Console tables are designed to be shallower than many other pieces of furniture, but a few centimetres still make a big difference in a narrow hallway or behind a sofa.
Measure the route past the table
Start with the clear floor width of the hallway or room. Mark the table depth from the wall and then walk the route as you normally would. Include coat hooks, radiators and doors that may reduce the usable passage elsewhere.
Allow for skirting boards
A table can sit further from the wall than its product depth suggests if the legs or lower frame meet a projecting skirting board. Check where the legs actually touch the floor, not only the tabletop edge.
Drawers need extra working space
If the console has drawers, the closed depth is only the starting point. Make sure the drawer can open without blocking a doorway or leaving no room for someone to stand in front of it.
Behind a sofa, compare both heights
A sofa-back console usually looks more integrated when its top is around the same height as, or slightly below, the sofa back. Measure the sofa itself rather than estimating from photographs.
Think about what will sit on top
A very slim console can be ideal for keys, a small lamp or decorative items, but it may be too shallow for larger equipment or storage baskets. Compare the usable top depth with the objects you intend to place there.
Secure narrow furniture where required
Tall or narrow console tables can be easier to tip than deeper cabinets. If the manufacturer supplies an anti-tip kit, use it with fixings appropriate to your wall construction.
Browse our console tables and compare width, depth, storage and construction before choosing one for a tight space.