Saturday Styling: How to Style a Console

Happy Saturday Peeps! The last 30 days or so have been quite the whirlwind, but I happy to be back and in my normal groove! What better way to kick of a come back than with another Saturday Styling post!? This was requested a few times: what do I do behind a sofa that's floating in a room? Well, look no further!

I have a simple waterfall console table that I DIY'ed over 7 years ago (and kinda documented here). I painted it black a couple years later and it's lived to serve some pretty practical purposes. I love this style because it can be used in many different ways: as a console table for lighting or decor, a surface for all of your plant babies to gather or even a working desk, since it's size is perfect for a laptop! My console has been all three of these things, especially because of it's behind the sofa placement.

Like every other styling post of mine (with the exception of the coffee table), I always start with lighting. For this look, I wanted to maximize as much surface area as possible, so I went with a floor lamp. This is a great styling tip for any time you're surface square footage is prime real estate, whether it's a console, side table or nightstand, floor lamps are a great option to bring in light without taking up any surface space.

And since this space is floating in the middle of the room, I just run the cord of the lamp under the sofa with an extension cord and plug it in the outlet beside the fireplace.

For height and drama, I brought in a stark white, round ceramic vase to contrast with the black, rectangular console and then filled it with flowering branches to soften the hard shapes and to add a spring feel!

No vignette of mine is complete without a stack of beautiful coffee table books. They'll be the perch for delicate pretties here shortly.

To keep things feeling light and to balance the vase of branches, I added a trio of ceramic pieces in varying shapes and sizes. This adds a feeling up symmetry while maintaining interest.

The bowl got a wound up string of wooden garland, but would be great for just about anything: a collection of match books, snacks to grab on the go, a place to drop keys and pocket change, you name it!

  

To finish off the surface, I added some small details to the stack of coffee table books.

I love how combined with the vase of branches, the horn-handle calligraphy brush and brass dish of palo santo bring some softness a sense of life to the overall vignette.

Lastly, my pair of vintage waterfall benches complete the look and function of the vignette. The soft, muted colors of their paisley fabric were the inspiration behind the entire look.

They'll be reupholstered soon, but I've enjoyed this vibe in the meantime.

And of course, a gif! This time, I've let you guys in a little secret. I completely style a vignette and then photograph each step as I break it down! Now you know! (c;