Mid Century Console
These mid century console tables and related side pieces combine practical surfaces with historic cabinetmaking.
Mid Century Console
A buyer seeking a mid century console encounters a diverse selection spanning eighteenth-century oak lowboys, nineteenth-century mahogany side tables, and occasional walnut card tables. While the phrase suggests a strict mid-century date, the actual items here range from the 1750s through the Victorian era to the 1930s, reflecting earlier periods and styles like George II and Louis XV Revival.
The forms extend beyond standard console tables into serving tables, chiffonier sideboards, card tables, and lowboys. Oak, mahogany, walnut, and rosewood dominate the construction, often paired with marble tops, brass accents, or intricate carved gilt-wood details.
Origins stretch across English, French, Swedish, and Anglo-Indian workshops, showing how different regions interpreted surface furniture for halls, reception rooms, and parlours. Buyers find everything from utilitarian pine bakers tables to serpentine burr walnut gaming tables.
Materials and construction
Cabinetmakers relied on dense hardwoods like mahogany, walnut, oak, and rosewood, frequently selecting figured veneers such as burr walnut and amboyna to create striking surface patterns. These timbers provided the structural stability needed for folding game leaves, extending serving surfaces, and supporting heavy marble tops.
Joinery and surface ornamentation involved hand-carved details, gilt-wood applications, and original painted finishes on softwoods like Swedish pine. Brass hardware, folding mechanisms, and matched timber grains demonstrate traditional workshop techniques from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Some mid-century console choices turn out to be eighteenth-century card tables hiding green baize secrets.
Assessing quality
Quality rests upon the selection of timber veneers, such as richly figured burr walnut or dense mahogany, and the crispness of hand-carved details on frames and legs. Superior examples show careful attention to original patination, balanced proportions, and integrated maker stamps.
Construction integrity distinguishes workshop pieces, where precise joinery ensures folding card tables operate smoothly and heavy marble or timber tops remain stable without modern reinforcement. The refinement of secondary timbers and the retention of original surface finishes further separate standard utilitarian items from finer decorative examples.
Edward Barnsley
The Mid Century Console Glossary
- Lowboy
- A small side table with drawers, typically raised on four legs, originating in the eighteenth century. These low tables served various domestic functions in bedrooms and halls.
- Console table
- A table designed to stand against a wall, frequently fixed with brackets or supported by front legs. They often feature decorative marble tops or carved gilt-wood frames.
- Patina
- The surface sheen and coloration developed through age, use, and polishing. A desirable patination shows authentic wear without masking the grain of the wood.
- Serpentine
- A furniture outline characterised by a wavy edge that curves inward centrally and outward at the ends. This contour appears frequently on eighteenth-century and revival console and card tables.
- Fold-over table
- A multi-functional table featuring a hinged top that opens to double the surface area, commonly used for card games or tea. These designs often conceal a well or storage space beneath the folding leaf.
Mid Century Console: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a mid century console used for?
These tables provide narrow surface areas suitable for entryways, hallways, and living spaces where floor space is limited. Historically, they held decorative objects, lighting, or serving dishes during gatherings.
Many variants also function as gaming tables or desks through folding leaves and drawers, adapting easily to modern domestic routines.
How do I identify older console periods?
Dating relies on timber choices, construction methods, and stylistic cues such as George II cabriole legs or Victorian walnut veneers. Examining secondary woods inside drawers and the nature of the joinery reveals the manufacturing era.
Regional differences, such as Swedish painted pine or Anglo-Indian carvings, also point to specific workshop origins and historical periods.
Where should I place a console table?
Console and side tables fit naturally against hallway walls, behind sofas, or beneath mirrors in reception rooms. Their shallow depth prevents them from obstructing walkways while offering display space.
Parks of tables with marble or polished wood tops benefit from placement away from direct heat sources to protect historic veneers and finishes.
Are marble top consoles fragile?
Marble tops add substantial weight and stability to console tables, providing durable surfaces for everyday use. While stone resists routine wear, it requires careful handling during moves to prevent chipping along the edges.
Periodic cleaning with appropriate non-acidic solutions keeps the polished stone surface in good condition without harming surrounding wooden frames.