The Ultimate Guide to Styling Your Console Table With Vibrant Boho Flair
Console tables serve as beautiful focal points in entryways and living spaces, but styling them can be a decorating challenge. The bohemian design aesthetic offers the perfect solution with its carefree approach to mixing colors, patterns, and textures. By layering in globetrotting textiles, displaying bold wall art, and curating a tablescape with artful objects, you can transform any console into a vibrant display. Read on for ideas to style your console with boho flair on a budget.
Choosing a Console Table for a Boho Space
When selecting a console table for a bohemian space, opt for a style that has character and visual interest. Vintage or antique sideboards make excellent consoles, bringing a sense of history. Look for pieces with carved details, metal accents, or a global feel. Painted finishes can work, but unfinished natural wood tones pair best with the boho look. Console size depends on your space constraints - just ensure enough room for decorating. Aim for a table around 50-60 inches long and 16-30 inches deep. Here are some boho console table styles to consider:
- Rustic console tables with reclaimed wood surfaces and metal accents
- Vintage sideboards with storage drawers and glass cabinet doors
- Global-inspired carved consoles with Moroccan or Indian motifs
- Antique apothecary chests for an eclectic industrial vibe
- Mirrored consoles that reflect light and add dimension
- Contemporary consoles with sleek lines and metallic details
Layering in Bohemian Textiles
Textured rugs, wall hangings, pillows, and throws create a cozy, collected look. Start by laying down a boho-style rug with ornate patterns or vivid dyeing techniques. Florals, geometrics, suzanis, and global motifs all evoke the wanderlust spirit. Next, hang a macrame wall hanging or large tapestry behind your console table. This adds height and a beautiful backdrop. Toss some colorful throw pillows on a nearby chair or stool for a pop of pattern. Table runners and poufs are other easy ways to introduce different fabrics.
For variation, mix natural fibers like wool, cotton, and leather with synthetics like polyester and nylon. Don't be afraid to combine tribal designs with vintage florals in bold jewel tones. The more textural layers, the better, so pile them on! Just stick to 2-3 color schemes for cohesion.
Boho Rug Styles
- Oversized shag rugs in natural wool
- Persian kilims with faded vegetable dye hues
- Beni Ourain Moroccan rugs with random abstract patterns
- Turkish Oushak rugs with elaborate medallion motifs
Boho Wall Hanging Options
- Macrame tapestries in earthy cotton and hemp
- Suzani embroidery wall hangings from Uzbekistan
- Kantha quilted hangings made from vintage Indian saris
- Floral mandala prints on light chiffon or cotton
Displaying Boho Wall Decor
Make your wall space above and around the console table a showcase for art, shelves, and quirky objects. Gallery walls with a mix of eclectic prints and photography embody the boho spirit. Repurpose large vintage maps or book pages in simple frames for affordable art. Hang mirror rounds, dreamcatchers, and wreaths using natural materials like feathers, antlers, or vines. Small ledges and wall shelves are ideal display spaces for your collections and meaningful finds from travels. Keep things at staggered heights and asymmetry for interest.
Boho Wall Decor Ideas
- Display natural curiosities like sea shells, geodes, and crystals
- Showcase antique glassware, vases, and decorative bottles
- Highlight houseplants and air plant terrariums
- Exhibit colorful coffee table books and textural baskets
Bringing in Lush Greenery
Houseplants are an essential component of bohemian decor, providing organic contrast to all of the textiles and artwork. Start by placing a trailing pothos or philodendron in a macrame hanger. Succulents and air plants are also easy-care options that thrive indoors. For height, use a standing planter for a fiddle leaf fig or snake plant. Cut flowers and dried botanicals like pampas grass or eucalyptus branches complete the look - just swap them out as needed. Containing plants in ceramic, rattan, or wood planters pulls the nature motif together.
Best Low-Light Boho Plants
- ZZ plant
- Chinese Evergreen
- Peace Lily
- Pothos
- Philodendron
- Sansevieria
Curating Your Boho Console Table
When styling your console top, opt for decorative objects that tell a story and reflect your tastes. Stacked books with gorgeous covers make great sculptures. Coil-bound notebooks and coffee table books on topics like art, architecture, or world cultures all fit the boho motif. Candles, incense burners, and essential oil diffusers create an inviting aroma. Contain frequently used items like keys and mail in boxes, baskets, or trays.
For natural contrast, display geodes, crystals, seashells, and other organic elements. Photos in eclectic frames showcase cherished memories. Globes hint at faraway places. Ceramic vases, planters, and artistic bowls provide color and interest. The right arrangements can transform your console into a living still life painting. Play with height, color, and objects of varying sizes.
Boho Console Table Decor Suggestions
- Wooden tray with reactangle and circle decor
- Brass candlesticks and taper candles
- Stack of vibrant textile-bound novels
- Woven baskets holding blankets and throws
- Vintage camera, typewriter, or film reels
- Glass terrariums housing air plants
Finishing Touches
With your foundation in place, it's time to add those all-important styling touches. Table lamps with patterned shades or edison bulbs create cozy lighting. For seating, drape cozy throws atop stools or chairs. Next, bring in sculptural objects like carved wood stools, Buddha statues, or wrought iron stands. Handcrafted ceramics and pottery like vases, mugs, and trays also make great statement pieces.
If your console feels sparse, hang a vertical mirror or piece of wall art behind it to fill space. Adjust item placement to create the look you envision - play with symmetry versus asymmetry and try adding levels of height. Step back periodically as you decorate to ensure visual balance. The overall composition should please the eye while projecting the boho spirit.
Boho-Inspired Lighting Picks
- Hanging edison bulbs
- Table lamps with bold printed shades
- Candle chandeliers dripping with wax
- String lights along the console's back edge
Putting it All Together
Now that you have an arsenal of bohemian decor ideas, it's time to put them into action. When designing console table vignettes, remember that more is more. The space should feel collected over time, not decorated. Start with an oversized rug and macrame wall hanging as a backdrop. Next, style the console surface itself with stacked books, woven baskets, and your favorite objets d'art. A table lamp and lush green plant complete the look. Feel free to add framed photos, wall shelves, and decor above to fully embrace boho styling.
When it comes to placement, playing with symmetry and asymmetry makes things more dynamic. Try placing a mirror on one end and a ceramic vase on the other. Or flank a stack of vibrant books with two matching table lamps. Alternating larger statement pieces with smaller objects creates pleasing contrasts. For dimension, use risers like wood boxes, plant stands, or decorative pedestals to vary object heights.
Here are some completed console table vignettes to inspire your boho decor:
- A massive Moroccan Beni Ourain rug, macrame wall hanging, stacked travel guides, green leafy plants, incense holder, and a retro table lamp with patterned shade
- A Persian runner rug, framed dried botanicals above, a large carved wood Buddha statue, white ceramic vases, a round rattan tray holding candles and shells, and a tall standing fiddle leaf fig
- A Turkish Oushak rug, feather dreamcatcher wall hanging, stacked coffee table books on art, a geometric embroidered pouf, brass candlesticks, and an oversized monstera plant in a woven floor basket
While this guide focused on console tables, you can apply the same boho styling techniques to any space. An antique dresser becomes a statement piece flanked by palm plants in woven baskets and topped with stacks of folded textiles. A plain bookshelf transforms into a global display with Moroccan wedding blankets, Turkish pottery, and framed vintage scarves. Even kitchen islands and bar carts can channel bohemian flair with the right mix of finishes, fabrics, greenery, and exotic objects sourced from your travels.
Creating a space that celebrates creativity, culture, and free-spiritedness is what the boho design aesthetic is all about. Any furnishings and decor that evoke a sense of wanderlust and personal storytelling fit right in. Just browse thrift stores and flea markets for unique secondhand finds. The beauty of bohemian style lies in not following rules and composing a space that feels authentic to you. With the tips in this guide, you now have endless inspiration to bring vibrant boho flair into your home.