Not all wood console tables are just simple wooden tables with legs and a drawer or shelf. Indeed, some wood console tables are much fancier, even rivaling their ritzy furniture siblings made of marble and other luxurious materials. By using exotic woods or inlays, a wood console table can take on an air of luxury and sophistication.
You may not have known what they were called but inlays are designs made in the wood of the table. Generally inlays are made of other woods and/or metal inset into a table top surface.
Picture a beautiful cherry wood console table that instead of a solid cherry top has a design set in made of metal. It could be a flowery or gothic design, or something more customized, such as a monogram. This is the idea behind the simpler metal inlay.
Solid Oak Shelf
Taking things a step further is a wood and metal inlay. In this case it is not only metal that a groove is cut for in the wood. Instead a whole area of the top of the cherry wood console table is carved out, and other exotic wood pieces and metal lines are placed together to create an exquisite design. You can find a number of wood console tables on the market that already have any number of beautiful designs created in them, or look to have your own made, that suits your style and preferences.
From time to time, other unique items are also used in making inlay wood console tables. If you are creating a tropical paradise in your home, it may be possible to find a wood console table that has shells and other beach items inlayed into the surface.
Inlayed wood console tables ask to be shown off and bragged about, which won't be a problem as people will no doubt gawk and laud them when they see them. Generally when it comes to decorating, you won't put too much on top of an inlayed wood console table. You can still use the drawer and shelves underneath for storage, but you will probably want to keep the top clear, so people can see it's beauty. The exception may be a lamp you can place on the corner of the tabletop to illuminate the inlay.
Inlays are also a way to really appreciate a piece of furniture. When you order a piece, especially with custom inlays, you know that item is going to be created with love, from the hands of a master at his craft. It will be a unique, one of a kind, piece that will add to your home for the years to come.
Many people look at these kinds of wood console tables as an heirloom piece for the family. They want the beauty of the craftsmanship to be passed on for years to come. In this case, while you could just settle for the design you have already chosen for the table, you could also take things one step further and have some of the metal inlay work engraved with a family name, date, or something else that will make it more meaningful to future generations.