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How To Style A Console Three Ways

*This post was made possible by the generous support of Better Homes and Gardens, and features gifted product. All opinions are my own.

As someone who never keeps the same décor setup for very long (I love change), multi-purpose furniture is an absolute must for me. I really gravitate toward pieces that can serve different functions depending on my whims. A pint-sized dresser that can be used as a nightstand one day, or linen storage the next. A round table that’s small enough to work in an open entryway as a drop zone, or could be moved to create a bonus bistro-style dining space with the addition of just a couple of chairs. You get the point!

As you may know, I’ve been working with Better Homes and Gardens this year on a series of home décor videos for their Instagram feed, and I was sent this metal indoor/outdoor console for a back deck entertaining video I produced for them. After that shoot wrapped, I remember thinking, “Wait. There are so many more possibilities here!” So, I pitched the idea of a video centered on “3 Ways To Style A Console Table,” and it was a hit with my editor. You can watch the whole video here, but I thought I’d also show off some of the photos I snapped for each look so you can get extra inspired as you work to outfit your own home with multi-purpose furniture that goes the distance.

How To Style A Console Three Ways

Resources: Steel Console Unit, Squiggle Floor Planter Pot, Large Blue Planter Pot, Sculptural White Planter Pot, Melamine Dinnerware, Melamine Tray, Drink Dispenser, Melamine Serving Bowl, Kitchen Towels, Stemless Shatter Resistant Cups

Outdoor Party Buffet:

I’ve already blogged about this setup that came about from the first video I put together for BHG, but it’s definitely worth another look so we can all appreciate the details. The concept for this idea is all about styling the console as a drinks and snacks buffet table. I used my parents’ back deck for this look, and my mom raves about how much she loves the console on her deck. It really fills out the space, even when it’s not laden down with party accents and food. Notice how we intentionally used potted plants as opposed to fresh cut floral arrangements? This method allows you to keep all of that pretty organic greenery out season-long! By the way, I should mention that the console comes with those lower indoor/outdoor baskets, and they’re great for tucking away extra party necessities when hosting (or weather-proof grilling utensils when it’s just you and the fam every day).

Resources: Steel Console Unit, Large Metal Basket, Small Metal Basket, Clock, Watering Can, Floor Basket, Table Lamp, Dashed Ceramic Planter With Stand, Faux Marble Tray, Two-Tone Candle, Wooden Tray, Runner Rug

Mud Room Drop Zone:

This entryway station was actually my husband’s idea! It seems like John and I always come in through the front door with arms full of stuff, so we love the idea of having a console like this to use as a drop zone. I styled the piece with lots of baskets on the top and middle shelf to help maximize organization possibilities, but also made sure to include a couple of slightly more decorative accents, like a potted plant. The bonus is that a lot of these decorative items serve a function, too—think: the clock, table lamp, mint blue watering can, and two-tone candle. All are beautiful details when seen in the setup as a whole, but they also work really well for us from day to day. The faux marble tray for sunglasses, keys, and other small entryway necessities may just be my favorite part of this look. Oh, and the baskets at the very bottom are fantastic for shoe storage!

Resources: Steel Console Unit, Woven Tray, Black Watering Can, Blue Watering Can, Hanging Ceramic Pot, Dashed Ceramic Planter, Mod Sculptural Planter Pot, Wooden Handled Gardening Tools, Blue Handled Gardening Tools, Melamine Tray, Lanterns, Kneeling Mat, Gloves

Garden Potting Bench:

Speaking of “favorites,” though, I think this third console styling option takes first prize in my mind. I love the way this gardening table turned out, and could definitely see myself using it during the warmer months at our new house. The woven tray looks like it could only be used indoors, but it’s actually made of weather-proof materials, so you can leave it outside as long as you want. I’ve always been a big, big fan of Better Homes and Gardens’ pot collection at Walmart, so it was really easy for me to find pretty ceramic accents to outfit my gardening bench with. Gardening tools are also a must, as is a cute watering can (I actually used two in this setup, both linked above!). You can never have too many watering cans…

After photographing and filming all of these looks, I ended up taking the console back over to my parents’ house so they could continue enjoying it on their back deck, but now I miss it. I might just have to order a second one for our house! Which of the three looks is your favorite? Comment below and let me know.

*I earn a small percentage from purchases made using the affiliate links above. Affiliate links are not sponsored. Rest assured that I never recommend products we wouldn’t use or don’t already love ourselves.

Well, it’s certainly not the prettiest project I’ve ever shown off here on the blog, but it may take the cake for “most functional,” so I’m still considering it a win. Introducing the brand new set of custom built-in shelves in our main entry closet! This project has been on my list pretty much since the moment we moved in last November—or at least it’s been on my list since that first week we lived here. There’s so much you learn about your new home in those first few days, and I knew early on that this entry closet was going to need some work.

As you can see in the photo just above, our entry actually has two closets. Both were set up for hanging clothes, namely coats, but it’s just John and me in this house, and we don’t have that many coats between the two of us. We filled up the one closet near the front door with outerwear, but we definitely didn’t need a second coat closet. Instead, I decided to use that bonus space to store my tools.

Because of this closet’s central location in the house, it made sense to use it for all of my most-used DIY project materials. Think: hammer, level, hardware, step ladder, etc. After filling up the single top shelf with those items, there was just so much wasted room in that negative space made for hanging coats. I spent some time mentally coming up with a plan, but other projects took precedence, so I made do with the closet space I had for months and months. This past April, though, I finally had time to fix the situation once and for all.

The idea was to build a series of new shelves below the one existing top shelf using the same exact construction method employed for that one. Essentially, I would cut some 2-inch-by-1-inch pieces of wood to the length and depth of the closet, screw those levelly into the studs, and then place a cut piece of shelving wood across the expanse, and nail it into place. It really was that simple and straightforward.

I should mention that since the small pieces of wood screwed into the studs were going to be entirely hidden by the top shelf wood, I didn’t really bother with making them look super uniform in the corners. The strength and function was taken care of, and I didn’t see any point wasting time making it look “pretty” when no one would ever actually see that part of the construction. It works and that’s what matters!

The entire process went off without a hitch, and that’s really saying something considering my bad track record with measuring. I just took things slow, measured multiple times, and kept a notepad nearby so I could jot my numbers down as I went instead of trying to remember them on my own. Like I said, these shelves aren’t the prettiest surfaces in the world, and I do plan to eventually paint them to match the walls and trim, but the functionality of the closet has multiplied ten-fold with the new addition of these full-length shelves.

I even decided to spring for a set of matching fabric storage boxes to commemorate the occasion. These came from Walmart, and were super affordable—less than $9 a pop. I love how the matching texture and color of the boxes helps give the shelves a little bit of sophistication and uniformity. I kept some random boxes and totes on the floor because, after all, this is just a closet, but the matching boxes at eye level make me feel like it’s at least semi “designed.”

I now have room to store all sorts of extra things, like current gifts that have yet to be given (anybody else an early holiday/birthday shopper?!), our pile of house maintenance paperwork and records, clean kitchen towels, plastic and paper bags to be given a second life, and, of course, all of my tools. This new setup has made life so much easier, and I can’t wait to copy the look in other closets in our new home. Is there a closet in your home that you could stand to outfit with new shelves? Let me know if you have any specific questions on how I did it!

How To Style A Console Three Ways

Outdoor Party Buffet:

Mud Room Drop Zone:

Garden Potting Bench:

Adding Shelves To An Entry Closet

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