apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Why so negative about the plant? I like its growth pattern.

A mantle clock...that's what I have. And antique boxes that serve as my "landing strip".

Well, in LA I am going to assume you don't need a box for mittens, hats and scarves!! but there are other things that are helpful on the way out/in are worth considering housing here particularly in a small house/apartment

Consider a box of supplies to prep you for heading out the door -- such as sunscreen and a lint roller (one quick roll before you leave!!), a small supply of those cute kleenex pouches, stamps, cough drops (for when you are on your way to a play or concert), the dog leash. I like to keep a box of colorful inexpensive travel umbrellas -- I buy mine at Filenes basement ($5-8 each) and am happy to hand them out to guests who stopped by without one!!
Of course you will want a box or two that hold this stuff and hide the clutter.
Fill this out with a display of pottery or maybe some natural items that rotate with the seasons (large sea shells, huge pinecones) - even a couple of books. This is a great location for an tablescape - check out David Hicks as he is probably the master of the tablescape.

Not a lame question! Not an easy answer, either! It depends on where the console table is located as to what could grace it. Foyer: perhaps trays for keys and/or mail, welcoming art or flowers... Living room: maybe flowers again or nice piece of sculpture/art glass, candy dish, etc. - there again it depends - is the console against a wall? behind the couch? Dining room: silver tea & coffee service or some other attractive serving piece... or the table could just anchor a great mirror or art on the wall above it... there are many possibilities!

I find it funny you were so quick to judge the pics but now are stumped yourself.

As tahitianpearl points out, not every console table is positioned to function as a landing strip or catch-all.

Books, papers, keys... mail. shouldnt be so hard?

I like the flowers but I think they would look more dramatic in a different container. Maybe a taller, narrower ceramic holder in a dark color?

And at the risk of drawing the wrath of the Barn-o-phobes out there, look at the design books (and catalogs) put out by Pottery Barn. I find them excellent resources for accessorizing and tablescaping ideas.

But even in those books, they talk about the most successful displays being pulled together from things you love or reflect you, personally. So start with your sister's loves, interests and travels.

But please oh please, steer clear of the "hundred snapshots in a hundred different frames" concept. :P

Basket for scarves, hats, gloves, umbrellas? Cup of pens/pencils. Books. Box with maps, atlases?

Or a wider, shallow planter, so the plant is the focal point of the top of the table, and doesn't interfere with the mirror.

Some books on the bottom shelf could hide the plug too.

Console table is redundant; a console is a kind of table, so it's like saying bergère chair ... that being said, a console in an entrance hall is a catch-all ... make it an attractive one though ... a collection of colored glass (just anchor it all with special wax made for that, so they don't tip over) ... baskets ... shells ... whatever ...

And that particular plant looks to be in a container a touch too casual for the furniture, so perhaps a more decorative cachepot for the geranium might be some place to start.

And for any successful display, use the words "layer and "cluster" along the way.

What do you put on a console table? A "For Sale" sign.

Unless your entry is really tiny, get a small dresser with drawers instead. Open-shelf consoles become dumping grounds for keys, spare change, sunglasses, mail, etc. My husband used to have one in his bachelor days -- I didn't realize it was a valuable vintage console under all those dog leashes and plastic bags. You don't want the first view of your apartment to be a cluttered heap.

I think I always have the opposite problem... the console table always gets cluttered with piles of incoming and outgoing mails, keys, things I tend to forget if they're not right by the door.

One of these days, I'm going to get pretty boxes or containers to put all the stuff in...

But if you don't have that problem, I find a collection of lighting is always nice; that way, guests aren't blasted with overhead light on the way in or out.

if it's not being "used" to house keys, mail etc - as ours is, put a collection of pictures frames on the top. i would stack books on teh shelves beneath - use the space that is provided to actually "shelve" stuff. If you're like us, and have TONS of books around the house, even line up books on the top.

One addition could be a small "vide-poche", a dish in which to empty your pocket change. Koo de Kir (www.koodekir.com) has a beautiful small porcelaine one that I have given to friends and family. It's in the shape of a ginko leaf, but is painted a beautiful bronze color. It's under $10, I believe.

I stuck on the "sparse" comment.

Forget about what to put on the console; think more about how to turn "sparse" to "spare" or even "serene" -- and the console might just take care of itself.

Baskets to sort and house the recycling?

I will agree it needs something but I LOVE the flowers! Very nice. Our landing strip has a key pot, a small change jar, a ceramic Giraffe with a chalkboard on it's side for notes and a box of tissues (i always regret not taking tissues in my purse if i go out and get the sniffles so it's a constant reminder).

Have you seen the lovely idea's in Pottery Barn for landing strips?

The only person who can answer this question is your sister. It all comes down to how she uses the space and what would make her day easier as she passes through the entry hall. You can put a basket for mail on the table, but if she enters her home from the garage straight into the kitchen, then the basket will never get used.

I would try not to think of this as a retail display exercise and ask instead how she uses her space. I would suspect that the reason the table is being used as a plant stand is that she didn't really need a table there in the first place. Its sort of serving the role of static display space. Given that, family pictures in nice frames make a good start.

My feeling is that if you can't figure out what to put on your console table, then you probably don't need a console table. So why is it there. Then again, my apartment is definitely "sparse", and I prefer empty space to unused furniture.

I like to layer what's on my table. I lean a smaller piece of art work against the wall, then place an orchid or tall vase with flowers to the side, and add a candle or interesting object...
and I switch it out often...

I see that mirror is reflecting a BEAUTIFUL front door :-) Turn the mirror vertically, to show more of that door, and to make it more useful for checking yourself. Hang it about 6" from the top of the table, maybe even less, to make it look more like a single piece.

Get rid of the lamp and get a low, sexy, figural one.....like a art-deco woman. Hobby Lobby has a MILLION decorative lamps.

Different container for the plant. No need to repot, just set it in a bigger basket or something. I like the shape of the plant.

Put a FEW books on a shelf or two, laying down. Add some shiny things to reflect more light from the door. Metal things. Hide that electrical outlet with something in front, or if that's a Glade Plug In thing dispose of it. There is nothing decorative about air freshener.

A BIT of carpet or floor cloth under the table......the legs look really cold on that floor, lol

What is that in front of the console? A stairway? Piece of furniture? If the console is in the way of using a staircase, get rid of the console.

Don't use this as a "landing strip". That would say "welcome to our home! Here's our crap!" as people enter.

I would put a maidenhair fern there instead of a geranium -- which, if it is alive, will not be alive long that far away from a sunny window sill. (It should have a saucer under it to catch moisture and protect the wood.)

If it were me, I am fond of ceramic plates or pottery; and that would be a good place to display some nice pieces -- from Asia, Spain, Italy, France or Mexico, or even the good old USA. If it is a vase or bowl it could have a rotating seasonal display of flowers, potpourri, or natural objects. Agree with having books or magazines on the lower shelves.

I also agree that this isn't the right place for a keys and spare change and also about changing the mirror to vertical (or replacing it with a bigger, rectangular one). Also wonder if the table isn't interfering with the stairs.

My landing strip of course!

http://zero255zero.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/never-lose-your-keys-again/

I second Ohjodi's suggestion to turn the mirror vertically, but I would suggest a larger/taller lamp. Its hard to see what you have there because of what I think is a banister blocking the view, but a taller lamp would be better because as it is, if one were to look in the mirror now, you would be lit from below because the lamp is so short.

Since the bottom shelf has more headroom and the middle shelf is shorter, it could be used as a bar - bottles on the bottom and some shorter glasses in the middle. You could even have a small tray with bottle opened and such. I definitely concur with not cluttering it up with a bunch of crap as you walk in the door.

Try to approach it this way: what do the people living in this space want to "say" to their guests?

I assume this isn't a landing strip, or it would already be kitted out as such.

Instead it is prime real estate to communicate the essence of this home to others.

What could be here that would do that?

How about a nice antique clear glass apothocary jar of mints. Nothing says 'welcome' like fresh breath.

hey...i need a console table of similar proportions....where is this from???

My feeling is that if you can't figure out what to put on your console table, then you probably don't need a console table.

That was my first thought, too. If your sister truly has no books, baskets, plants, pretty bowls, or bits of bric-a-brac that need to be on the console, is it improving anyone's life to send her out to buy tchotchkes just to fill the space for looks? (I'm not anti-tchotchke; I can *always* find a way to fill another table without even trying.)

Unless there's clutter running loose elsewhere in the house, I'd let her leave the place "sparse." Either it'll fill on its own through the owners' interests, or they'll be happy with it sparse.

I vote for no console table. My own house is sparse compared to my neighbors homes, but there is a serene feeling when you walk in that is very soothing. If she feels she must fill up that space, perhaps a wall shelf with wall decor over will do. That way her floor stays clear, and it's less likely to become a catch-all space where odd things get dumped just because it's handy.

I would get a nice glass or ceramic dish for a "landing strip", preferably something with flared sides so coins slide easily out of the dish into your hand. If the table is a temporary landing spot for mail before it's taken to another area of your home, place a decorative box with no lid on the middle shelf. Place a nice wastepaper basket next to the table for junk mail. If you have some nice ceramic or other medium sized, perhaps sculptural art, place one or two pieces on the lowest shelf.

Having read your question in full, and being a proponent of tchotchkes (I'm told I have a sickness), I think a couple of cute, colorful vases, maybe some pretty boxes, wee paintings or framed postcards, or smaller books would be nice on the shelves. Just a few of those things. Don't clutter it up. If your sister doesn't have stuff to fill it yet, well, she seems like someone who would WANT stuff to fill it. I mean, she has a console table. Oh, and she asked for filler.

By the way, two pretty, uncovered boxes on that upper shelf might be good for sorting and dumping mail. That could help keep the top less cluttered. The bottom shelves should then be super easy with a couple taller vases or even a lantern. (I know, ridiculous, but I like the way lanterns look.) Maybe stand a few tall-ish, shallow books against the center support.

I think that if you need to ASK what to put on the table then you probaby don't need one... Buy something that fits a function- don't buy furniture that you don't know don't know how to use.

Get rid of the air freshner and put an oil burner on the table. For ideas go into any Hyatt hotel, walk around their restaurants etc and look at their floral arrangements..they always have great little touches you can copy using cheap square glass vases you can pick up cheap at IKEA.