Sarah Rustic Pine Console Table With Drawers & Lower Shelf

Allow at least 270cm of clear wall, so it has breathing space at either end.

The 138cm between the legs is the figure to work with. That is what fits underneath: a bench, a pair of stools, a large basket, or a run of storage. Measure whatever you plan to tuck under it against that number rather than against the full width.

The height is taller than a standard console, closer to a sideboard. That suits a hallway, where you want the surface at a comfortable height to drop keys and post, and it works well behind a sofa where a lower table would disappear.

The depth is deliberately shallow. A console has to leave a hallway walkable, and 45cm gives you a usable surface without narrowing the route.

Measure the route as well as the room. Doorways, hallway width, stairwells and tight turns all matter on a piece this wide. Tell us if anything looks close and we will help you work it out before you order.

The baluster legs, which are not turned legs in the ordinary sense.

Most console tables at this width sit on tapered posts or a plain frame. These are full architectural columns, heavily turned and sculptural, and they give the base a depth and solidity that makes the console look as though it has always been in the room rather than recently delivered.

The grey-wash finish creates the subtle variation and weathered depth of pine that has been exposed to the elements. It is neither cold nor clinical, which is the trap most grey finishes fall into. It sits as naturally in a contemporary hallway as in a period one.

Two drawers beneath the top surface take keys, mail and remotes completely out of sight, which is the practical difference between a console that stays styled and one that becomes a dumping ground within a week.

And the lower shelf gives you a second display tier just above floor level. A stack of books, a woven basket, a trailing plant or a pair of ceramic vessels. Whatever it holds improves the composition, and it stops the space under a wide console reading as empty.

• Monumental baluster legs, sculptural rather than plain posts or a frame
• Two drawers, so keys and post disappear and the surface stays clear
• A full lower shelf, giving you a second tier for baskets and books
• Grey-wash finish with weathered depth rather than a flat painted grey
• Generous width, enough to hold a long wall on its own
• Shallow depth, so a hallway stays walkable
• Substantial weight, so it stays exactly where you put it
• Works everywhere: hallway, behind a sofa, along a dining wall

The single most effective thing you can do with a long console. A matching pair of table lamps frames the piece and gives you low warm light in a hallway, which is usually the worst-lit room in a house. Warm bulbs at 2400K to 2700K, since cool light flattens a grey wash completely.

A vase with height, or a hurricane lantern. Lamp, tall centre, lamp is a symmetrical arrangement that takes about a minute and looks deliberate.

Two baskets with a gap between them, or a basket at one end and a stack of books at the other. Filling the whole shelf makes a light-legged console look heavy.

A large mirror or a run of three framed pieces. A wide console beneath an empty wall always looks bottom heavy, and a mirror in a hallway doubles what little light there is.

A grey wash is more forgiving than warm timber and sits with cooler schemes as well as warm ones. Against soft white, stone, sage or a deeper charcoal wall it reads beautifully. Give it something warm nearby, though, in brass or rattan, or the corner tips cold.

Wipe spills immediately with a dry cloth, and use coasters. A grey-wash finish shows a water mark more readily than a dark stain does.

Dust with a soft dry cloth along the grain. Avoid acidic liquids and abrasive cleaners, both of which will lift the wash.

Nothing wet on the finish beyond a barely damp cloth, dried straight after. A grey wash is a surface treatment rather than a deep stain, so it does not tolerate scrubbing.

Keep it clear of a radiator where you can, and out of prolonged direct sun, which lightens a washed finish unevenly.

What to expect. Variation in the wash across the grain, and knots showing through more strongly in places, are characteristics of a washed finish on pine rather than faults. Yours will not match the photograph exactly.

Your console travels with our specialist furniture courier, who will contact you to arrange a time. Current timescales and charges are set out on our delivery page.

Send us the length of the wall you have in mind and we will tell you honestly whether it suits. Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right once it is in the room, our returns process is straightforward and we will arrange collection. Everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

0% interest-free finance is available at checkout, and our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere. Furnishing a holiday let? Ask about trade accounts.