Best High Gloss Console Table for Open Plan UK Living Rooms

Open plan living has become a familiar feature of UK homes, blending lounge, dining and sometimes kitchen into one flowing space. It brings light and sociability, but it also raises a quiet question, how do you give each area its own identity without putting up walls? A console table is one of the most elegant answers. A high gloss version, with its slim shape and light reflecting surface, can mark a boundary, add storage and tie a large room together without breaking the sense of openness. At Furniture in Fashion, we see consoles used this way more and more, and this guide explains how to make the most of one in an open plan setting.

Use a console to zone the space

The greatest strength of a console in an open plan room is its ability to define zones. Placed behind a sofa or along the edge of a seating area, it draws a soft line between the lounge and the dining or working space beyond. Because a console is low and slim, it signals the change without blocking light or views. This keeps the room feeling open while giving each area a clear purpose. A glossy finish adds to the effect by reflecting light across both zones, which helps the whole space feel cohesive. Many of our customers begin with our high gloss console tables for exactly this role.

Let the finish unify the room

Open plan spaces can feel disjointed if each area uses different styles and tones. A glossy console can act as a unifying thread, especially if its finish echoes other pieces in the room. Repeating a white or grey gloss across the lounge and dining areas creates a sense of harmony that holds the open space together. This repetition is a simple way to make a large room feel considered rather than scattered. The reflective surface also carries light from one zone to another, reinforcing the connection. Viewing the console within our wider living room furniture range helps you plan this kind of cohesive scheme.

Choose a length that suits the scale

Open plan rooms are usually larger, so a console that would look right in a small lounge may seem undersized here. In a generous space, a longer console holds its own and reads as a deliberate divider rather than a stray piece. Measuring the length of the sofa or the zone you want to define helps you choose a console that matches the scale. A well sized piece anchors the area and looks intentional. Getting this proportion right is what makes the zoning feel natural rather than forced.

Add storage where the room needs it

Open plan living generates plenty of items that need a home, from dining linen to chargers and books. A console with drawers or shelves provides discreet storage right where the activity happens, without the bulk of a large cabinet. Positioned between zones, it can serve both areas at once, holding lounge items on one side and dining bits on the other. This dual purpose makes a console particularly valuable in open layouts. For greater capacity, pairing it with a matching piece from our high gloss sideboards range gives you a coordinated storage solution.

Combine with other dividers thoughtfully

A console works beautifully alongside other gentle dividers, such as a rug that defines the seating area or a shelving unit that screens without enclosing. Layering these elements creates clear zones while keeping the airy feel that makes open plan living appealing. A console can be the anchor of this arrangement, with softer dividers supporting it. Thinking about how these pieces work together gives you a more polished result. Our room dividers can complement a console where you want a little more separation without losing light.

Style it to face both ways

When a console sits between two zones, it is often seen from both sides, so styling matters more than usual. A lamp and a low arrangement of objects look good from every angle, while a tall, one sided display can seem awkward from behind. Choosing styling that reads well in the round keeps the piece looking intentional throughout the space. This double sided thinking is unique to open plan placement and worth keeping in mind. A well styled console becomes a feature that enhances both areas at once.

Keep light flowing

The joy of open plan living is the flow of light and space, and your console should support rather than interrupt it. Keeping the piece low, slim and uncluttered preserves the open sightlines that make the layout feel generous. A glossy surface actively helps by reflecting light deeper into the room. Avoiding tall, heavy pieces in the dividing role keeps the airy quality intact. When chosen and placed with care, a console enhances the openness rather than chipping away at it, which is exactly what an open plan room needs. It is worth comparing options across our wider console tables range to find the lightest, most fitting design.

Use lighting to reinforce the zones

Light is one of the most effective ways to define areas in an open plan room, and a console supports this beautifully. A pair of lamps on a console behind the sofa casts a warm pool of light over the lounge, marking it as a distinct, cosy zone within the larger space. This soft, layered lighting feels very different from the brighter task light of a dining or working area, which helps each zone develop its own mood. The glossy surface adds to the effect by reflecting the lamplight gently into the room. Using a console as a lighting station is a subtle way to give an open space rhythm and warmth after dark.

Keep sightlines clear from every angle

In an open plan room, you see the furniture from many directions, so a console must look tidy from all of them. A piece that is neat at the front but messy with cables at the back will spoil the view from the dining or kitchen side. Routing wires carefully and keeping the rear of the table considered ensures the piece looks good in the round. This attention to every angle is what makes open plan furniture feel deliberate rather than awkward. A console that has been thought about from all sides becomes a genuine asset to the flow of the space, never an eyesore from the wrong direction.

Coordinate finishes across the whole space

An open plan room can easily feel like several smaller rooms that do not quite agree with each other. Repeating a finish, such as a consistent gloss tone or a shared metal accent, ties the zones into one coherent space. A console can carry this thread from the lounge into the dining area, echoing the colour or material of pieces elsewhere. This repetition gives the eye something to follow and makes the whole space feel planned. Coordinating finishes is one of the simplest ways to bring harmony to a large open room, and a glossy console is a natural piece to anchor that shared language.

Frequently asked questions

Can a console table divide an open plan room? Yes. Placed behind a sofa or along the edge of a zone, a low slim console marks a soft boundary without blocking light or sightlines.

What size console suits an open plan space? A longer console usually works better in a larger room. Measure the sofa or the zone you want to define so the piece reads as a deliberate divider.

How does a console help an open plan room feel unified? Repeating a glossy finish across zones creates harmony, and the reflective surface carries light from one area to another, tying the space together.

Should an open plan console have storage? Storage is a real bonus here. A console between zones can serve both areas at once, and pairing it with a sideboard adds capacity.

How do I style a console seen from both sides? Choose a lamp and low objects that look good in the round, avoiding tall one sided displays that seem awkward from behind.