Decorating Dilemma

It can be a challenge to figure out what to put in a hallway or entryway. Consoles are always a great option- they tend not to take up too much room, and it's a perfect place on which to display an objet d'art, a small cluster of flowers, or a tray for keys and other detritus. But once you've chosen a console, then you've got to figure out what to place on the wall above the console. Artwork? A mirror? And what size? What a design dilemma!

An easy solution is to find a console/mirror set such as the ones I'm showing here. The scale of the two pieces match, which only leaves you with having to decide what to place on the console. If this is all a bit too matchy for some of you, you can always throw the whole look off kilter with a quirky sculpture or bibelot.




Italian polychrome mirror and console, c. 1950s, from Dragonette Limited


Wall console & mirror, c. 1950s, from Chapman Radcliff


French metal mirror and console, c. 1940s, from Ellen Ward Scarborough Antiques


Art Moderne console and mirror, French, c. 1940s, available at Retro-Modern


French console and mirror, c. 1950s, at Retro-Modern

Image at top: Italian Neoclassical Style mirror and console from Coup d'Etat Antique & Decoration