> sitting room
Side & Console Tables
Form meets function in our edit of smaller tables. These designs have been carefully chosen to be as beautiful as they are practical.
Alban Mango Wood Side TableLa RedouteLa Redoute does these graphic side tables really well. They come in a variety of colours in both ceramic and wood. If I were buying two I would get the same colour in different shapes to make things more interesting. Try the Thilde or the Calendes. They’re solid enough to double up as a little perchable stool as well as a place for a lamp by a chair of sofa. Their sculptural lines will also look great next to the bed, but that’s for tidy people only.
Mabel ceramic indoor/outdoor TableAnthropologieSensible fashion people will tell you to never buy a new item of clothing unless you can think of three outfits you can make with it. It's always worth applying the same thought to furniture to make sure you'll get good use out of it. This pretty ceramic table is billed as indoor/outdoor. But it will also liven up a sitting room, or work as a matching pair of bedside tables. It would be brilliant in a bathroom to rest a glass of wine by the bath or even stand the soap on in a large shower. Turns out this is so useful it should practically be mandatory.
Pokhara Solid Walnut End TableLa RedouteSide tables are endlessly useful and versatile. So if you like the style, you can never go wrong. Use as an occasional table in a sitting room or a bedside table, even in an office with a lamp on top. Some will double up as stools - this one isn't designed for that - but is a well-conceived piece.
Nelson side tableSoho HomeSoho Home has perfected the knack of producing furniture that looks as if it ought to be vintage but isn’t. And while it’s expensive, this design style means it will last forever and work in any interior or be passed down/around the family. So it’s investment shopping that’s worth it. This is also a brown and cream calacatta marble, which I predict will be ousting the most classic Cararra as it’s warmer in appearance – where all the best-dressed interiors are going these days. There is another coming too, which rather than the 'white with red' here, is a more red with white version. So if you were in the market for an unmatching pair, this is the way to go.
Rander ceramic stool OKAYou'll never go wrong with a black and white stripe – it loves to add playfulness to a minimal scheme and slices through a floral one with delight, stopping it from becoming too overwhelming and fussy. This ceramic table is hand-painted (which softens the stripes a little) and has a glazed finish so it can be used in the garden. Use it as extra seating, or for drinks, or even as a footrest. Totally classic, totally versatile.
Rattan-seat benchH&M HOMEH&M has a small collection of furniture that sells out fast so grab it when you see it. This is a simple design that will work in any room of the house - great in a hall or at the end of a bed - as the cane top brings a lightness to it and means it won’t dominate the space too much.
Pols Potten Classic End tablemade in designA great design that looks like a classic from a distance (didn’t your Grandmother have one that you were always afraid of knocking over?) until you approach and realise that it’s metal and comes in a variety of colours. A great way to modernise a classic.
