may be pulling your hair out in despair after coming home from the grocery store. A pantry, or a kitchen storage unit isn’t sexy; it’s a necessity. About the only interesting part in choosing the design, is deciding what it will look like on the outside, after that it’s practical – will it fit in the corner or can it be mounted to the wall above the counter? Will it hold all the packages of potato chips the kids and their friends will eat during the week? Will it rotate like a lazy Susan or be stationary? Are drawers essential? Should it have pull out sections or will it have just a series of shelves? Can you organize food and packages on open shelves so it doesn’t look cluttered, or is it better to hide groceries and supplies behind closed doors?

First let’s take a look at kitchen pantry cabinets from the outer perspective, the shape, size and finishes that will best match what you already have in the kitchen. The options are not as vast as other furniture types….basically they are: natural wood, antique finished wood, wood painted white for a country look, white contemporary laminated finishes or pressboard with laminated artificial wood surfaces. Then you can choose size and height. Counter height or tall; single width or double. A place called One Way Furniture has some of all the main styles and sizes, and Kitchen Source has some incredible Chef Pantry Systems that are so well designed they could easily be part of a professional kitchen.

1. The most fun design is what they call a Jelly Cabinet…..I suppose it’s not because the cabinet is made from jelly but is the right size to store little jars of jelly and jam should you happen to leave near a forest full of berries. The Summerland double door model has two drawers that pull out and are easy glide. There are also two wood doors and the entire unit can be ordered in variety of fun finishes to compliment your kitchen décor, like: Snowflake White, Sage Green, Sunshine Yellow, Radio Flyer Red, Ebony Black or Midnight Blue. These are small pantry storage cabinets that are just 41 inches high and 41 inches wide. Inside, the shelf and drawer offer 18 inch depths. It’s made by the Kush Furniture Company and is part of the Kush Furniture Summerland Group Collection. It costs about $460, so it’s not the cheapest pantry available, but certainly one of the most interesting designs as far as a place to store your food is concerned.

2. Let’s go back and take a second look at the Kitchen Source models called the Chef Pantry System. What’s really great about these units is that they can match your décor because you can choose the Maple hard woods and veneers or Baltic Birch Plywood in white that’s finished with a clear catalyzed coating so it’s easy to clean. The white pantry cabinets in the single door style cost just under $340. The double pantry in Maple is a lot more complex to price. It seems the basic unit costs just over $550, but you can choose a center panel for about $84 and an upper door system for about $156. It’s not entirely clear if the basic units are just the door organizers and you have to add the swivel center panel or if it’s all inclusive. Although the way in which they have been priced separately leads us to believe you can customize the inner area.
   

   In the Chef Pantry line there are double pantry systems that are 51.5 inches tall, single pantry systems that are also 51.5 inches tall, and a base pantry system that’s just 24 inches high. The first two are easy to understand because one has a single door and the other has two, but the base pantry is an under the counter design that utilizes the inner part of the cabinet as well as the doors for storage. This unit costs about $420 and again it seems that the center panel is sold separately and costs about $56.

   
3. Completely different from the classic wood or white pantry cabinets above, is the contemporary Fulterer Pantry Cabinet that has a pull-out system and is very sleek in appearance for a contemporary style kitchen. The Fulterer system comes in silver, chrome and white and is a sort of basket organizer that is installed to create pull out pantry cabinets. If this sounds rather confusing, then you know how we feel. We really love the idea of this unit…but…..although it looks really practical here’s the problem: The units are sold as a 3, 4 or 5 basket set that includes gliders and tracks and frame mounts, but it seems the cabinet itself isn’t included, although the system is called a cabinet. For example the 5 basket design, which costs almost $800 (and each set of two metal baskets cost between $200 and about $340), yet there’s no cabinet.

   So, although we understand that the kits with baskets come with mounting brackets and tracks and gliding systems and a few wire baskets, it seems to be a very expensive organizing system because above all the costs just quoted you still need the actual cabinet into which this system must be installed. The product description says: “Set includes pull-out frame, top and bottom slide, baskets, door brackets and instructions” ….clearly the doors are not included. So I need to buy a cabinet that has doors that can be attached to this system and I can’t find if such a thing exists. In the end, what you need to make this work as it is in the picture, is to buy a freestanding cabinet and install all this as a storage system…..or use a tall empty cabinet that is part of your built-in kitchen counter/cabinet set and refit the guts with this system. This seems really complicated.


4. To keep it simple and affordable, we really love the recessed kitchen cabinet pantry hat has seven shelves and can be ordered in 5 different wood stains like honey, natural wood, colonial, dark mahogany or cherry, and costs under $500 complete…! It’s one of the best tall pantry cabinets available, being over 62 inches high, although it’s not too wide, just 20 inches. You can also choose a door style….so many to choose, like a split door with glass, a solid wood one, a mirrored design for a contemporary look, and even a French style glass squares option. Wood pantry cabinets like this one can also be enhanced with organizing units, but since they have shelves already, you really need nothing more. If you like it, it’s available online at Kitchen Source.

5. A really affordable option for kitchen cabinets pantries designs that are rustic pine with pewter accents is the Ameriwood single door pantry that costs about $185. It’s not a large storage unit, but it has three shelves and is about 60 inches tall, can be set anywhere you have space, doesn’t require being built-in to a cabinet or counter, and offers enough space for essential food storage. We really love this little unit, and suggest it would even be great to buy two and place a low jelly cabinet between them and have a complete system. For much less than the professional systems you can create your own pantry setup.

6. Bradley Brand Furniture has a great cabinet that’s solid lumber oak wood and is totally handmade, available in 6 gorgeous stain options and is not a cheap veneer or particleboard or paneled item like many of the cheap cabinets. This is actually an item to get excited about, even if it will be used as a pantry. It could be the main storage unit for the kitchen as well as a piece of decorative furniture. It’s 72 inches tall and 42 inches wide, so most storage or organizing systems can be installed if you want to have something other than shelves. However, the unit comes with two bottom drawers. It’s not cheap at almost $2,400, but it’s a REAL piece of furniture!

7. If you need affordable white pantry cabinets that are low, the Catskill Cottage Kitchen Accessories collection is a very good option. Take a look at the Davenport unit that comes in eggshell white and cost just $140. This is a genuine solution if you don’t need a large pantry, just some extra space. It’s considered a jelly cabinet, so it only measures 36 inches in height and is 28 inches wide, but it does have 3 shelves built-in and each is 12 inches deep. There’s also a single door design in the same collection that costs just over $100. It’s really funky and they call it The Hobart. It’s also for sale online at Kitchen Source, and if you live in the continental US, shipping is free.

8. If you need quick solutions in veneer and press-board designs that are really cheap, both in white or wood veneer finishes, there are models from $99 to about $250 at Hayneedle in the eKitchen Islands store. They even have some really cheap mission style cabinets to go with your mission furniture, if that is your theme, and the cabinets available cost as little as $130 to $180 and you can choose tall, low or even open designs that are like trolleys and have wheels. Also for about $140 you can get a complete set of cabinets that can be wall mounted. Venture Horizon has a design that’s really practical. If you look closely at the unit, you’ll see that the side panel (which ends up being the front if slid sideways between other furniture or beside a fridge) has a handle. This allows it to be pulled out like the expensive storage units that are on a track. With 6 shelves there’s plenty of room for cans, bottles, spices and even larger boxes and packages that can be fit on the top shelf that’s open. Although it has no doors and is open, it needn’t be a totally open unit. Sliding the pull out pantry cabinets between your built-in counter cabinets, or between a stove or fridge and another closed shelf will allow this pantry to be hidden. An ingenious affordable solution that almost any kitchen can make use of because it comes in both an oak and a white veneer finish. The whole system cost under $130. We think it’s a good value item.


May We Also Suggest….

While you’re shopping for cabinets and storage systems you may also be interested in a round kitchen table ideas, glass dining table designs or other glass table accents for your home. You can find lots of suggestions and recommendations on these types of home furnishings in related topics. Remember that console table designs, especially thin or narrow mission styles that have shelves and drawers, can be used in the kitchen as extra storage space, as a place to set a microwave, as jelly cabinets, and also as buffets for the dinning area. At Mission Console Table we offer you tips on how to use consoles in unusual ways to save space and also how to find other furnishings you want – from the most innovative designer glass furniture to small decorative hallway accents in antique wood.

]]> http://missionconsoletable.com/choosing-a-kitchen-pantry-cabinet/feed/ 0 http://missionconsoletable.com/decorating-a-formal-dinning-room-using-a-60-inch-round-dining-table-and-chairs/ http://missionconsoletable.com/decorating-a-formal-dinning-room-using-a-60-inch-round-dining-table-and-chairs/#comments Sat, 22 May 2010 12:52:01 +0000 admin http://missionconsoletable.com/?p=189 A formal round dining room table that’s 60 inches in diameter will seat 6 to 8 people, so when you’re planning space requirements, consider whether or not you can accommodate large armchairs or not. Why do we mention the chairs before discussing the style or theme of the room? Because although a round table is the preferred shape to accommodate more people and leave walking space without sharp table corners jutting out to interfere, one of the most common design mistakes when choosing round dining table and chairs for a formal area is misjudging the amount of space the chairs will require when pulled out or being used.

Solving The Space Issues



In a formal dinning room, fluidity of space, the ability to maneuver, to serve food gracefully and effortlessly is of utmost importance no matter the design concept or the rooms atmosphere. The best lighting, the finest linen tablecloth and the most exquisite china with the best cuisine will be lost if guests have trouble getting up from their seats, or if the hostess is constantly bumping into people’s legs or chair legs and armrests, or if the area around the table and chairs is just insufficient to maneuver comfortably.



How much space do you need behind each chair? About 3 feet….but more is better. Also consider that you’ll need about 10 square feet of space to accommodate any 60 inch round dining room table. Ideally you will not want a buffet or side table closer than 36 inches from the table, unless it’s a cart or trolley with wheels like a pastry or dessert tray that can be easily moved.

Decorating With Centerpieces and Candles



Regarding centerpieces for round tables, try to make them as low and wide as possible, certainly not taller than a wine glass. Use taller centerpieces on the side tables or the buffet console table if it is set against a wall.



Another question that often arises regarding the adornment of a round dining room table is that of candles. On long formal rectangular tables, tall candelabras or tall, thin candle arrangements can be worked into a formal dinner party table setting even if they are in the center of the table. Why? Because people are seated in a linear style and may converse primarily with the person seated beside them, however the entire atmosphere and seating arrangement at a round table is different. Everyone faces the center, people are more “together” as a whole and not so much paired to the person beside them. The person across or two seats away is equally accessible for conversation. Therefore tall candelabra centerpieces or tall candle arrangements will feel irritating, in fact obstruct the fluidity of the round communal atmosphere.

Don’t Hide An Antique Round Dining Table Under Heavy Linen Tablecloths



If you have an antique round dining table that has a beautiful finish or sculpted motif, don’t hide it under a tablecloth, even during a formal diner. It’s completely acceptable to use individual placemats even for formal occasions if the table itself is unique, especially wood, or an antique. The only reason you may opt for a tablecloth would be to protect a priceless heirloom, however, you may select a sheer fabric cloth instead of a heavy linen setting so guests can still appreciates your table’s charm. By the way, an online company called FrontGate sells large round dining table designs that are unusual and very affordably priced. They also offer centerpieces, low candles that are ideal for round seating arrangements, and a whole variety of dinning room decorations and accessories that are distinctive and elegant for any formal dinning room.



How To Make A Round Glass Dining Table Setting Formal

In general a glass table, as opposed to wood, will be a less formal dinning room option. However, if you select something like the Hillsdale Pompei wrought iron design and the chairs that have stained glass inlays, or something unique along those lines, perhaps even dark wood accents or an antique base, the atmosphere is altered from casual to at least semi-formal. The way in which you accent the table, and the room as a whole will affect the formality. For example a large round Persian rug below the table will add elegance, and a heavier tablecloth, perhaps with an Indian motif or a West Indies colonial theme, will give a touch of old-world charm.



Remember that there are also different types of formal. You needn’t have a round oak dining table with white linen to have elegance. Consider for example the formal setting you can achieve with a Contemporary New York Park Avenue or Manhattan theme. Using a dining table set like the Jofran Manhattan table with cherry wood base, you can add neutral colored, thick padded chairs, a contemporary carpet, modern glass vases or candle settings, and even modern art on the walls and have a chic atmosphere that’s clean and fresh yet formal. Add orange or red napkins, plate settings that are each a different color, vintage wine glasses in Mexican blown glass and create yet another formal yet unique ambiance. If you desire to purchase the furniture we’ve shown and like the ideas we present, they can be yours if you choose to shop online at a place called Dining Rooms Direct.



Budget Decorating

If you have limited space, are upgrading or decorating your dinning area on a tight budget, but still want a formal space to serve guests here’s a simple, practical and very affordable solution. International Concepts has a drop leaf wood round dining table, crafted in oak, beautifully finished with a pedestal stand for just over $190. This table can be covered with a white linen tablecloth, paired with simple oak chairs that have white cushions, accented with wood or wrought iron low candle sticks, an elegant centerpiece and crisp white linen napkins, and be just as formal as you like.



If you can’t afford the linen, use a cheap cotton tablecloth and napkins that have starched. Place a single flower with stem removed beside a tea light candle at each place setting, and even with cheap glass, not crystal, wine glasses for water, the table will be as proper as can be. If you’re wondering where to get those elusive crisp napkins and cloths, try Crate & Barrel. They have real linen for about $5 a napkin and a complete tablecloth for around $70, and cheaper versions are also available for under $4 and just over $40 for the table dressing.



Remember that decorating in simplicity can be just as elegant:

• Use color. Use pure white.
• Use a single flower.
• A single piece of colorful cloth.
• A clear square vase with orange roses.
• A white coffee cup. Clear wine glasses.
• Colored pebbles and a candle.

These are the things that will make your table special….be it large and expensive or affordable and set with care.

Need More Suggestions?

For more information on where to purchase round kitchen table designs, glass dining table styles, designer glass table creations from around the world and console table designs to compliment any room of your home, browse other related topics. At Mission Console Table we have a mission that goes far beyond consoles….

In today’s post we have recommended or shown items from FrontGate, Hillsdale Furniture, Jofran Furniture, and recommend shopping online at Dining Rooms Direct for some affordable table designs.

]]> http://missionconsoletable.com/decorating-a-formal-dinning-room-using-a-60-inch-round-dining-table-and-chairs/feed/ 0 http://missionconsoletable.com/a-simple-guide-to-glass-table-designs/ http://missionconsoletable.com/a-simple-guide-to-glass-table-designs/#comments Fri, 21 May 2010 21:26:08 +0000 admin http://missionconsoletable.com/?p=163 Modern Bar, Bistro and Cocktail Tables, Side, Sofa and End Tables, Consoles and Coffee Tables – Everything in Glass

Italian glass coffee table and glass dining table designs that are as much art as they are functional through FIAM, the brainchild of designer Vittorio Livi, began in 1973 with innovative glass furniture that incorporated a blend of traditional techniques with innovative technology and unique design.




Creating practical yet unusual pieces is not just a matter of having a sheet of glass and setting it on a pedestal base or legs that are interesting, but when it comes to all glass furniture, like that produced through FIAM, it’s about forming and molding glass through cutting, grinding and milling, then bending the sheets via heat, over 600 degrees, controlling the process so the glass won’t crystallize, but will reach an even temperature without breaking so it will be moldable.

One example of just how unique the FIAM creations really are is the Hydra glass coffee table, designed theoretically by Massimo Morozzi, and I say “theoretically” because his design was only possible to produce in real life after FIAM invented a water pumping machine capable of creating an abrasive power equal to 1,000 meters/second.




The processes of heating, bending, molding, silvering and engraving require high-tech equipment and great skill to produce the glass cocktail tables and glass console designs that may begin in an exhibition hall and complete their purpose in life as a place to set a cup of coffee, a newspaper or a dinner plate. Truly innovative modern glass designs are therefore expensive; an investment in quality.




Since many of us can’t afford to invest in original art to hang on our walls, much less an original glass top dining table from a glass artist’s workshops, we find ourselves looking for cheap imitations – buying Monet prints instead of bidding at auctions, buying molded plastic tables instead of curved glass…however, even good quality imitations and reproductions require skill to craft. But it doesn’t seem to matter if you can afford the very best or something more modest, unique modern glass table designs are not the most affordable furniture choice.




Although as a whole, we endeavor to present ideas on where to get affordable glass coffee tables, side tables, end tables and consoles that are as unique as possible, please keep in mind that designer glass creations may still be out of reach for the average home decorator. If your budget is very limited, there are cheap glass table options you can buy through websites that offer regular manufactured items which are also for sale in furniture shops and department stores.

But for something different……

Ardeco Interior Glass Tables





Innovation, craftsmanship and unique quality designs are what set Ardeco furniture in a class apart. If you want superior glass top dining tables and coffee tables that are handmade with bases and frames from French oak, you’re sure to appreciate The Moravia Collection. Custom designs are also available if you need specific sizes or have a design in mind. However, the crisp simplicity of pieces like the Olgoj table are ideal just as they are for a kitchen, dinning area, outdoor patio or even in a studio.




The glass top table in the same collection is a sleek refined piece of furniture. Also crafted in Moravian and French oak, ready to be finished in any way that will compliment your décor.




For some truly unusual creations, contact the talented team at Ardeco Interier at: Pankrac 1221, 33023 Nyrany, Czech Republic or in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Spain, Italy and the USA via the appropriate representative you can find by going to their main product website at Ardeco.




Swanky Design UK

Designer Nitul Panchal, working with Graham Langham as technical designer, being also a consultant for Formula 1, Indy and MotoGP, have engineered some of the greatest contemporary extending glass table models available. One piece is a tabletop made of glass with steel electropolished structural legs bonded to the glass, which allows for up to 1,200 lbs of pressure to be exerted on each leg without sustaining damage. Although you may not be planning on using your table as a dance floor to test its endurance, the design is sturdy, contemporary and exclusive to Swanky Design.




In coffee tables and end tables, Nitul Panchal has outdone herself with pieces like the Hula. The glass is also bonded to a gorgeous brush stainless steel leg structure equally as strong as the above mentioned table. There are round end tables, unusually styled, A-symmetrical square glass end table creations, black glass table and console units ideal for small spaces.




But perhaps the best of all is the double glass side table design, called the Coco Overarm Occasional Table, that can be placed over a sofa armrest to save space and offer convenient coffee cup placement and an extra swiveling round glass top that can still accommodate a magazine, book or other items. Ingenious! Nitul Panchal’s designs give a whole new meaning to the words: round glass coffee table.

Andreu World






If you think that Spanish furniture designers are only specialists in making rustic antique wood tables and gorgeous carved chests, you’ll have to change your opinion after seeing what Spanish designer Francisco Andreu Marti has been creating since 1955.

Just for a small taste of what has made Andeu World an international name in round glass table top design is the collection of round etched-effect tempered glass table tops and the crystal tops that sit on stainless steel or exclusive Ginox bases.




In the Murano line, there are also square glass table designs and frosted or etched styles that give the illusion of color and texture. If you would like to view more of this innovative designer’s work, or order pieces, you can see the very latest designs from the Milan Furniture Fair 2010, like “Andreu World presents Pure collection in Milan”, which is a line of tables by Joan Lao, as well as Piergiorgio Cazzaniga designs like Reverse. You may appreciate the funky addition to his collections like the recyclable aluminum structures that fold like paper, or may also enjoy seeing the Lineal Confidente and SIT seating designs to match the tables, which were presented at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2010. Visit the Andreu World website to get inspiration and view complete glass table and chairs collections that are functional / contemporary – ideal for ultra modern homes and commercial spaces.

Glass Cocktail Table and Black Dinning Table Designs By Walter Knoll & Chaisor





Walter Knoll is a company that blends architecture and furniture design in such a way as to create complete contemporary concepts that add fluidity to space by offering not just a piece of furniture but a mood, an ambiance, born from the designing minds of talented people like Luke Pearson and Tom Lloyd who work from their London studio and are represented in the showrooms of Walkter Knoll. Top furniture designers from around the world are featured in the outstanding Knoll glass cocktail table, dinning table and other collections…ddesigners such as Claudio Bellini, Ben van Berkel, EOOS, Norman Foster, Jørgen Kastholm, Kengo Kuma, Wolfgang C. R. Mezger, and Toan Nguyen.




This group of talent offers unconventional pieces like the black glass dinning table designed by Toan Nguyen for The Bellows Collection. Bellows includes a complete series of glass dinning sets, chairs, occasional tables, and even stools. Paired with black leather, rich hardwoods, contemporary motifs and mood lighting, these items create atmosphere in ways that transparent glass table tops simply don’t offer.




Chaisor is another place to find above average designer glass bar table and cocktail table creations as well as high-end console tables that are thin and geometric by design. In cocktail / bar designs the St Tropez is one that stands out as a contemporary architectural structure that offers a distinct air of modern elegance. Many of the exclusive, award winning, Chaisor designs are not as expensive as you might imagine. In fact, some are only around $750, which in the world of European designer glass furniture is a bargain.




What Now?



If you’re looking for a cheap round glass dining table or a unique idea for a round kitchen table or are looking for an elusive contemporary console table, please view related topics that expand on these specific types of furniture. At Mission Console Table we take pride in offering information, product reviews and decorating tips, so you can get what you need to create a living space that’s uniquely your own.

Featured Today

In today’s post we have recommended glass furniture designs by the following companies and designers: FIAM / designer Vittorio Livi; designer Massimo Morozzi; Ardeco furniture; Swanky Design / designer Nitul Panchal and Graham Langham; Andreu World / designer Francisco Andreu Marti; Walter Knoll / featured designer Toan Nguyen and Chaisor Mobilier Contemporain.

]]> http://missionconsoletable.com/a-simple-guide-to-glass-table-designs/feed/ 0 http://missionconsoletable.com/round-and-oval-glass-dining-table-furniture/ http://missionconsoletable.com/round-and-oval-glass-dining-table-furniture/#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 21:18:00 +0000 admin http://missionconsoletable.com/?p=146 Round glass dining table under $300 like the Hillsdale Camelot with scrolled wrought iron cast legs, or the Amisco Julia glass top dining table with titanium finished legs for just over $200 or the Powell Furniture Turtle Bay glass top table for under $440 – just a few examples of the glass dining table furniture we recommend. At Mission Console Table we’ve got more to offer than accent tables because we love furniture and best of all, we know where to shop!

Modern Not Boring

A modern glass dining table doesn’t have to mean a boring chrome base or a plain pedestal mounting with a sheet of glass on top. It can mean almost anything you want, from antique wood bases that are elegant and simple natural rattan to artsy geometric titanium legged creations with black glass. To help with choosing what style suits your home, here are some of the round and oval designs that you can order online.


1. One of the more unique round glass dining table designs from Powell Furniture is the Turtle Bay. It hardly requires any explanation once you see the turtle shaped base, in turtle-like colors, with an open bay style center. It’s not the cheapest table you can get, but it certainly has some great design potential for under $500…actually it costs just under $440 and can be purchased online through a variety of shops including The Place.

2. It’s fairly difficult to find a good glass top dining table under $200 because just the glass itself costs between $120 and $200 depending on the thickness and quality, however, if you have a unique base, like an antique wine barrel or large clay vessel or pot that is about 30 inches in height, then you can simply order glass dining table tops from Powell. For example the 45 inch round top with a 1 inch beveled edge will cost about $170 and a 48 inch (diameter) one will cost just over $200 for just a little more you can a really huge 54 inch round glass top. If your base is sturdy and unique to the decorating style of the room, say rustic or artistic, you could possibly have a very large table that would otherwise cost you a fortune.

3. The ultimate black glass dining table for an ultra modern room would have to be the design by TransDeco. It’s not just glass on top, but in fact it’s an all glass dining table from top to bottom with black, high-gloss tempered 12mm glass, and a glass spiral-shaped black base as well. It has a 42 inch round top and is the perfect table height, just a hair over 30 inches from the floor. The black piano finish is all hand done, and includes adjustable feet incase your floor isn’t even (like in my house). If you’re afraid to ask how much it costs, we understand. It’s not cheap. It costs about $650.

4. Perhaps the most affordable contemporary glass dining table designs these days are the ones made by Amisco. Starting at about $240, you can choose a variety of leg styles, although most are quite basic, but some are ornate or geometric. I think the Amisco Julia is the cheapest at about $238, and then the Ian. The main plus about all the Amisco affordable models is that you have flexibility to choose the metal finish. For example you can get legs or bases in titanium, black coral, antique brass, matte black, sienna, snow white, azul blue and carmine red amongst others. For designing a unique space, this option may offer you the possibility to have a much richer look if you choose the antique brass or a hip trendy style with a red base. For just a little more (about $288), you can also select the more unusual Ian design, which has bowed legs; also available in all the finishes mentioned above. You can buy these products at places like Furniture Crate.

5. Hillsdale has some affordable designs that are elegant like the Camelot II wrought iron glass dining table that retails for just under $300, actually $299, and has a round tempered glass top that’s 42 inches in diameter and scrolled legs with a delicate gold-accented black finish. It’s a dinning set that could be used indoors or on the patio, for casual dinning or formal occasions. It all depends how it’s accented, what chairs you choose and what you serve….well, maybe even macaroni and cheese will taste good when served on this table. If you like the style and want to buy the table online, it’s available at places like More Dining Tables, where you can also find the matching dinning chairs and even swivel barstools and other items to create a complete set. You may be interested in getting the complete 5 piece glass dining table and chairs set in the Hillsdale Camelot collection, which includes 4 wrought iron chairs and the round glass table, all for just under $650. Remember that when purchased separately the 4 chairs will cost $419 and the table $299. So if you buy the set you save almost $70. With what you save you could buy an accent table or at least half a matching barstool.

6. The strangest sounding style is the extending glass dining table that actually has more than one piece and can be made larger, like a leaf table in wood. It’s rather difficult to find round or even oval shapes in this design, but one of the funkiest ultra modern ones that we’ve found comes from the UK and is not at all cheap costing £1,750! Ouch…but it’s gorgeous…and would look great with a black and white zebra shag rug! If you want to order this fabulous item, you can get it at Go Modern.

7. If you need a huge 60″ glass dining table that’s simple, sleek, and well crafted, and don’t mind paying for the quality of furniture created by (in collaboration with) designer Maria Yee for the Halo Furniture Collection, sold through Crate & Barrel, then you must see the Ebony Dinning Table. Yes, it costs almost $630, but it offers little extras like a flat surface with a beveled underside for light refraction, a chestnut wood base with a central ring and legs that are set in place with joinery….the way they aught to be when done in wood. Yes the overall design is ultra modern, but the craftsmanship is old-world. There are three sizes you can choose from if you don’t need seating for 6 or more. You can get a 48 inch top or a 42 inch one should 60 inches be too much of a good thing.

More Tables For the Rest of the House



While you’re shopping for antique, classic, wrought iron or modern glass dining tables, you may be interested in console tables that can be used as buffets, side tables and accents in the dinning room, kitchen entryway or hall. Should you require some ideas for how to decorate using glass console table styles, please select another related topic of your choice. We also have suggestions for round kitchen table and chairs crafted in pine, oak, cherry, white or black lacquer, rustic and antique styles and wooden drop leaf tables for when guests drop in. At Mission Console Table we have a mission….and it’s more than just consoles!

]]> http://missionconsoletable.com/round-and-oval-glass-dining-table-furniture/feed/ 0 http://missionconsoletable.com/round-kitchen-table-and-chairs/ http://missionconsoletable.com/round-kitchen-table-and-chairs/#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 19:15:46 +0000 admin http://missionconsoletable.com/?p=108 Pine Oak, Cherry, Glass, Black or White Lacquer, Pedestal Designs, Antique Finishes and Drop Leaf Styles

Round oak kitchen table for as little as $155; large rustic Mexican wood tables under $300; affordable pedestal table designs in cherry wood, antique white and rich black finishes under $200; small round pine kitchen table styles to match mission furniture; cheap 42” drop leaf table sets for small kitchens and dinning areas – at Mission Console Table we offer more than entrance / hallway accents tables because we love furniture and we know where to shop.

But First…



I finished my entrance, at last; finally found the small antique Belgian console table that fit in the odd angle my traditional Spanish house has in the small foyer, and then I began the task of furnishing the rest of the house.

Naturally the first rooms that must have furniture are the bedroom and bathroom, but equally important as having a place to sleep and an area to wash is having a place to eat. So the kitchen, albeit yet unfinished, became the focus of my attention. I refinished a large rectangular antique tabletop, sanded it, varnished it and sealed it with a thick polyurethane lacquer. I also refinished the antique wooden chairs, which I had bought years previously from an estate sale, and set up my gorgeous dinning creation in the open kitchen area.



So proud of all my hard work, I failed to notice that the large rectangular shaped table really didn’t work well with the space. Why? Because although the kitchen area was open and appeared spacious, the angles of the table, being square, used up so much floor space, everything in the kitchen revolved around the table. The corners stuck out where they aught not, the four legs seemed to hit the chair placement in all the wrong places, and the general shape of the table made accessing the adjacent drawers rather awkward.

No sooner had I set up my suite and I knew I had made a mistake. What I needed was a small round kitchen table that would allow the area to actually be as spacious and open as it really was.

That’s how I began searching for antique round kitchen table sets, and while I rummaged through shop after shop, I discovered not only what I needed but lots of great table ideas that would be ideal for some of you, who may also be redecorating or renovating your kitchen or dinning areas. So….



Here are some of the items I think you’ll love, and I include some prices too, because if you’re anything like me, renovating a home on a really, really tight budget, you want to be sure you’re getting what you want for the best possible price.

While I was searching for antique wood tables, I thought there would be many of my readers who might be searching for other styles, like a classic white or black lacquer design, or perhaps a contemporary glass model, or even something in oak or unfinished pine. I’ve created several categories, so you can just go to the section that interests you the most.



1. Round Pine Kitchen Table Designs For Natural Kitchen Themes

I must point out that some of the most ideal small round kitchen table designs, which take up very little space and are super funky and affordable, are in fact originally created and marketed as bistro tables or bar tables. They may have four legs or be a pedestal style, but the dimensions are perfect – between 42 and 47 inches in diameter. This allows for 2 spacious settings, or 4 if just the plates and condiments are set out leaving the main dishes on a sidebar or buffet.



To get the maximum space for chairs and stools around a table, select a pedestal design like the Romana or Texana round pedestal kitchen table creations sold through La Fuente Imports (an online shop I love), and although they are larger in diameter, about 50 inches, they take up very little floor space when all the chairs are pushed around the table.



2. Move Up To Oak

If pine isn’t good enough, then perhaps a rustic round oak kitchen table will tickle your fancy. I found this simple yet practical set that also has a drop leaf. I thought it was a good piece because it was only priced at about $360 and features a little extra something – a gorgeous detailed slate inlay that is not just decorative but really practical as a place to put hot pots etc…. This item is also for sale online through La Fuente Imports.



Another round drop leaf kitchen table, actually a smaller bistro or bat table with a double drop leaf, is just a little over $300, also in oak, and features a simple rustic pedestal for support. This affordable piece is practical for a small kitchen, or as an extra table for an outdoor space, or even as the dinning table if you have a studio or small apartment. If you need the matching chairs they’re also available: $100 each. Remember they’re solid oak!



3. Contemporary Sleek – Black and White and Asian Minimalist

It’s obvious I’m partial to wood and antique styles, and I think round tables in rich dark wood make a kitchen or dinning area inviting, cozy …comforting….like a steaming mug of hot coco on cold winter’s day….but not all kitchens and dinning spaces have a fireplace or wood stove or a homely ambiance. Some of the best contemporary kitchen designs are sleek, and incorporate white, chrome, glass or even unusual retro or Asian concepts into the theme. These spaces with a large glass, or a smooth white round kitchen table or a chic black dinning set with an oriental Zen minimalist theme are also available online through places like Baers who have elegant modern styles. For example the Dark Espresso design from Hudson Street by Stanley Furniture has an oriental flair yet is very modern. It’s wood (walnut), but with the dark, almost black finish, could be suited for any contemporary minimalist space.



There’s also a round kitchen table and chairs that is just about as unique as they can get, very funky and modern, yet with a rich artistic elegance, called the Aged Timber from Cascade, created by Bernhardt. It’s crafted in a Zen minimalist concept, but with a unique rock tabletop, actually it’s river rock, set on a metal pedestal that’s angular and modern, with a bronze finish. It’s geometric modern Asian sleek, with crisp lines and yet round. It’s also sold through Baers but it may have to be special ordered.



If you’re wondering how to match chairs to this large round kitchen table that’s so unusual, try thinking about the Zen woven stools or armchairs that are dark wood with wicker or rattan seats and backs. If the rattan is stained a dark tone, almost black, and the materials are all natural, you can create an outdoor garden type theme inside the kitchen or dinning room. Accent with soft green bamboo or tropical foliage or simple oriental leaves, and keep everything else as sleek and simple as possible, mostly white or neutral colors with stone and natural wood accents. By the way, this particular table is 54 inches in diameter, so it will require a larger kitchen area.



Keeping with the chic contemporary idea, there are some white round kitchen table on pedestals from the Color Mates Collection by Riverside Furniture, like the gorgeous Shores White design that comes also in antique black.



There are so many design possibilities for creating unique spaces using either of these two 48 round kitchen table creations that I’ll have to leave it up to you if you want the chairs to match to be placed on the floor or hung on the wall, or if you want vibrant green walls or a baby blue country kitchen. But no matter what your style, the Color Mates round wood kitchen table is uncomplicated and versatile to fit in almost any space…unless it’s so tiny. And in that case, you’ll want to check into the 30 inch accent tables that can double as a space to eat at in the kitchen.

4. Tiny Spaces and Accent Tables



If you’re thinking that a small kitchen table must be an ugly folding design or an old Formica top in olive green or blue, then have a look at the delicate carved pedestal table you can eat breakfast at…..mmmmm…eggs and toast…OJ or coffee…they already taste better. The problem is that you won’t find this item by looking for a small round kitchen table, but under “accent tables”. This particular one comes from the Stein World Collection and is sold through Baers. It’s 30 inches in diameter, so two can sit and eat, or it can double as a side table or buffet for the main dinning area when there are guests. You can also go with a 20 inch country style bar table if you eat alone….but I hope you get company once in a while so you may need two tables…..which, by the way is a really great idea!



You can often fit two small round kitchen table sets in a very little kitchen, one under a window, another in a corner, or even two side by side….and that way you have a small bistro. It’s a fun idea even if you can fit a single large table in the same space. Break it up and have two instead. It makes for an unusual way to decorate and is a versatile means to have extra tables that can be moved and used on a porch, balcony, veranda or even a garden area and still be functional indoors. If you’re really cramped for space, you might try choosing stools, tall ones or low ones, instead of full armchairs or kitchen chairs with backs.

The total opposite can be true if you frequently entertain or have guests and need seating space at a single table. The most versatile design for seating the most people is ROUND. Here are some suggestions for….

5. Really Large Round Kitchen Table Designs For entertaining

There are two basic oppositions: a 60 inch round kitchen table that can seat a zillion people or an average size round kitchen table with leaf style additions, be they drop leaf or extensions that fit into the center and create a large round or oval shape. Both choices will fall under the category of formal dinning, and although they may be part of an open kitchen and dinning area, in most cases they are simply too large to fit in a kitchen, unless they are a drop leaf design. However, just to show you what’s available in some unique choices, here are a couple pieces that stand out.



The Brettingham, which is by Broyhill Furniture, combined antique, West Indies, modern glass and sculpted cherry wood. Perhaps not your classic round cherry kitchen table, but certainly a gorgeous piece, this solid hardwood pedestal table offers a sturdy base, elegance and distinction with a transparent round glass tabletop that allows the sculptured base to be visible from the sides and the top.



The Casa Bella Round Pedestal Dining Table from the Casa Bella Collection by Bernhardt is another unusual piece of furniture that seats a lot people since it is 68 inches in diameter. It features a knotty cherry veneer, levers that adjust and a massive solid pedestal that has a distinctive Italian flair. Unfortunately, it does not expand with a leaf, nor can it be made smaller.



That’s why the next piece, the Casa Verona round table with leaf, from the Casa Verona Collection by Universal, is more versatile since it offers a pedestal base that’s equally elegant but also features a single leaf that expands the table from its regular 64 inches to 84 inches! This is not your average breakfast nook kitchen corner table, but something either for semi-formal dinning or for a very large open style kitchen, perhaps one that opens to a terrace or garden. Well, one can dream!

Even if the last few suggestions are out of your price range or design concepts, they may offer ideas for creating beautiful smaller spaces using similar concepts. There’s no reason why a small bistro table under a tiny kitchen window can’t be a work of art, a rich polished wood finish with flowers and a bowl of fresh fruit and goblets of orange juice.



If you would like more ideas on how to add to your kitchen or dinning area by using contemporary console table creations as buffet or even morning breakfast areas with stools, or if you would like some decorating suggestions on where to but mission console table designs for any part of the house, please select a related topic of your choice. Remember that Mission Console Table is more than a place for consoles, it’s a place where you can get ideas to furnish and decorate every corner of your home.

]]> http://missionconsoletable.com/round-kitchen-table-and-chairs/feed/ 0 http://missionconsoletable.com/unusual-console-tables/ http://missionconsoletable.com/unusual-console-tables/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:05:34 +0000 admin http://missionconsoletable.com/?p=104 Unusual console tables can be ultra modern curved glass or tubular steel or elaborate wood in antique French and European styles, but when it comes to selecting an unusual narrow entry table the choices may appear limited due to the width issue. If you need an affordable solution you can do something very basic like start out with an unfinished pine console design, especially the mission styles and make it unique on your own. But if you have about $200 to $400 or maybe even $500 to spend on a table for your narrow hallway or entry, I have a really great suggestion.

The Most Unusual Console Tables Online

I think I can say that I’ve found a shop that sells some of the most unusual console tables that are ready made. The shop is simply called Console Table Store, and they look rather unpretentious, but glance at their catalogue of products. Their demilune narrow console tables are outstanding. Let me give you a little sample of what’s available:

Solid Wood

They have a piece called Tuscan Overtures that’s painted gold, is a demilune console table and has beautiful tapered legs. It’s just over $500, but there’s another design that’s more affordable called the Juniper Table which is juts over $200 and is solid wood that’s been hand carved and has a small drawer, but is still a narrow size for an entry or hall. There’s another one that has turned legs and costs just over $170.

Wrought Iron

If you want something really outstanding and have a teeny bit more space, especially at the end of a hall or corridor, then you must see the delicate wrought iron console table that has a glass top and is called the Abbington and is unbelievably low priced at just under $230. This piece must be seen. It’s one of the most unique and unusual console tables on the market in that price range.

Half Moon and Demilune

In an entry, one of the best ways to save space to use a half circle console like the ones in the Borghese Collection from the Console Table Store. These styles may be called half circle, half moon or demilune and start at a couple hundred dollars and go up to about $450. There are classic French designs and marble toped styles as well as chic glass and iron.

Asian And Italian

For a little Asian inspiration you might want to look at the glass top pieces that are just over $200 and are really modern, but unique and very unusual for the west. There are also some traditional pieces that have an Italian flair like the Espresso and the Portobello wrought Iron half moon console with gorgeous mosaic tabletops. The prices range from under $200 to over $400.

Art Deco

A final teaser for your hallway is the Macklowe Art Deco hall table that is very unusual with metal accents on a wood frame. For a designer art deco piece, $240 is very reasonable.

]]> http://missionconsoletable.com/unusual-console-tables/feed/ 0 http://missionconsoletable.com/console-tables-for-home-entertainment-systems/ http://missionconsoletable.com/console-tables-for-home-entertainment-systems/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:57:40 +0000 admin http://missionconsoletable.com/?p=92 There was a time when a massive wall unit was required to conceal or to house all the audiovisual and stereo equipment for a home entertainment center. That is no longer the case with sleek stereos and small MP3 players and flat LCD monitors and plasma TVs, the need to encase everything behind massive wooden cabinets has been almost eliminated.


And that is why a simple console table now suffices as a place to store the smaller equipment we have. These contemporary console table designs can rest below a plasma TV and have enough space for CDs or DVDs and still have space to spare. They are sleek slender units that slide against a wall or can be placed even at the foot of a bed to match the décor.

It can be an iron console table or what previously might have been called a wooden cherry sofa table or even one of the many glass sofa tables that used to be placed behind a sofa. Now they can be used below a television or even as a stand for a monitor, even resting on something as small as what once might have been nothing more than an entry hall table.

The thing that separates a console table from just any other glass sofa tables is the height. They are a little taller, having been initially designed as a table that goes beneath a mirror like the antique French console table mirror combinations, but now may have a monitor or flat screen where a mirror might have been placed.

Camouflaging Equipment behind Wood

This new twist on a classic piece of furniture makes it so that it doesn’t matter if your furniture is oak or glass or mirrored or if everything is mahogany, there is a console that will match your décor and be a practical addition to modern lifestyle.

There are some rustic console table designs that have cabinets where some equipment may be camouflaged and other designs where the equipment itself is part of the charm, for example with a glass top sofa table that may be placed under a screen but doesn’t actually hide anything.



Avington Console Table Designs

Avington console table designs are just one of the many to choose from. These are mostly mahogany console table styles or oak or cherry, but they also have a few metal sofa table creations that can double as entertainment centers. Some people who have contemporary decorations and furnishings are selecting the mirrored console table for a chic look and incorporating the metallic equipment with chrome and glass to highlight the high-tech side of their equipment instead of disguising it behind wood. These metropolitan console table designs are now forming part of basement home theaters and bedrooms and even kitchens where a TV has been incorporated.

Ash and Bailey Console Table Style

For more rustic and classic looks, but still keeping with open designs there are two companies to keep in mind. One is the famous Ash console table company with their Butler Masterpiece Pedestal Console Table. They also have many cherry wood and oak designs that have curved legs and polished wood finishes, while still remaining open.



The other company is the Bailey console table manufacturer which boasts a long history of table designs that are now featured in the Pottery Barn collections and displayed in better homes and gardens as console table designs specific for audiovisual equipment.

The great thing about selecting furniture from these companies is that you can match all your furniture even a mission sofa table or side table and have it perfectly combine with their extensive lines of media console table choices.

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