What is a Media Console?

The console table – its name derived from the Latin consolidare, to strengthen – once functioned in the home as decorative furniture, affixed directly to a wall and supported by scroll-shaped legs. Today, this timeless piece serves a more practical purpose, allowing us to store, organize, and display our cherished odds and ends. Case in point: the media console. Often nestled in living rooms and game rooms, media consoles are designed to accommodate a television while also providing enough storage space for assorted entertainment essentials, such as speakers, cable boxes, and gaming equipment.

Whether you’re choosing the perfect piece for your home, preparing for its delivery, or maintaining its beauty for years to come, our furniture guide is here to help you every step of the way.

While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are key distinctions among the three. TV stands are typically the smallest, with one primary job: to hold and display a TV. Media consoles, meanwhile, can hold a TV and offer additional built-in storage. Entertainment centers, the largest option, have room not only for a TV, speakers, and gaming equipment, but for plenty of decorative accents, such as books, candles, and vases.

A TV stand serves the simple but essential purpose of displaying your TV. In most living spaces and many bedrooms, the TV serves as a focal point for gathering and relaxing, and furniture will often naturally point toward it. A straightforward and minimalist stand for TV is a perfect option for smaller spaces and homes with fewer entertainment accessories, while a bedroom TV stand may function as dual-purpose storage for clothing and linens.

A media console table displays your television while also helping to store entertainment gadgets. A buffet-style piece that features either enclosed or open shelving for versatile storage space, a TV media console is perfect for living rooms, family rooms, kids' playrooms, game rooms, and bedrooms.

Crafted specifically for entertainment needs, an entertainment center for TV is just the thing for family dens and game rooms. Featuring a larger surface space ideal for both a TV and décor, along with ample storage sections, a TV entertaining center works best in larger living rooms. Its design is tailored for entertainment purposes, featuring accessible space for gaming consoles, DVD players, sound systems, and more.

As an anchor piece in your living space, a media console should be chosen with care. Variables including size, color, and functionality will each play a part as you select the best console media table for your individual needs and design style.

Choosing the right size for your console is an important step. Measure the room and your TV before shopping to ensure your piece will easily fit, and not appear too large or too small for the space. (Ideally, the console's top surface should measure 4"–10" longer than your TV's width.) For a vast, open living space or a narrow entryway, opt for a long media console. For a smaller living room or a bedroom, a small entertainment center or small media console (as opposed to a larger media console) will look the most natural without overtaking the space.

Media consoles come in a beautiful array of colors, shades, and wood stains, and choosing the right look for yours helps the piece blend seamlessly with your interior. In a chic, modern home, a black media console (black entertainment center or black TV stand) or a white entertainment center (or a white TV stand) makes an eye-catching statement. Alternatively, a wood media console (or wood TV stands), in your choice of hue or stain, marries well with a more rustic farmhouse style. Ensuring the console color matches (or complements) your existing furniture pieces and walls will help you achieve a flawless finish.

Before choosing a media console, first decide where it will live and what function it needs to serve. Assess the size of the room, the length of your TV, and which entertainment items you'd like to tuck into the console table's shelves. A low-profile media console is sleek, lower to the ground, and takes up less space, while other models offer more shelving units and a wider surface for a generous TV.

Hoping to match your new media console to your current interior style? To best pinpoint that style, note the colors, materials, and shapes found throughout your space. A comforting feel with rustic accents leans toward a farmhouse media console, whereas a modern media console evokes a minimalist and neutral look, and an eclectic collection of varying shapes and materials might fall under a mid-century media console.

Sleek and often serene, the modern interior design style is characterized by a minimalist look, geometric lines, and neutral colors. A modern TV stand, modern entertainment center, or a modern media console will be understated yet chic, perhaps featuring neutral hues, savvy cord escapes, and enclosed shelving units to maintain an uncluttered appeal.

The mid-century design style features clean lines, a classic look, and unexpected pairings of colors and materials. A mid-century media console or mid-century entertainment center may be crafted of natural wood with eye-catching, retro-inspired details, intriguing hardware, and rounded edges.

Rustic pieces, a simple aesthetic, and cozy vibes define a farmhouse-style home and a farmhouse entertainment center. Rendered in neutral tones or natural shades of wood, a farmhouse TV stand or farmhouse media console lends a nostalgic, rustic feel to your comforting interior. For something a bit more modern and eco-friendly, we suggest a reclaimed wood console table.

An entertainment center serves a greater purpose than just storage: It also makes the perfect display setting for your collection of curios. Adorn yours with media console décor such as favorite novels, treasured photographs, and vibrant houseplants. If you have an entertainment center with bookshelves on each side, try experimenting with color-coordinated organization and varietal groupings of three. For a beautiful bedroom TV stand, keep your curation thoughtful with a measured selection of objects – we love rotating seasonally – and a cohesive color scheme.

Anthropologie offers a wide selection of entertainment centers for every space, style, and function. Browse our assortment and find the perfect media console for your home today!