A good side table with a storage shelf for a conservatory is made from materials that cope with sunlight and changing temperatures, sized to suit the seating and simple enough to keep tidy. Look for finishes that resist fading, such as lacquered wood, powder coated metal, toughened glass or rattan, and a lower shelf with enough height to hold books, magazines or a basket. Place it beside the main chairs, away from the main route to the garden door.
Conservatories bring the outdoors in, but they still need furniture that works hard. A table with a second level doubles the useful surface without adding to the footprint. Our modern side tables UK sale range includes many designs with lower shelves, and the points below will help you decide which suits your garden room.
Many conservatories are added to the back of a house without any built in storage. There are no cupboards, few solid walls and often a door to the garden in the middle of one side. That means the clutter of everyday use has nowhere to go: reading glasses, books, garden magazines, a phone charger, plant food and blankets for cooler evenings.
A side table with a shelf gives all of this a home. The top stays clear for a cup of tea or a plant, while the shelf below quietly holds the rest. It also keeps the room flexible, since you can move the table with its contents when you rearrange the chairs. Thinking about the conservatory in the context of your wider modern living room furniture UK helps too, as many conservatories act as a second sitting room.
A conservatory is not quite indoors and not quite outdoors. Before choosing a table, it helps to understand how the room behaves through the year.
Glass walls and roofs let in a great deal of light, including ultraviolet rays that can fade wood, fabric and some painted finishes over time. South and west facing conservatories receive the strongest sun.
Conservatories can be warm on a bright day and cool on a winter evening. These swings can cause solid wood to move slightly and may affect some glues and finishes.
Plants, condensation and a door opening onto the garden can raise humidity. Good ventilation helps, but furniture should still be reasonably tolerant of moisture.
Most furniture made for indoor use is fine in a well ventilated, insulated conservatory, but some materials handle the conditions better than others.
High gloss finishes can show dust and fingerprints more clearly in strong light, and very dark wood can fade unevenly where the sun falls. If your conservatory faces south, a lighter finish is generally easier to live with.
The simplest option is a table with a single shelf near the floor. It is useful for books, magazines and a basket. Check that the gap between the shelf and the top is generous enough for the items you want to keep there.
Tables with two or three levels give several surfaces in one footprint. They suit conservatories used for plants, as you can arrange pots at different heights.
Slatted wooden or metal shelves allow air to circulate, which helps in humid rooms and stops water collecting under plant pots.
A table with a drawer or a small cupboard below hides clutter completely. This is helpful for chargers, remotes and items that would look untidy on an open shelf.
Many conservatories are modest in size, often holding two chairs, a small sofa or a dining set. A side table should fit the arrangement without blocking the route to the garden door.
Match the top height to the arms of your chairs or sofa, or slightly lower. A top of around 40 to 50cm gives room for a drink and a plant. If the conservatory doubles as a dining area, a slimmer table placed against a solid wall may work better than one in the middle of the room.
Think about how you use the room. If you sit to read in the morning sun, place the table beside that chair. If the conservatory is mainly for evening relaxing, place it where a lamp can sit on top without glare on the glass.
Avoid placing a table directly in front of a radiator or heater, and keep it clear of door swings. In conservatories with a low wall, the table can often sit neatly against the brickwork, which keeps it out of the way and protects it from some of the direct sunlight.
Conservatories serve very different purposes from one home to the next, and the right table depends on yours.
If the conservatory is where you read, a table with a deep lower shelf for books and a top large enough for a lamp and a cup makes sense. Position it on the side of your dominant hand so reaching is natural.
For keen gardeners, a tiered or slatted table works best. Use the top for plants that need the most light, the lower level for those that prefer shade, and keep a small watering can and plant food in a tray on the shelf.
Where children play, choose a sturdy table with rounded edges and an enclosed shelf or drawer, so toys, crayons and games can be cleared away quickly at the end of the day.
If you host friends on summer evenings, a pair of side tables with shelves gives everyone somewhere to put a glass, while the lower levels can hold spare coasters, napkins and candles.
An open shelf only looks good when it is well organised. A few simple habits help.
If you have a lot of reading material, a dedicated rack can help. Our modern magazine racks UK sale range offers compact designs that sit neatly beside a chair.
A conservatory sits between two worlds, and the best schemes acknowledge both. Choose a side table that echoes the materials of the room it opens off, such as oak if your living room is oak, and add a nod to the garden through plants, natural textures or a soft green finish.
If you use your conservatory for larger storage needs, a low unit along a solid wall can work alongside a side table. Our modern shelving units and storage UK collection includes options that suit garden rooms with limited wall space.
A little care keeps a table looking good for many years in a sunlit room. Move objects on the top occasionally so that any fading happens evenly. Wipe up water from plant pots promptly and use saucers or coasters. Dust regularly, as dust in strong light becomes very visible. If your conservatory gets very hot in summer, blinds help protect both furniture and plants.
For more on how the different types of small table are defined and sized, our explainer on side table, end table and lamp table terms in UK homes is a useful reference when comparing designs.
A side table with a storage shelf is one of the most useful pieces you can add to a conservatory. Choose a material that handles light and temperature, a shelf that suits what you want to store and a size that fits your seating. You can explore side tables with shelves, storage pieces and matching living room furniture at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Wood can fade in strong sunlight over time. A lacquered or sealed finish slows this, and moving objects occasionally helps any change happen evenly. Blinds also offer protection.
Powder coated metal, toughened glass, synthetic rattan and sealed hardwoods all cope well with light and temperature changes. Choose the one that suits your style.
Check the gap between the shelf and the top. Around 20cm or more is usually enough for a book stack or a small basket.
In a well insulated, ventilated conservatory, most indoor furniture is fine. In rooms that get very hot or cold, choose robust finishes and avoid delicate veneers.
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