Are your mornings chaotic as you try to find your keys and your left shoe before you head out the door? Could you benefit from more storage space and organization? Is your entry hallway kind of boring and lacking color? Those reasons and more are why your home could benefit from an entryway table!
But where did these tables come from? Have homes always had them? The answer is: yes and no.
A Brief History of King Louis and Entryway Tables
Entryway tables, as we know them, are a more modern furniture piece, but “console tables,” as they used to be called, have been around since King Louis XIV of France introduced them as decorative tables in his royal courts and the Palace of Versailles. These tables were often two-legged tables whose tabletop was affixed to the wall using brackets. More often than not, they featured a large matching mirror and came as part of a set. Initially, these items were placed in hallways and foyers of grand mansions or palaces and served a much more decorative purpose.
Gradually, console tables, while still placed in similar spaces, have gained a more functional rather than decorative purpose.
Entryway Tables: Why You Need One
Entryway tables aren’t just for kings and queens anymore, and your home could benefit from one too! Here are 5 reasons why your home needs an entry table:
Helps You Stay Organized
When you add a slim table to a smaller room or hallway in your home, you create more space to keep yourself organized! Imagine you’re running late in the morning, and you can’t remember where you placed your keys the previous night when you came in. Are they in your coat? Your purse? Did you leave them in the car? With an entry table, you could add nearby hooks or a small bowl that’s designated purpose is to hold your keys, so you never have to rush about looking for them again! BONUS: There are often extra storage spaces where you could add baskets to hold seasonal outdoor items, shoes, or snacks!
Add a Pop of Color
The entryway of the home can often be a little bland. White paint, empty walls...but with an entryway table, you have an opportunity to add color to the space. You could choose a painted modern table style that is a more unique color true to your home, or you could choose a traditional table style and choose accents that POP!
A Handy Place for Shoes
If you have kids or pets, you know how easy it is for one (or both) of your shoes to disappear! Many entryway tables come with an elevated shelf at the bottom that makes them ideal for storing your everyday shoes. PLUS: Making sure that everything has a place in your home will help prevent it from looking chaotic and cluttered.
Show Off Your Home’s Style
No matter your home’s style or personality, you can find an entryway table that matches and pulls your home together! These pieces can be modern or vintage, metal or wooden, with many shelves or just a tabletop – you can find the perfect match for your home. And what’s more: it’s a great place to show off your personal style with cherished family items or fun antique discoveries (coffee table books, vases, lamps, etc.).
Ideal for Long Hallways
Adding a console table to a long entry hallway can create a focal point and help to break up a long stretch of wall! Plus, just like the Kings of France used to, you could add a mirror or artwork above the table! Or, if your home’s style is more practical than artistic, you could add a message board or calendar to keep track of your family’s events and commitments in a place that your whole family is sure to see!
Entryway tables have undergone some changes through the centuries (including a name change), but some things remain the same: they are a functional, versatile, and essential piece to any home!
Are you convinced that your hallway or home could use one? Call us or stop by to choose the piece that fits your home’s style and vibe at Urners!