Tips for Designing a Stylish & Functional Entryway

When it comes to tables, there are so many ways to incorporate them into your home, from a dining table to a coffee table, end tables, sofa tables, side tables, and more. But what about an entryway table? If you have room for it, one of the best ways to create a stylish and functional entryway is by including a table. This creates what’s called a “drop zone”, or somewhere where you can set some things down if you need to dash in quickly, a place to keep guests’ personal items out of the way if you’re hosting a party, or a place to simply store things like keys and sunglasses that you may otherwise forget on your way out the door.

But it doesn’t stop at tables. There are so many ways to create a stylish and functional entryway, and we’re here to help.

One popular entryway table option is the balustrade-style table. These tables are usually about waist height, narrow and long, and have a table top supported by two legs joined by a base or stretcher. At Osborne, we offer two possible base styles like this, our Traditional trestle table base, part 1134, and Transitional trestle table base, part 1136. Below, you can watch as customer service representative Sara assembles the Traditional trestle table base on our YouTube channel.

Another option is a console table. These are usually 4-legged tables that often have either drawers or a lower shelf for additional storage. Sometimes they may have both, too. The drawers and/or shelf allow for a convenient place to store mail, purses or bags, shoes, and more while keeping the space neat and tidy.

If you don’t have room for a large table, another storage option might a podium-style table or a small shelf. That way, you would have enough space to set down your keys and sunglasses or hang your purse or coat without having a table to take up too much space. Shelves can be easy to construct and are available in a variety of styles with the addition of corbels. We also offer floating shelf kits as well as small corbel shelf kits which could fit easily in a small entry space.

For entryway spaces that may be on the larger side, you could look to add to your table with a bench or seating area, creating an ideal place to sit down and remove dirty or wet shoes. We have dozens of bench legs in multiple different wood types as well as metal and acrylic to help you achieve the look you want. Benches combined with a shelf and pegs for hanging coats or purses are a popular choice for the busy family.

Benches, shelves, and tables can be built to fit, so it’s best to start by figuring out how much room you have, then deciding on what items you’d like to incorporate into your space. After that, decide what style you’d like to achieve–traditional, contemporary, farmhouse, industrial, rustic, etc.–then look for components to use to create your look.

Osborne Wood Products carries a diverse line of table legs. Our legs vary from the simpler Shaker and Mission styles to a lovely selection of turned legs, and even some that include delicate hand carving. Our table legs are available in at least ten wood types, sanded to 150 grit and ready to finish. These skillfully-crafted table legs are sure to find a home in your next design.

Table legs come completely unfinished without any holes or hardware. However, with Osborne’s millwork and installation services you are guaranteed a perfect fit! Work directly with a customer service representative to determine if your table leg needs hardware installed, a chamfer, or other services to simplify your design process. Have your legs shipped ready to simply install and finish using the variety of services offered at Osborne. Customers can also order an entire table base kit from Osborne’s website, custom made to fit their table top.

Build Something Beautiful with Osborne’s table legs, and then send us a photo of your creation so that we can share your creation with other table lovers!